To say French rugby is overdue a renaissance is easier than predicting precisely when it will occur. Last time out in November the national team were beaten at home by Fiji; it is now almost nine years since Les Bleus won a Six Nations title. Since the 2015 Rugby World Cup they have managed only 10 victories in 32 Tests, mostly against lower-ranked opposition, and won away from home twice.
Aside from the exceptional galactico-stuffed Toulon squad between 2013-15, only one other Top 14 side has secured the European Cup in more than two decades. That club is Toulouse, who have lifted it a record four times in their distinguished history. It used to be said that if rugby in the north of England was strong the national team would follow suit. The French barometer is Stade Toulousain which, given they are currently unbeaten in Pool One in Europe, suggests the Gallic mercury may just be rising again.
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With seven Toulouse players in France’s Six Nations squad this week, this weekend’s game in Leinster will certainly showcase some of the shimmering young talent which could yet transform their country’s fortunes over the next few years.
Behind the scrum, in particular, there are distinct signs of life, with the alert, strong 22-year-old scrum-half Antoine Dupont and the in-form 23-year-old full-back Thomas Ramos helping to reinvigorate Yoann Huget and Maxime Médard. Romain Ntamack, the teenage son of the former French international Emile, and Clermont’s Damian Penaud, son of Alain, are also impressive chips off well-known blocks.
The list goes on and on. At 20, huge things are predicted for the precocious prop Demba Bamba, on loan at Brive from Lyon this season and now in the full French squad. Back-rowers Jordan Joseph and Cameron Woki, both members of France’s U20 World Cup winning team last June, are similarly highly rated and the gifted 20-year-old Bordeaux fly-half Matthieu Jalibert is already a full international. The rangy Stade Francais flanker Sekou Macalou, 23, is another with massive athletic talent and a big engine.
He’s a phenomenon, he’s as fit as a bull.
Among those who reckon the French may just have a golden generation on their hands is Toby Flood, now back at Newcastle after an instructive spell at Toulouse. “I do think there is a new generation coming,” says Flood. “They’ve got a wealth of talent now. The argument always used to be that foreigners in the Top 14 were stopping the talent coming through. Well, not if that talent’s good enough. I think there’s a good group now who have the chance to go out and play and that’s really exciting.”
One look at the highlight reels of Dupont, Penaud, Bamba and the rest is to reinforce Flood’s message. Bamba is a tight-head prop with the mobility and stepping ability of a centre. Penaud, strong and quick, has been taken under the wing of Aurélien Rougerie at Clermont and is being tipped to start on the wing for France in the Six Nations. No less a judge than the former All Black Jerome Kaino, meanwhile, reckons Dupont offers a different dimension to the slightly-built distributors latterly favoured by Les Bleus. “He’s a phenomenon, he’s as fit as a bull,” suggested Kaino. “He needs to look around him a bit more, to take his time a bit more, but he’s a super youngster.”
Flood is also interesting on the subject of Ramos, who wears the 10 jersey this weekend and is currently the tournament’s leading scorer with 51 points from four games. “When I was at Toulouse, Thomas was sent out on loan to Colomiers and was exceptional for them: scoring tries, kicking everything. That game time has done him a lot of favours and given him a huge amount of confidence. He’s not big and he’s only fairly strong in the gym but he’s probably been the best player for Toulouse for the last 18 months in terms of what he’s given the side: his kicking and how he understands and plays the game.”
With the South African Cheslin Kolbe also in electric form and Ntamack adept at picking smart supporting lines, Flood suspects Leinster, minus their captain Johnny Sexton who has a slight calf strain, will have their hands full if Toulouse win some ball. “I just think it’s going to be really interesting. Leinster have their structures in place and possess talent within those structures but they’ll be up against a team who are a bit off the cuff and will do some random stuff. In the last couple of years confidence was low and the ball wouldn’t stick. Maybe there wasn’t the old spring in the step of some of their more seasoned players.”
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Among the catalysts has been Clément Poitrenaud, the club’s legendary full-back now back as a mentor to its younger players following a stint in South Africa. “Speak to anybody there and they will tell you how important Clément has been,” reveals Flood. “I think he has had a huge impact on how they play. He’s just stripped it all back and done basic stuff with them: catch-pass, catch-pass. When I was there things were a bit hazy, no one was quite sure because we weren’t quite getting the guidance.”
History would strongly advise against getting too excited. France’s best days used to involve forwards whose programme mugshots resembled Interpol’s most-wanted list; until they can exert proper set-piece dominance at the top level and maintain it for 80 minutes Les Bleus will not be hoisting much silverware. That said, they are perhaps the country with the capacity to improve most between now and the World Cup in Japan. And who happens to be sharing their RWC pool? Flood, for one, reckons England should be wary.
“England should beat France nine times out of 10 on current form but going into the World Cup there will be a few young French guys who have had not had those experiences before, who don’t feel defeat is looming when they go a few points down. There should be a big fear factor there for other teams in the pool.”
In Europe this season, certainly, no one has performed with more elan than Toulouse and Racing 92. Should the former score a double over Leinster, having already beaten them 28-27 in October, it will extend their unbeaten run to an eye-catching 10 games. Nothing is ever certain in French rugby but, not before time, the cockerel is starting to crow again.