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 
Some quality reading for you before next Thursday:
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Bad luck for Loqius Lynagh, covid withdrawal from England squad. Dombrandt also a doubt. Ireland by 20.
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@tomp
I like the melding of the pagan and Catholic traditions there.
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…and rugby (the Aviva in the background)
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No Stade de France here:
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Where is Murrayfied?
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Putin must be shitting himself
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I think out of solidarity with these fine leaders OB should send one of our finest from each country to Ukraine to support the war effort. LADOAB and Expro for Canada and Netherlands respectively, one of the rest of you mob to represent the UK. Except the Irish, of course. But including the Ulster contingent. Who would best represent the holy triumvirate of Bojo, OB and Global Britain (Getting Things Done)™? Answers onna postcard to Buckingham Palace, London, England, Attn: Liz
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She ain’t there, Deebee. Confined to Windsor Castle for the rest of her natural: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/03/the-queen-move-to-windsor-castle-permanent
A slight delay could affect everything.
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Whereabouts in the Highlands is Trotternish? Looks lovely! I suppose I could Google it, but I’m likely to get a far richer, more accurate picture here.
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TomP, as the source of such stunning and quick intel, you’ve just volunteered yourself for the Ukraine job. Three cheers to TomP! Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray! For he’s a jolly good fellow and all that. Safe travels and use your inside knowledge of eastern Europe to good effect, old chap!
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Work is being done here, Deebs:
https://www.irishpost.com/news/ambassador-claims-ireland-is-at-the-forefront-of-anti-russian-events-in-tv-interview-230729
https://www.thejournal.ie/russian-embassy-truck-crash-criminal-damage-5703488-Mar2022/
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The next idiot to float something back to the top of my inbox is getting an earful from me. Who comes up with this shit? Cat?
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Anyone notice the issue with this?
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All Blacks are the men’s team so seems not unreasonable.
Black Ferns posted this:
https://twitter.com/BlackFerns?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
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Hold on, is that Sevu Reece bottom right?
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Tomp – the one and only.
Only copped a NZ$750 fine because Connacht would have torn up his contract if he’d been given a criminal conviction for assault.
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And top left is the bloke who cheated on his wife/partner with a woman in an airport toilet, from memory? Staggeringly good role models.
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Deebs – indeed. Up the wiminz.
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“Make us a cup of tea, luv, I’m just doing the twitter account about how we are supported in playing rugby by all you lovely girls”
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Apologies to those who have heard this before………………….from The Breakdown:
“That night Keane went out for a few beers in Camden Town, still all dressed up in his dinner suit, and did not have to pay for a drink all night. At one point he bumped into an exiled builder, one of the legions forced to leave their homeland for work across the Irish Sea. “Moss, it’s an awful shame to see a big lump of a man like you wasted playing that ol’ rugby,” said his new friend. “You’d be a great man at feeding a cement mixer.” As recounted in No Borders, Tom English’s masterly first-person history of Irish rugby, Keane was forever struck by the numbers of displaced Irish working people resident in north London whom he was representing whenever he pulled on a green jersey. “I always thought of them when I was up against England.”
Dog, I love that!
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@slade
I have a cousin nth removed like that. Always going on about how dreadful the English are, publishes his rabid Irish republican views all over Twitter, sings rebel songs in the pub etc.
He’s born and bred in Cowdenbeath.
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My sister in law used to have a flat in Kilburn, or County Kilburn as it was known.
There are Irish traditional musicians who say that they would never have met and played with as many other Irish musicians if they hadn’t moved to London.
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OT – met many a plastic paddy in the US (they are, like, 150% Irish because their great-grandmother’s second cousin’s dog was a red setter, or something) who loved to go to ‘Irish’ pubs and donate to The Cause, knowing not fact one about the situation. Many of them also thought the ‘Republican’ in IRA meant that they were good ole right-wingers, against abortion and for low taxes and kicking the poor.
These same people were upset by 9/11.
I think there were even a few who had the self-awareness to question whether supporting the ‘Ra had been a really good idea.
Seems to me that there are a lot of people who don’t think that actions have consequences if they’re performed by the ‘good guys’, whether that be oppressing and invading other countries, fixing their elections, or parking your tanks on Russia’s lawn; and others who don’t realise that real people who have nothing to do with the oppression die when the oppressed fight back (not that I’m suggesting Russia is oppressed, except by its own government).
Feeling pretty sickened at the moment.
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It occurs to me that that may be a blog-killing post, so feel free to ignore and post any frivolousness, or otherwise, desired! I am all for frivolous distractions.
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Keane is an absolute legend in these parts, and even more, if that’s possible, down trisk’s way. That’s a great story about him, slade.
There’s a splendid book from last year called “Going to My Father’s House” by Patrick Joyce, which is very good about Irishness in England and what the people who left Ireland and their children felt.
Fun fact: the traffic island outside Camden Town tube used to be called Penguin Island back in the 1950s because the old dads used to meet there in their Sunday best after Mass and before the boozers opened.
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When I was a student in the early 1990s I remember a collection at the Archway Tavern, a pub I quite liked.
The big places to the west were great – the National and the Crown were still concerns then. But there were just loads and loads of Irish people around. And lots of decent little pubs run by Irish people to go drinking in.
An ex-girlfriend of mine was from South London and the big one down there was The Swan in Stockwell, incredible nights in there.
Friends of mine told me lots about GAA clubs and the events the Catholic church used to run for people who came over to England to work and parents of friends told me about the rough time they’d had in the early days.
My grandparents were of a sightly different sort of migrant as my grandfather was a doctor and as they were Protestant they didn’t move in that circle. Their accents were frequently commented on when I was out with them.
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Not sure anyone has been parking their tanks on Russia’s lawn, Thaum. Vlads former speechwriter on Newsnight last night reckoned he has been pretty open about what he intends to do on a regular basis since the nineties, and will keep going until the West stops him with equivalent hardware, and only then. I think it could be said that in the last thirty years, a fair few tanks have in fact been unparked from his lawn. He keeps nibbling away, and the stars aligned for him to have a free shot at Ukraine. Covid, divided EU, and weak leaders in several major Nato aligned states have created the perfect storm, and he has taken his opportunity, before the lunatic in Kviv started tainting Ruskies with his new fangled democratic anti corruption malarkey. It will be interesting* to see if he does indeed stop when he has bombed Ukraine into submission, or if he decides to keep on going to reclaim the rest of the former Russian Empire.
*I say interesting as Lviv on the Ukrainian border is around 200 miles closer to London than I am to Miami, so not worrying or frightening for me at this moment. I suspect I would be getting pretty twitchy if I was in Czech, Poland Hungary, the Baltics etc.
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*Note to self*
Ignore all of Thaum’s posts from now on.
*Note to self ends*
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Don’t buy the offensive realism argument in this Russia vs Ukraine situation. If a neighbouring country wants to join a defensive alliance to you can’t just invade and expect everything to be hunky dorey. And those who say we need a ‘buffer zone’ between Russia and NATO don’t ever live in the buffer zones or choose to
Fuck, even the swedes want in on NATO at this point. And they’ve been smashing dem ruskies on their own for centuries.
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They, we, me. It’s all the same innit.
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Slade and Marchant again on Saturday then ?
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If anyone is is interested, here is a brief overview of the history of Ukraine from a linguistic perspective and how the language has influenced and reflected its history and contributed to where we are now.
I found it interesting.
The writer is Paul Kavanagh, aka Wee Ginger Dug
https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2022/03/01/ukraine-and-russia-a-brief-historical-background/
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More IWD celebrations:
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One for Refit;
Bradbury to Bristol. I hope it’s the right place for him, he is a terrific 8 but tends to hide in games as he loses focus at times.
There is a bit of a log jam in the back row at Edinburgh so this is very good for Bristol if they get the best out of him, good for the young guys like Muncaster coming through and also the 18 year old Brown who made his debut on Friday – over six four and the best part of 18 stones, he is going to be a bit of a beast – and good for Scottish rugby.
Unfortunately the two teams thing sticks again, we don’t have enough game time available so the best thing for everyone is for guys like this to move on.
Breast of Duck to him, and to Bristol, I kind of like them anyway.
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Shackleton’s ship Endurance has been found, 107 years after it sunk in the Weddell Sea in the Southern Ocean
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60662541?fbclid=IwAR07GCShCiBZM49OW9jd6H9mj6Z1I80ffB_WpCYsyRjphv2GLPq5TZFCdzU
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ticht, that article’s ok as it goes but it gets even more complicated with Rusyns (Ruthenians) in the far west of Ukraine – which was part of Czechoslovakia between the wars, Tatars (who he mentions), Volhynian Czechs as just some examples. Pavel Nedved’s grandfather, I think, was a Volhynian Czech.
Also, the bit about Polish-speaking nobility is sort of right but they often tended to speak Latin or a Latin/Polish mix as well as Polish. They were wildly into something called Sarmatian culture. However, he’s telescoping a lot of history into a very short piece so there’ll be some things that could (should) be expanded.
This is interesting on “the Russian world”: https://kamusella.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/russian-between-re-ethnicization-and-pluricentrism/#more-317
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To celebrate International Womens Day yesterday what can be more fitting than the Oldham Tinkers singing about the suffragette Annie Kenny? Shame Larry isn’t around any more but nice to see Gerry on good form.
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Tom, he does say at the start of the article, “Obviously in this piece much will have to be omitted due to constraints of space and readability.”
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Ticht, there is a great atmospheric song by Justin Sullivan loosely written around Shackleton and the rescue run in the James Caird. Worth reading Shackletons books on his trips to the Antartic.
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I think it’s worth remembering that Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952 and shared land borders with several Soviet Republics and satellite states at the time and since then. It effectively ‘borders’ Russia across the Black Sea. A number of former Warsaw Pact countries joined in the late 90’s. The Baltic States and yet more former WP countries joined NATO in 2004. Since then, Albania and Croatia in 2009 and North Macedonia and Montenegro in the last couple of years have joined NATO.
Why? Why bother if Russia is a benign power? A steady trickle of countries have decided that their security is best served by turning westwards and this war may see more opting for NATO (although some may be snubbed – wouldn’t like to be Georgia or Armenia right now). The fact that both Finland and Sweden are now actively considering NATO membership speaks volumes for how those in the neighbourhood feel about Putin.
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Wrote that a few hours ago, but forgot to post it. I see it’s a bit late and out of place, much like a Bok prop in the tackle.
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I’m curious to know what the definition of Russia’s lawn would be.
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@dab
Somewhere east of Germany, west of the Urals.
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I’ve seen Venezuela described as America’s backyard so Russia’s lawn could be anywhere they want it to be within about 2,000 kilometres if we go by those rules.
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From those pinko left-wing bleeding hearts at the Cato Institute: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/28/nato-expansion-war-russia-ukraine
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Thaum, that article and the one on the Cato Institute does kind of imply that the US forced all those countries to join Nato, and does seem to work on the assumption that Nato and Russia are equivalent and opposing organisations, which is not necessarily the case.
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We’ll be lucky to hold them to under 3 figure.
Wales
15. Liam Williams 14. Alex Cuthbert 13. Owen Watkin 12. Jonathan Davies 11. Josh Adams
10. Dan Biggar (captain) 9. Tomos Williams
1. Gareth Thomas 2. Ryan Elias 3. Tomas Francis 4. Will Rowlands 5. Adam Beard 6. Seb Davies 7. Josh Navidi 8. Taulupe Faletau
Replacements: 16. Dewi Lake 17. Wyn Jones 18. Dillon Lewis 19. Ross Moriarty 20. Jac Morgan 21. Kieran Hardy 22. Gareth Anscombe 23. Louis Rees-Zammit
France
15. Melvyn Jaminet 14. Yoram Moefana 13. Gael Fickou 12. Jonathan Danty 11. Gabin Villière 10. Romain Ntamack 9. Antoine Dupont (captain)
1. Cyril Baille 2. Julien Marchand 3. Uini Atonio 4. Cameron Woki 5. Paul Willemse 6. Francois Cros 7. Anthony Jelonch 8. Gregory Alldritt
Replacements: 16. Peato Mauvaka 17. Jean-Baptiste Gros 18. Mohamed Haouas 19. Thibaud Flament 20. Dylan Cretin 21. Maxime Lucu 22. Thomas Ramos 23. Matthis Lebel
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