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Report: France planning to stiff 2025 tour to play All Blacks
By Ben Smith
France head coach Fabien Galthie has laid bare his plans for the next Rugby World Cup cycle in 2027, which includes short-changing New Zealand fans when they tour down under in 2025.
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They are planning to leave up to 20 players behind in France for the tour, most of their stars including Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont, Damian Penaud, Grégory Alldritt, and Peato Mauvaka among others.
“We follow a hundred players. But above all we have identified a ‘premium’ group of 20 players,” he said in an interview with L’Equipe.
“We want them to have consistent development. We want to work hand in hand with the league and the clubs. Our goal is for players to be able to give the best of themselves in the French team, but also in club. We want to go further while taking into account the challenges of the clubs.”
“Players will benefit from four mandatory weeks off and four weeks without matches,” he added.
The Top 14 is one of the most demanding domestic leagues in the world, which makes the playing load for French eligible players one of the highest around the globe.
The decision to leave high profile players behind is a move to manage that load more effectively.
It was well publicised just how many injuries the French team dealt with during the lead in to the Rugby World Cup, with an extensive list of players racing the clock to be fit.
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France also suffered from the loss of flyhalf Romain Ntamack on the eve of the World Cup during a warm-up match.
However, Galthie insisted that this is nothing new with the summer tours used in this way already. The 2021 tour of Australia featured a team of unrecognisable players with very few big names.
“We built on trust while adjusting the management of the international season by choosing to rest our ‘premium’ during the summer tours,” he said.
“It was a first step. We want to go even further which will mean that we will go on tour in the summer of 2025 in New Zealand without our ‘premium’ players.
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“It’s been like this for four years. Why change strategy? Because we’re travelling to the All Blacks? You have to be consistent.”
Watch the exclusive reveal-all episode of Walk the Talk with Ardie Savea as he chats to Jim Hamilton about the RWC 2023 experience, life in Japan, playing for the All Blacks and what the future holds. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV
We should just oppose with Maori All Blackks and/or All Black XV or U20 and possibly Black Ferns. I’d guarantee sell outs every game.
Also NO. Dupont is not anywhere near MCaw as the GOAT. Hes closing in on Carlos Spencer but that’s all. Stop getting over excited.
The northern hemisphere seems convinced Antoine Dupont is the greatest player ever, the southern hemisphere disagrees because we have barely seen him play, have fun keeping it that way.
No problem - Just prepare for a 50pt hiding that will scar your non-premium players beyond repair
In Top 14, you can play up to 29 games if you. Add 8 potential games of Champions Cup. And 11 of international tests (5 for the 6 Nations, 3 for summer tests and 3 for fall one).
That’s potentially 48 games.
On average, players from the big nations (SA, ABs, Ireland, England) play 20 games/season. In France it’s 27.
Multiply it by the number of consecutive seasons, and you’ll have burnt-out players, physically and mentally. Just like Alldritt who asked for a 2 months break after the RWC.
So the lack of respect perceived by many is quite easy to put on a comment.
They’re not machines. And yet they’re playing 25% more games.
Rugby is more and more demanding, but so are the fans who’d like to have it like a video game: the best, always available, on demand.
They’re humans, just like you (I hope).
The days of internationals are done. The world cup is a bore. The All Blacks were considered so good not based on world cups but on their 87% win rate over years. Winning the world cup every four years is nowhere near as admirable as that rate. That is lost on people now.
Is Rugby losing its allure amongst the ranking International Team sports? Or is it just because the ABs and NZ are not top 3 anymore that it doesn’t appear …. globally present? I place ABs 5th behind
Sth Africa
England
Ireland
France
New Zealand should return serve and send a weakened team next time they play in France. France would have no right to complain.
Fair enough
And stiffed they will be having to pay top dollar in small stadiums only to watch a French B team.
The top French players play 26 games in the Top14 and from 4 up to 8 games in the Champions/Challenge Cup every year and almost double the 14 to 16 games the kiwis play.
Just a suggestion from my side, if kiwis don’t like this then maybe they should back the global season drive instead of being the ones who have constantly been against it.
Am I wrong in my assessment that if everybody rests together then they should always face the strongest possible opposition?