I kicked France to glory...with a tee from the England shop!
YACHVILI REVEALS SECRET
IT is 14 springtimes since Dimitri Yachvili’s boot inflicted France’s last win over England at Twickenham and he is ready to disclose a secret.
The day before that six Nations game he could not find his direction with a single practice kick. Wide, low, but nothing between the posts. To compound the frustration he broke his tee and called serge Blanco in a panicky search for a new one.
Blanco, the France legend of an earlier era, reassured him that he had friends in London who could help source a replacement. And the upshot was this: unbeknown to the Twickenham shop, they provided the tee to the scrum-half who in 2005 kicked the six penalties that flayed Andy Robinson’s England.
‘i’ve never told that story before and even now i am not saying who serge’s friends were in case they are driven out of England,’ smiles Yachvili, now retired at 38 and living in the south of France.
Whisper it ahead of the latest instalment of the rivalry on sunday but this star of a French team who scaled significant heights during his 61- cap international career between 2002 and 2012, does not hate England at all.
This cordiality is the result of the formative season he spent at Gloucester in 2001-02, helping his side to the championship, their first silverware since 1978.
‘i had a great year in England,’ he says. ‘i know very well how rugby is there. The culture of the game. How hard they train.
‘The English are sometimes arrogant, yes, but that is because they work hard and with real dedication. i discovered a new passion for rugby while i was in England. The English are totally devoted to it, whereas in France we are more relaxed, more laid back.
‘We haven’t got the discipline and we haven’t got the fitness the English have.’
Which brings us to a consideration of his country’s chances on sunday, after one of the most Gallic surrenders ever, against Wales in the opening round. Jacques Brunel’s France chucked away a 16-point lead with an ineptitude that left observers slackjawed to lose 24-19.
Can France possibly win against Eddie Jones’ all-singing England?
‘i can’t say no way,’ says Yachvili, adding the excuse for even this slither of optimism: ‘i used to wear the jersey. But more than anything i hope we don’t lose by many.’
Yachvili is highly critical of rugby at home now, with his criticism informed by his TV work covering the Champions Cup for BeiN sports.
‘The way the game is organised in France is wrong,’ he says. ‘The Top 14 does not prepare players for the national team.
‘in ireland, for example, there are four provinces and the national team is the priority. in France, it is about bringing big stars into the Top 14. it is like the Premier League in English soccer.
‘Young players are left out for foreign players. They are not prepared for the pace and demands of international rugby.
‘There is a big rebuild job to do. But first you have to dismantle what has been built. We don’t do that. We try to think we can stick to what we have. We look at 2011 and the World Cup final and think it will all be OK. it won’t be.’
France placed emphasis on sheer size against Wales, fielding the heaviest pack in six Nations history — 154st. Tighthead Uini Antonio weighed in at 24st 8lb. Yachvili despairs at bulk over technique.
He says: ‘You look at Top 14, it is very physical. Where are the fast backs and the clever steps? Many of the players prefer to spend an hour in the fitness room rather than on their skills. You win not because of big arms and big legs but because you know how to play rugby and have a game plan.
‘sadly, England understand that far better than France.’