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A Bitter Leadership Battle Paves the Way For Big Changes in French Rugby

Bernard Laporte. Photo: Getty

A self-proclaimed change candidate has won control of French rugby, and it will have consequences for every team from the national side on down. James Harrington delivers his take on the election of Bernard Laporte.

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You may not have heard much about it, but a bitter battle has been raging in France for the past 12 months – with the immediate future of rugby in the country at its heart.

On Saturday, December 3, clubs from across l’hexagon finally decided the outcome of that long-running conflict – when they overwhelmingly chose former national coach Bernard Laporte as the new president of the Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR).

In the first round, Laporte picked up 52.56% of the votes from the 1,563 clubs in the FFR’s general assembly. Little more than an hour later, after some typical French electoral bureaucracy had taken place, he won the second round with a landslide 84.9% of the vote.

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Make no mistake, Laporte’s election is a seismic shift in what was, until now, the very conservative world of French rugby.

He was very much the anti-establishment candidate. The change man. In this year of elite-bashing, the man who was for a while Secretary of State for Sport under Nicolas Sarkozy was French rugby’s elite basher-in-chief.

Now, he is commander-in-chief of the game in France.

He launched his campaign in September 2015, when he was still head coach at Toulon, with a populist manifesto declaring his intention to “give power back to the amateur clubs”.

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His main opponent was the post’s very establishment incumbent, the 71-year-old Pierre Camou, who since his election in 2008 had – like the Roman emperor Nero – done little more than fiddle during the continuing decline and fall of the French national side.

Camou is not the only sacred cow of French rugby rapidly clearing his desk at Marcoussis. Jo Maso, Jean-Pierre Lux and Michel Palmié are among those also packing their bags ahead of the arrival of the new administration on Monday, December 5. There is no transition period here – Laporte goes from president-elect to president over the course of a weekend.

Meanwhile, Serge Blanco, Camou’s long-standing enforcer, has seen his dream of a national rugby stadium turn to dust in a political instant. The hour or so it took to confirm Laporte’s election is definitely not a long time in politics – and the new boss has made his opposition abundantly clear to what he has often dismissed as ‘the vanity project’ at Ris-Orangis, on the outskirts of Paris.

Now he is in charge, its future is on a knife-edge.

Laporte also wants to reform the domestic competition, though his hands may be tied on suggested plans to cut the Top 14 to a Top 12, after French pay-TV broadcaster Canal Plus signed a four-season €97million-a-year deal earlier this year for exclusive rights to the Top 14 between 2019 and 2023.

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He wants to sponsor the French national side’s kit for €10million a year. To date, France has stood alone as the only Tier One nation not to have shirt sponsorship. That will change, so expect to see a financial institution on French chests in years to come. No alcohol, though – as alcohol sponsorship of sports in France is banned.

Most controversially, his support for current French coach Guy Novès has been unclear. Respected French rugby newspaper Midi Olympique reported on November 28 – two days after Novès had masterminded that epic-in-defeat performance against New Zealand – that Laporte had secretly sounded out Bordeaux-Bègles head coach Raphael Ibanez over the Marcoussis hotseat.

Laporte was quick to refute the claims, taking to social media to say: “Guy Noves has done a remarkable job as head of the French team.

“Without a shadow of a doubt I believe that today he’s the best coach for the national team. Rest assured, Noves will remain as coach.”

Which, if nothing else, proves he’s a skilled politician. He’ll need to be. His impressive record as coach at Toulon and France stands for little now he has given himself the toughest job in French rugby.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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