France arrive in Dublin for next Saturday’s fourth successive title showdown against Ireland looking, well, quite French. They’ve had facile wins over Wales and Italy, either side of a maddeningly self-inflicted loss in Twickenham yet, oddly, perhaps it is that performance and result that should strike most fear into Irish minds.
Only so much could be read into their opening night 43-0 win over a toothless Wales at a rain-sodden Stade de France, when the officials ignored forward passes for two of the tries. And as referee Paul Williams’s lopsided 12-3 penalty count indicates, the away side were given little. France secured the bonus point by half-time and took their foot off the pedal in the second half.
In losing 73-24 and leaking 11 tries, Italy also reverted to some of the shoddy defensive work that has blighted their campaigns over the years, including in the World Cup less than two years ago, when they lost 96-17 to New Zealand and 60-7 to France.
Granted, Italy struck a couple of early blows last Sunday in Rome, which suggested a competitive as well as entertaining game, and trailed 21-17 in the 29th minute. But soon after France had secured another first-half bonus point. As Les Bleus added six more tries in the second period, it became about as competitive as a bull fight.
But this was always likely, for the French ruthlessness in the Stadio Olimpico emanated from their almost laughably wasteful performance in Twickenham, which had left them with two weeks to stew on assuredly the single most profligate championship display in modern memory.
In truth, France should have had a bonus-point try by half-time against England too. The ball was, admittedly, greasy but the trend was set in the fifth minute when France outmanoeuvred the English defence for Thomas Ramos to release Pierre-Louis Barassi, only for his inside pass to be fumbled by Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who took his eye off the ball. There was still one covering defender, but the try looked probable, especially given the winger’s lightening speed and finishing ability.
After Ramos uncharacteristically pulled a straight penalty wide and Damian Penaud knocked on a pass by Bordeaux-Bègles team-mate Matthieu Jalibert, Penaud launched a pitch-length attack with a quick tap that ended with even Antoine Dupont fumbling Ramos’s pass. It would have been a routine run-in for the great man.
Not long after that, Penaud knocked on Jalibert’s pass after another finely crafted move, with Ramos and Bielle-Biarrey outside in a three-on-two against Marcus Smith and Alex Mitchell. Bielle-Biarrey then fumbled with Penaud on his outside before the former finally scored from the latter’s grubber.
That’s three, and probably four, gilt-edged try-scoring opportunities that the French butchered. Even then they weren’t done. Three minutes into the second period Bielle-Biarrey made hay up the left but his pass inside was dropped by Peato Mauvaka when the hooker would have scored untouched. Or, had he left the ball, Dupont would have done so.
Never give a sucker an even break, especially at home in the Six Nations. England hung in there and, with more composure at outhalf from Fin Smith, and a more experienced bench buttressed by Jamie George and Elliot Daly, won 26-25.
But by rights, France should be coming to Dublin with three handsome bonus-point wins to their credit, and then we, and the bookies, might be viewing next Saturday’s contest somewhat differently.
It was a surprise to encounter Irish fans in Edinburgh after the French defeat in Twickenham who reckoned it was a good result for Ireland, and some pundits were of the same view. But as France showed in Rome, the loss fostered a determination to atone for Twickenham, when their performance betrayed signs of French arrogance, which is unlikely to be repeated in the Aviva. Successive losses to Ireland and their bid for a third outright title in a row commands respect.
The response from Fabien Galthié to the Twickenham defeat had a whiff of anger and “scapegoatery” about it.
Penaud had moved to within one of equalling the all-time French record of the great Serge Blanco on 38 tries and probably would have broken the record in the Stadio Olimpico, but was sent back to Bordeaux-Beglès.
So too, rather harshly, was Jalibert, who had helped France manipulate the English defence and create those chances before being replaced in the 68th minute as Galthié returned to this curious infatuation with moving Dupont to outhalf.
Galthié is not especially popular, least of all, it seems, among former team-mates or even fellow coaches and club owners turned pundits.
Former France coach Philippe Saint-André, ex-Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal and former team-mate Richard Dourthe are among the French coach’s critics.
“He is a great technician, but he is not a great man manager,” ventured Boudjellal, who worked with Galthié at Toulon, when speaking to Sud Ouest after last season’s defeat to Ireland.
“Now that those coaches who Bernard Laporte brought in, to counterbalance the weaknesses in Galthié’s character and who could say ‘no’ to him, have gone, I fear we will end up with the Galthié we knew at Toulon. That is to say, a man who, generally speaking, puts people’s backs up in the dressingroom very quickly. The Galthié who never took the blame for mistakes.”
Dourthe, a former team-mate of Galthié for much of 1995 to 2001, including the 1999 World Cup final, has been critical of the French head coach since the missed opportunity of a home World Cup two years ago.
Regarding Jalibert’s treatment after Twickenham, Dourthe wrote in Midi Olympique: “Is this player, who is breathtaking in the Top 14 and in the Champions Cup, put in suitable conditions in the French team? And how can you ask him to die for you if he never feels, from you, the consideration he deserves?
“I am taking the lead today to declare that what recently happened to the fly-half from Bordeaux is a first-class burial and a serious management error. Three ‘number 10s’ in three matches,” added Dourthe with regard to Romain Ntamack starting against Wales, Jalibert against England and Ramos against Italy. “For God’s sake, you will notice that we are the only ones who cut off heads in such a frenzied way. The guillotine is the easy solution, Mr Coach.
“Your job is also to give your soldiers confidence and, in this respect, I am not even sure that wielding the stick to remove Damian Penaud from the match in Italy was of any use to him, as the UBB winger does not have the profile to react to such a blow to the ego. So, beware of being overzealous, Fabien ... Be careful not to fall back into your old ways and risk, one day, putting the France group against you.”
But there have also been others, such as legendary former Toulouse and French coach Pierre Villepreux and the former Toulouse and France scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Élissalde, who have praised a discernible shift in approach of this French team since the November Tests and the return of Dupont.
Previously, the French team’s approach had been termed by some in the French media as “le jeu en dark”. This involved a constant flow of pick-and-jams by the forwards to wear down the opposition’s fringe defence before moving the ball wide.
Since the return of Dupont in November, he has been the orchestrator in chief. Dupont picks out forward carriers from pods of three, which can be supplemented by one of the centres, and can switch from side to side. A winger will hug the opposing touchline for Dupont, or his outhalf, to locate with a cross kick, or they will choose when to go wide with two or three long passes to their potent outside backs. It is equally direct, requires a huge work rate from the forwards but is more nuanced, with Dupont the primary decision-maker.
Elissalde wrote in L'Équipe: “As I have been perceiving since November, I have the impression that the evolution of the French team – whether strategic, rugby or managerial – is taking shape. What we saw on Sunday is in line with what Les Bleus had produced in England. Even if the finishing was lacking at Twickenham, there were some very good things, which were repeated in Italy, during this record victory.
“Several signs make me think that offensively the team is responding to what the staff wants to put in place. First there was this strong choice to place seven forwards on the bench and only one three-quarter: the strategy was well implemented, with a game rotating around an axis, as has been the case for some time, but even more so in this match, this allowed to tighten up, tire, wear down, demolish the Italian defence.”
Galthié has also revealed some of his hand for next Saturday’s game by naming Penaud and Ntamack among his 19 “protected” players excused duty from this weekend’s league matches, indicating their almost certain return.
Hence, unlike last year’s opening night in Marseilles, Ireland will also be facing a team not only with a refocused and energised Dupont, but with his Toulouse halfback kindred spirit Ntamack. He returns after his red card on this year’s opening night against Wales for a nasty looking hit on Ben Thomas that merited a straight red card and a two-game ban.
Although Gaël Fickou was not among those listed after recently returning from injury, it would be no surprise if the leader of their defence also starts against Ireland ahead of Barassi given France’s midfield porousness so far.
The 30-year-old Fickou, capped 93 times, has recovered from surgery on a fractured thumb suffered at the end of December and returned off the bench for Racing 92 in their win at La Rochelle a fortnight ago. He is also expected to play at home against Pau this Saturday.
The main issue is whether Galthié sticks with the 7-1 bench split used in Rome, and the likelihood is that he will, given the needs of their approach since November requires fresh forwards.
Perhaps most relevant and revealing of all was Dupont’s post-match interview on ITV when receiving his man-of-the-match award and how his thoughts immediately turned to next Saturday’s showdown.
“We know that it will be a huge game,” said Dupont. “We’ve got two weeks to prepare for that. It will be the main game of the tournament for us, but we’ll see – it will be tough, for sure.”
This powerful and potent French team will be more motivated and focused next Saturday than for any other game this season. Beating Ireland will also make them warm favourites to win just a second Six Nations title in 15 years. And make their season a success.
