What’s that you hear? A thirty-footed blue monster rumbling down the rugby world, with a ferocious grin, silky hands and a Gargantuan appetite?
After a decade of mediocrity, losing limply to almost every opponent regardless of their quality, France seem back on track to be a serious contender, so let’s try to look at what has made a difference.
As much as it pains me to say, bloody Bernard Laporte played a major part in it, either by implementing what was already in place, or by some radical changes.
As soon as he was elected in December 2016, he cancelled the construction of the giant stadium the FFR did not have the means to build anyway, fired Novès under a false – and ultimately costly – pretext in favour of Galthié, snatched the organisation of the 2023 RWC from South Africa, and signed a new five-year agreement between the professional clubs (LNR) and the federation (FFR), to be revised in … 2023. The FFR also reorganized the academies and the training of the coaches. And they implemented the JIFF project, which started in 2010.
Let’s start from the top. The RWC in France in 2023 means enough is enough: can’t repeat the disastrous 2015 or 2019, especially at home. So even the constantly infighting Gauls had to agree on some basics.
No more giant stadium means healthier finances. Some of that goes to pay Novès after a court found that he was unfairly fired. The rest goes mostly to the clubs, either as a result of the JIFF policy or the new convention.
JIFF basically means France-qualified. It actually stands for : Jeunes issus des filières de formation. Either the youngsters have spent three years in FFR-endorsed academies, or they’ve been registered players with the FFR for at least five years before they turn 23. Nationality does not matter. Professional clubs from both T-14 and ProD2 must play with a minimum number of JIFF players; it has gone from twelve in 2011 to seventeen now.
Stick: Points can be deducted if the clubs use fewer (hasn’t happened yet AFAIK).
Carrot: the clubs can get paid up to 300.000 euros if they achieve the minimum number required.
Two consequences: the mediocre JIFFs first got paid disproportionately high salaries, even on the bench, as they brought more money than say a Georgian or an old Kiwi. Secondly, the good ones got more game time, as there have been fewer imports since, including at key positions.
Most T-14 and ProD2 clubs now turn up with about 75% JIFFs in their squads, usually around seventeen players, the lowest being Toulon with 59% (which could be very costly in terms of relegation) and the maximum being Clermont with 80%.
(For more info, check out the very interesting site [only in French, I’m afraid] www.allrugby.com and look for “ stats Jiff”. The site covers many other subjects – a gold mine for TomP. See also: www.ffr.fr and look for “filière d’accession au haut niveau”.)
Now the agreement:
The clubs agreed to leave 42 players at Galthié’s disposal for the entire duration of the 6N, with only fourteen players released to their clubs a few days before the actual games. At least five clubs must provide one to three players, thus making sure most clubs are involved. During the fallow weeks, 23 players are ‘protected’ and not allowed to play with their clubs; the same applies to the autumn tests. In exchange, the clubs get serious money and also bonuses according to France’s results. Don’t ask me the exact amount, it’s classified.
So not only does Galthié have access to the best players available with time on his hands, but in the meantime – because the T-14 never stops, right? – the younger players get game time while the big boys are in camp.
Then we get a competent set of coaches.
Galthié, the brain. His pet subject and true area of expertise is how quickly a team goes from defence to attack and vice versa. He’s a rugby nerd.
Ibanez, man management, as FG is notoriously bad at it.
Labit (attack), Edwards (defence), Ghezal (lineout), Servat (scrum): the technicians know their stuff, as does Giroud, who’s in charge of the physical preparation.
Finally, France seem to have unearthed quite a few excellent players; some of them could arguably claim a spot in a world XV.
But there is also an unusual strength in depth. Why?
Because rugby is rapidly expanding, both geographically and, more importantly, socially.
There are 245 000 registered players in the country , +6% since before Covid. There are 239 rugby schools (from 6 to U14), including about 60 where historically rugby was not played (Normandy, Brittany, the North East). This is the end of the PE teacher or the well-meaning dad improvising as a coach: these schools have more professional coaches, trained by the FFR, who spot the better players and offer them study, coupled with rugby practice, in 25 high-quality schools (age 15 to 18), partially paid by the FFR. Again, in various parts of the country, including New Caledonia or inner cities around Paris.
There are 44 pro clubs – possibly more if you include faux amateurs all the way down to Fédérale 1, which is the fourth level – most of them with raucous crowds in quite often sold-out stadia.
There is also more exposure: all T-14 and ProD2 games are shown on Canal + (40 euros a month). That money is evenly distributed among the lower leagues.
Big cities (Lyon, Bordeaux, Paris, Montpellier, etc.) are quickly replacing the erstwhile bastions of rugby (50K-pop cities like Dax, Bayonne, Bourgoin, …), bringing in richer sponsors but also attracting – and this is the big novelty – kids from the inner cities, Blacks and Arabs who were only into football before. France has always had players from ex-colonies and from Caribbean islands, Bourgarel, Bennazzi, Blanco, Betsen etc., but they were only a few; nowadays, about a third of the France squad are the sons of recent immigrants. Their success story, through feeder clubs like Massy or Sarcelles (in the Paris area), in turn brings in new kids.
I’m not sure France will get a GS, though I expect them to win the 6N, and I’m not sure either that they’ll win the RWC next year (tough draw in particular), but I certainly expect them to finally remain among the top 3 teams for the years to come. Then of course, a new cycle will begin and the Gauls will to go back to their favorite sport: infighting.
As ably explained by Flair99.
Onna telly this week
Friday 4th March
| Ulster 48 – 12 Cardiff | 19:35 | RTÉ2 / BBC2 NI/Wales / Premier Sports 2 |
| Edinburgh 56 – 8 Connacht | 19:35 | TG4 / Premier Sports 1 |
| Harlequins 24 – 10 Newcastle | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 5th March
| Treviso v Leinster | 12:55 | RTÉ2 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Saracens v Leicester | 15:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Scarlets v Glasgow | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Munster v Dragons | 17:15 | S4C / TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
Sunday 6th March
| Ospreys v Zebre | 14:00 | Premier Sports 1 | ||
| Exeter v Sale | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Thursday 10th March
| Wales v France (U20s) | 20:00 | BBC2 Wales / iPlayer |
Ovally Balls 
Chapeau Flair.
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Can’t believe Warnie is deid. Genuinely sad.
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You can watch the documentary called “Shane” on Prime Video. Has the likes of Chris Martin and Ed Sheeran going on about how great Warnie was. Am particularly impressed by Sheeran’s description of how it felt watching Warnie’s first balls in the Ashes considering he was 2 years 4 months old at the time.
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Thanks for explaining the rise of the true blue meanies Flair
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Flair – excellent AtL -many thanks.
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Great news for Exeter: Vermeulen is Playing again:
https://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/news/chiefs-side-to-face-sale-sharks-8054
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Being forced to watch the Big Match on Taff Telly. >:-(
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Commentator: Cardiff are quite comfortable playing in their own half….
Me: That’s because that’s where they play most of their rugby.
Got a dirty look.
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“Being forced to watch the Big Match”
That Brian Moore’s a good commentator…
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BALOOOUUUUCOOOUUUUNNNNNEEEEE!
Fab try.
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CMW – ? Shirley that’s not who they’ve got commentating on BBC NI?
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Halaholo gets a yellow. Cardiff not looking that comfortable in their own 22.
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The old ITV football commentator was called Brian Moore. If he could commentate on a rugby game in 2022 it would be pretty impressive as he’s been dead for over 20 years.
(Still would be better than Robson, though).
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HUUUUME in an intercept try.
This is looking like I am going to have to spend a lot of time dialling down the gloating.
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Commentator: Okay … this wasn’t in the plan.
Believe his name is Sherlock.
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I’m just trying to provoke OT into posting footage of late 80s Oldham Athletic goals. Doesn’t normally take much…
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:-D
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Cardiff are, erm, making a lot of mistakes.
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McCloskeeeeyyyyy as the clock goes red.
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Doak (unusually) bounces the conversion off the posts, and it’s 22-0 at HT.
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Edinburgh somehow 21-8 up after being 0-8 down. 3 tries in about 10 minutes.
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The ScrumV half-time setup looks sooo awkward,
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Refit – almost as awkward as Cardiff’s play.
I am worried about the state of Welsh rugby; I like good Wales. They should read Flair.
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The state of the Cardiff line-out….
Even the Welsh commentators think that last pen should have gone Ulster’s way.
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Yay! Cardiff score.
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Commentator: And Screech [sp?] … well, I’ve not seen him pull of a pass like that before.
I quite like these commentators; perhaps better than the inevitable on BBC NI.
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There’s the BP try by Nick ‘Tominey’.
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Commentator now apologising profusely for his (repeated) ‘Tominey’ infractions. I do like him.
Cooney on for Doak. They way Doak’s been playing while he’s been injured, he must be a bit worried for his place. He’s been very unlucky in his career.
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Baloucoune again!
I like this neophyte full-back we’ve got; forgotten his name already. Helped set up the try.
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Jarrod Evans looks like he’s broken his wrist or something. Not good news for Cardiff.
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Chimpie pleasing score in embra
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Our wee 15 puts replacement Sexton (relative? I think so) through.
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Quins down to 13 and Newcastle blow an overlap to get within a score.
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Danny Care has now tied Ashton and Felon for the most yellows in the Prem.
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Another score for Ulster that I missed. 48-5 with 10 mins to go.
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Welsh commentator has now taken to referring to Ulster as ‘Munster’.
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Edinburgh see Ulster’s 48 and go one better. 49-8 now.
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Cardiff get a consolation score.
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BB – really? Well done, Embra. *seethes*
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And Cardiff nearly score a third try, but fuck it up (bit of an unlucky bounce too).
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Well! Cardiff look like scoring again, but Ulster nick the ball in their own 22, and instead of kicking it off the pitch, decide to run it and score.
However, I think there was a forward pass.
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I’d buy Claw a couple of pints tonight if I could
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Embra over 50 now…
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TMO says pass not forward, but ref overrules him. Never mind! 48-12.
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Woohoo! Ulster to top of table. Although I feel sorry for Cardiff. (The mister’s dozed off – don’t tell him.)
Embra v Connacht: were C shite, E great, or a bit of both?
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Thaum, Embra were shite both sides of the ball for 20 minutes, then everything stuck, the passes, the accuracy at the breakdown, the ref decisions, everything went for us and we went to town on it.
Connacht’s defence is poor, they said in coms that it’s statistically the worst in the league and we ran through it at will.
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Cheers, Ticht.
Connacht can be ferocious in attack, but often lacking in defence. A very hot-and-cold side, as Claw would no doubt agree.
Well done to your boys.
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thaum, Sexton’s a young guy from Bangor. Seriously fast – like 10.5 for 100 metres fast, 20.7 for 200 metres fast when he was a schoolboy. He’s been playing for Malone in the AIL and scored a few tries – one v Wesley last week.
Stewart Moore’s a really good player. Was a centre at under 20s and scored a wonder try v a good Australia team in the Junior World Cup. Has been injured a lot.
In the bits I saw Cardiff were terrible. Have seen them play quite well this season v Connacht and Leinster but this was awful.
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Good work on the piece, flair. The JIFF rule explains why the French clubs signed up a load of South African kids 3 years ago. Many of them have gone back to SA for the time being. Not great to get stuck abroad at 18, 19 in a pandemic.
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Just read the atl, Flair, thanks, it’s very interesting.
How much of the present rise of the French team is down to a “Golden Generation” ie that fantastic Under 20s squad of a few years ago coming of age?
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