It can be tough to be a supporter of some sides, but it must be desperately so to be a French fan. Their form seems to rise and fall with the winds, as if they had a streak of bipolarity stitched into their team psyche. One supposes this is part of the allure of Les Bleus, an extension of the romanticism their country so loves. From an outsiders’ perspective, it makes predictions terribly difficult, and analysis almost foolhardy.
Nonetheless we must try to get a picture of what they are trying to achieve, and on the face of things it appears Philippe Saint-André has got his selection sorted out. Of course this does not come without absenteeism, a difficulty undoubtedly predicated by the gruesome attrition of the Top 14 schedule. Eight players in test contention had already been ruled out when just in the last week two more fell from the ranks.
Florian Fritz, Sofiane Guitoune, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Morgan Parra, Wenceslas Lauret, Camille Lopez, Gillian Galan, Jean-Marcel Buttin, Rémi Talès, and captain Thierry Dusautoir are all on the disabled list. Vincent Clerc has finally returned from a bad knee injury but is well short of fitness and unlikely to feature, if indeed he ever regains his international form. The damage means that a plethora of fringe candidates will have to find their feet on the big stage sooner than had been expected.
Flankers Virgile Bruni and Antoine Burban are new to the squad, both in-form and expected to perform well should they be called upon, and they are joined by outside backs Hugo Bonneval and Geoffrey Palis. Stade Francais flyhalf Jules Plisson is in the squad for the second time, and he could be in line to make his debut in the absence of Talès and Lopez. François Trinh-Duc has also been recalled to provide a more experienced option, but all indications are that Plisson will get the nod.
Of those that do have experience, the likes of Thomas Domingo, Yannick Nyanga, and acting captain Pascal Papé will have to swiftly make their presence felt if France are to have any hope of improving on their awful wooden spoon performance of last year. Given that only Jean-Marc Doussain is a specialist goal kicker in the squad and his selection in the run-on side is far from assured, they will have to score tries to win, and do so frequently. The talent to do so is there, but is the strength of will?
The first clash should answer many questions, as this year’s episode of ‘Le crunch’ takes place on day one in Paris. If Les Bleus crumble, they will struggle to find any footing at all in the tournament. If they succeed, which doesn’t necessarily mean victory, they could yet challenge the top half of the table. They’ll find a way to the middle, but nothing more, and it could be a couple years before they reach the top again.
HEAD COACH – Philippe Saint-André
French fans are not noted for their patience when it comes to coaches, and opinion on the current one appears somewhat divided. There’s no doubting the man’s rugby knowledge, however, and to be fair his selections haven’t been that far off the preferences of most pundits. His management skills are certainly being tested, and the fragility of his charges could be exposed if they fail to give a good account of themselves in Paris. Saint-André has his work cut out for him.
CAPTAIN – Pascal Papé
When Thierry Dusautoir’s bicep failed, there was only ever going to be one man to step up into the captaincy, a role the Stade Français enforcer has filled on eight previous occasions. Critics would rightly point out that it was Papé who captained the side to last year’s wooden spoon, and yet his reputation is one of few that has remained intact through the turmoil. He might not lead any stats at the end of the game, but there is no more willing combatant in the dark arts than this old warhorse.
KEY PLAYER – Wesley Fofana
France have two key line breakers, Picamoles the bludgeon and Fofana the rapier. A superbly balanced runner, the Clermont star just seems to find gaps where there shouldn’t be, often making defenders look foolish by a simple swivel of the hips. He sometimes has a tendency to take it on too much, but he invariably gives his side go-forward and will be absolutely crucial to any success Les Bleus hope to have.
ONE TO WATCH – Benjamin Kayser
After being consistently overlooked in favour of the ostentatious Dimitri Szarzewski, the time is now for Kayser, rated by most as the best hooker in France, to cement his place as the primary no2 heading into the World Cup. He doesn’t have the mobility of the Racing captain or the brute power of Christopher Tolofua, but his quality at his core roles – throwing, scrummaging, ruck & maul – is superior to his competition. Papé might be the captain of the side, but Kayser should prove to be the fulcrum.
FUTURE STAR – Jules Plisson
The French haven’t had a top class flyhalf since the glory days of Christophe Lamaison more than a decade ago. Since then a dozen-odd men have auditioned with limited success, and of those none have really looked like complete players. Enter Parisian candidate Plisson, a graduate of the national u20 program and a marvelously talented player. An attacking threat with passing skills and heaps of confidence, his only knock is that he isn’t a first class goal kicker – yet. Let’s hope the youngster can bring some much needed joie de vivre back to French test rugby.
