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New France coach 'will be appointed before 2019 World Cup'

France had an awful Six Nations

Eight years ago, we knew Philippe Saint-Andre would take over as France coach from Marc Lievremont long before the 2011 World Cup kicked off.

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Four years ago, we knew Guy Noves would replace Saint-Andre long before the first match of the 2015 World Cup.

Now we know we will know, some time before the 2019 World Cup, who will take over the hotseat when Brunel clears his desk and leaves the building with his tenure in a box at the end of his existing, extended contract in June 2020.

FFR President Bernard Laporte recently promised he would appoint Brunel’s successor before Japan 2019. “We have agreed that we have to switch quickly to the 2023 World Cup [cycle],” he said in an interview with Le Progrès.

“The next coach will be appointed before the 2019 World Cup. Because the guys I want, if I’m not the one who gets them signed, others will. So we have to move fast.”

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He also told the paper, without naming names, that he had met ‘the top five coaches in the world’ to discuss the impending vacancy.

Warren Gatland’s name has cropped up repeatedly in articles in France about who will next sit on French rugby’s iron throne. Jon Mitchell and Sir Clive Woodward have also been mentioned as possible first foreign coaches of the French national side. Woodward, famously, unsuccessfully applied for the job in 2015.

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Joe Schmidt and Vern Cotter have also been linked with the job – both speak French and have experience of the Top 14, which could be regarded as a positive. Both, however, have appeared to distance themselves from the job. Cotter has said his current role with Montpellier will be his last as a coach, while Schmidt is on record saying he plans to take a long break.

The French press has also put up for consideration a possibly unworkable homegrown dream-team duo of Toulouse’s Ugo Mola and Clermont’s Franck Azema. Christophe Urios mothballed his national dreams for four years at least when he signed for Bordeaux earlier this year. Lyon’s Pierre Mignoni has long been a short-odds favourite among pundits. He has even been mentioned as a possible assistant coach for an overseas choice.

The topic is a hot one in French rugby circles. It was the subject of a Twitter poll for rugby magazine programme Late Rugby Club – and some French heavyweight former players have had their say. An indicative vote, if you will.

Fabien Pelous, the former Toulouse and France lock, was quick to condemn the idea. “Once again, we will try to copy others instead of being proud of who we are,” he told Le Parisien, describing it as, “a snub for some talented technicians who do excellent work in their respective clubs, such as the duo of Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit, Ugo Mola or Franck Azema.”

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Ex France coach Yannick Bru, meanwhile, believed overseas coaches would struggle with the French system. Asked by L’Equipe whether either Gatland or Schmidt could succeed where four French coaches in succession have failed, he said: “They are two great technicians, two great managers, but they will not be able to flourish in the current system of French rugby, in the duality that exists between the LNR and the FFR.”

His comments highlight long-standing systemic club-versus-country issues facing French rugby that efforts between the FFR and LNR over the past few years have failed to fully address.

“They’re going to ask for a total of 50 players to be made available,” Bru, now general manager at ProD2 side Bayonne, said. “They will ride over the interests of professional clubs.”

Before any coach is appointed – foreign or otherwise – there is the small matter of a national vote on whether France should go down the overseas route at all.

A letter was sent out last week to every rugby club in France announcing a “referendum consultation on whether to recruit a foreign coach to prepare for the 2023 World Cup”.

The vote – a Laporte promise announced on RMC Sport in January – will take place from 9-11 April. The result should be known on April 12.

Having already set about trying to manage expectations ahead of this year’s World Cup in Japan by saying describing qualification from the pool stages would be regarded as ‘a success’, Laporte told club bosses that he expected players and staff at Japan to be “up to the task of this exceptional event”.

“We must prepare for the future”, he added, looking ahead to France 2023 – where, he said, France should be in a position to challenge for the trophy.

“To achieve this major objective, the possibility of appointing a foreign coach to head our national team is a working hypothesis,” he said, describing it as, “a common practice in most rugby nations.”

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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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