Big test now for France amid rising expectation
Random madness remains France’s big weakness writes Brendan Gallagher
THE last time we saw France in action their odds and sods Third XV nearly beat England at Twickenham – indeed many would argue they were robbed – so it’s tempting to make them favourites for this year’s Six Nations.
Of course it’s more complicated than that. That day in December, France had nothing to lose, a hungry team of mainly young tyros were on a mission and had enjoyed a useful warm-up en masse the previous week against Italy. Nor, if we are honest, is there a huge difference between a France Gun XV and their Thirds, such is the quality of player involved. As always with France it is their state of mind that counts.
But this Six Nations will be different. A tidal wave of enthusiasm for this team and their RWC2023 prospects is beginning to build, the pressure is gradually mounting, yet they are still some way short of being the finished article, there are still many rough edges to be smoothed.
The infantile behaviour of Mohamed Haouas at Murrayfield probably cost them the Championship and Grand Slam last season while, for the brilliance of Antoine Dupont and others, they rarely put together a full 80 minute performance.
They can still go quiet for long periods. We only see flashes of the brilliant Teddy Thomas on the wing while Damian Penaud can look a world beater for 20 minutes and then disappear from games.
And this season is the year they get to play at Twickenham and Ireland. Covid has taken away the element of the home crowd but it has increased the dislocation of travel and staying within bubbles on the move.
At club level the big French franchises competing in Europe have dispelled the long-held myth that the French are poor travellers but the jury is still out on Les Bleus. They certainly didn’t handle the road trip to Edinburgh well this time last year although they were much more pragmatic in the Autumn Nations Cup and ground out a win.
Fabian Galthie and Shaun Edwards have a few injuries to deal with but so has everybody else and France are better equipped than most to absorb those losses.
Romain Ntamack will be missing initially after a strange double fracture of the jaw in a fairly innocuous first-half tussle playing for Toulouse against Bordeaux. His half-back pairing with Dupont has been a big part of France’s new found attacking threat but his absence is possibly not the disaster that some are forecasting.
Mathieu Jallibert is another young ten of the highest class, indeed some would rate him above Ntamack in that he has flair but makes fewer mistakes. We’ll let the French fight that one out among themselves but, with Louis Carbonel also part of the equation, fly-half is a position of great strength for France. Equally the absence of utility back Tomas Ramos is comfortably absorbed by the promotion of the equally gifted Vincent Rattez. France will be more concerned with the absence of midfielder Virimi Vakatawa who will miss at least the first two games with a knee ligament issue. The big Fijian is a unique talent with his strength, speed and off-loading and there is no obvious likefor-like replacement for him. The temptation will be to ask Gael Fickou to step in one but Fickou has looked a player reborn recently when given more licence out wide. Equally France will be sweating on the possible absence of Gregory Alldritt at No.8, one of those industrious understated players whose value only comes to light when he is missing. He gives balance to the France back row and although the athletic Cameron Woki has been called up Woki does not yet offer the same skillset and balance as Alldritt.
Italy first up in Rome will be a useful litmus test for France who often under-perform against Italy, perhaps being rather disdainful of Italian rugby generally. Equally Italy tend to dig deep and go reasonably well against Les Bleus, resenting that French attitude. Fit, fresh and fired up in their first game, Italy are a potential banana skin but the hardnosed, pragmatic, attitude of Edwards will surely come into play here.
Winning is the only thing that concerns Edwards, Italy are simply a team to be beaten, not a side he wants to waste any time passing judgement on. He wants consistency – in selection, performance and results. Achieve that and you start winning tournaments and trophies. Wise man that he is Edwards is not, however, imposing a time frame on the latter.
“My single goal right now is to help make French rugby supporters proud of the way their team plays,” he says.
“Do we need at some stage to win big titles to be considered successful and cement that relationship with the supporters and the French nation? Well yes, of course we do. But do we have to do it right now? No, I don’t think so. For now I just want France to be proud of their team. We are young and have time on our side.”
As for the discipline issue, it’s work in progress. Generally France look much more composed and willing to engage in long periods of disciplined and punishing defence but it’s the random madness that Edwards is still trying to eradicate. You can get your own back in other ways.
He says: “Being tough is not punching or kicking a guy and getting a yellow or red card. That’s 40 years ago. That’s not tough, that’s stupid.
“Toughness is making a couple of big tackles, your heart rate topping 180, and still bouncing straight back into the line and making another tackle and another. There are plenty of opportunities to make your opponent suffer legally. Scrummaging, tackling, running him ragged. You don’t need the other stuff. And the best retaliation of all is always winning.”