OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK
IT’S too easy to say that France have fallen off and are no longer the team they were, after a home defeat by Ireland when they were down to 14 men for almost half the game. Nor can an away win over Scotland after such a big loss to the Irish in Marseille just be dismissed – even taking into account the controversy over the Scots being denied a last-gasp try.
We know from experience that historically the French have been pretty up and down on the international stage and, for a French national team to come into a run of consistency like this one did from 2019 to 2023, you would be surprised if what got them there suddenly disappeared.
It’s also notable that France now face their most vulnerable opponents over the next three rounds. They start against Italy in Lille this afternoon, then face Wales in Cardiff, and finish the tournament against England in Lyon.
We saw a marked improvement in France’s defence and discipline as soon as Shaun Edwards joined Fabien Galthie’s coaching team in 2019. However, it seems that because France have not hit top form straightaway in this Six Nations some of the French media are looking for scapegoats, with Edwards in the firing line.
Despite achieving a Grand Slam in 2022, and narrow second-place Six Nations finishes in 2020, 2021, and 2023, there has been a focus on the statistic that France have conceded three or more tries on six occasions since the start of 2023 – even though they won three of those matches.
The implication is that the impact Edwards brought as defence coach in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup has not been maintained, and maybe after four years his message is becoming a little stale.
The evidence of what Edwards has done to improve the French defence out of sight is there in black and white in the record books. So, when people say that sometimes international teams can have too much of hearing the same coaching voices saying the same things, my answer would be why is it coaches who are pinpointed, rather than players who might be lacking energy, or fitness, or not listening?
When New Zealand went on that great run under Graham Henry they kept the same faces in his coaching team, but freshened it up by Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith changing roles as defence and attack coaches. So, there is no failsafe formula – and just as France renewed the contracts of Galthie and Edwards, Ireland had no hesitation in giving Andy Farrell an extended contract.
The difference is that the Irish are the team of the moment, and so far the French have not kept pace with them. The way I see it is that Ireland play with such harmony it is like a concerto, whereas with the French it seems to be far more either crescendo or lull.
