by “If the players give in to it, it’s over,” was France coach Fabien Galthie’s stern warning from predecessor Guy Noves after Les Bleus cruised to the final in Italy last month. “So it would be prudent to protect them.”
Noves should know. The 70-year-old was a wizard with Toulouse during the golden era of the nineties, winning nine French titles and four European Cups, but his two-year spell in Galthie’s chair was disastrous. Noves managed just 18 months before becoming France’s first head coach to be sacked, with just a 33 per cent win rate over 21 Tests.
So, if France’s sudden decline has reached the point where even Noves feels qualified to give advice – and the French public begins to listen – then Galthie should know that the pressure is well on and truly. After a heavy loss to Ireland, a lopsided win over Scotland and Ireland’s final with Italy, Galthie faces his must-win debut with Les Bleus – for all the wrong reasons. The World Cup quarter-finals and the Grand Slam were crucial events, of course, but there would be no calls for Galthié’s head if they lost either. However, the French public will suddenly be clamoring for the guillotine when Wales are defeated without a win. Even after the Azzurri loss, former Toulon owner – and one-time Galthie boss – Maurad Boudjellal was advocating for his former coach’s run.
As Noves suggested, guarding players is not traditionally Galthie’s strength. The 54-year-old’s reputation before stepping up to the role of France head coach was one of tyranny, only sustained by his questionable man-management skills at Stade Francais, Toulon and Montpellier the stress and anxiety levels. among his various playing groups.
Since Galthie took the reins of France in 2019, however, that reputation seems to have been loosened, to the extent that this year’s lack of tyranny has even begun to take its toll on the end. The odd, enigmatic Galthie, the public face of one of the world’s most successful domestic rugby operations, with his bandy glasses and a golden generation of players at his side, was suddenly a devoted loyalist. During the Six Nations, barring injury or unavailability, Galthie kept faith with the same group of players who have served him so well since his arrival in 2019. The head coach looked loyal, and players on the opportunity to protect and select it. methods.
This week, however, ahead of the Wales challenge on Sunday, Galthié put that loyalty to the test for the first time, teasing his players and keeping them on their toes – and in the dark – about team selection. The traditional training bibs, representing starters and replacements, were mixed up in the training. The team didn’t even know who was starting, much to the chagrin of the French press, whose identification of the bibs was one of their main means of achieving Galthie’s selection.
“He was going to give life to the group,” said Laurent Sempere, one of Galthie’s two starting coaches. “Because of that, we felt a real competitiveness in the group, which is not the case in a normal week [when the players know the starting XV].”
Galthie’s bib ploy may have been two-fold, however. Not only was it to protect the players from themselves, but it was also to protect the identity of the three fates. Against Wales, Galthie will be rolling the dice with his biggest gamble since taking charge. Gargantuan Toulouse second stringer Emmanuel Meafou will make his first appearance for France alongside his teammate, the returning Thibaud Flament; Cameron Woki is completely overwhelmed. Nolan Le Garrec replaces Maxime Lucu at half-back and, in the absence of the injured Matthieu Jalibert, full-back Thomas Ramos will play at half-back and 21-year-old Léo Barre will make his first appearance as a goalkeeper. Another 21-year-old and former player, Nicolas Depoortere will fill the void left by the banned Jonathan Danty at inside centre. Obscure and faithful, Galthie is refreshing. The totemic Gregory Alldritt will return at No. 8 but what would Galthie do to his rocket, Antoine Dupont, who is tearing up the circuit of the seventies and has lost more than was initially expected.
At the French Rugby Union, the party line on Galthie’s future, as it stands, is simple: there is nothing to see here. The president of the governing body, Florian Grill, has brought a new level of sanity and respectability to the role after the chaotic era of Bernard Laporte, but Grill has been left to sweep up the former’s mess. Laporte claimed that last year’s World Cup would bring in €50 million-70 million (£43 million-£60 million) for the company, but after he and tournament director Claude Atcher were relieved of their jobs, Grill beware of false profits. The FFR could lose €7 million for hosting that competition due to financial mismanagement. It would cost FFR Galthie, who signed a lucrative contract up to the 2027 World Cup as one of his parting gifts to sack Laporte, dearly; money not held by the organisation.
Less financial damage than Galthie his backroom team can remove. Rubbing salt into the World Cup wound, three lieutenants were lost: Laurent Labit (attack), Karim Ghezal (forward) and Thibault Giroud (strength and conditioning). The other two left for Stade Francais and it is no coincidence that the Parisians are now sitting at the summit of the Top 14. de Sempere together with the highly respected and experienced William Servat. The prevailing view in France is that, as far as Arlettaz and Sempere are concerned, there is better.
So far, from the perspective of the FFR, Galthie is safe, but successive losses to both Wales and England – on the back of an Italian draw – would put the cat among the pigeons. There could be too much pressure from the public and, regardless of any reason for FFR, Galthie could be forced to resign. The next two weeks could be as decisive as any Grand Slam tilt or World Cup final for Galthie going forward.
