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'The World Cup... I'm not sure it's going to happen for them'
By Josh Raisey
Despite going unbeaten in the Autumn Nations Series, which included a victory over the All Blacks, former South Africa prop Hanyani Shimange believes France’s travelling policy will prohibit them from winning a World Cup.
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Fabien Galthie travelled with a weakened squad to Argentina in July, where they drew 1-1 with the Pumas, and will do so again next year against the All Blacks in a three-Test series.
Given the length and intensity of the Top 14, France are effectively forced into holding their best players back for these summer tours. But this prevents France from ever being “uncomfortable away from home,” according to Shimange, which will affect their hopes of winning a World Cup.
That was of course not a problem for them last year with a home World Cup, but they will now have to try and lift the Webb Ellis Cup for the first time on Australian soil in 2027.
Speaking on RugbyPass TV’s Boks Office podcast, the nine-cap Bok questioned whether this current policy is the best thing for France.
“France is a weird one for me,” he said. “It’s the touring thing I don’t enjoy. They’re sending a B team to New Zealand. I think that affects them come World Cup time. As good as they are at home, they beat New Zealand, they beat Argentina, if these guys don’t get uncomfortable away from home, the World Cup I’m not sure it’s going to happen for them.”
Joining Shimange on the podcast, Schalk Burger said that there was a lot to like about French rugby currently, but pointed out that they play in “pockets”, which may not always be enough to get the team over the line.
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“They’re a quality side,” Burger said. “Like this weekend against Argentina, Argentina bossed the stats with ball carries, they had most of the possession, territory is normally quite even against them. But then they’ve got some firepower when they get into your 22. That first try is the blueprint for them- back ball, Dupont round the corner, forwards stay on top of the ball and they score within two or three phases.
“They produce a lot of players. They’re similar to South Africa where new players step up and they just look like world-class players.
“They play in these pockets. They can’t keep that tempo there for 80 minutes. For this weekend, they played 20 minutes of rugby and that was good enough to put them away.”
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That's crazy not to understand something as simple as this. The summer tours scheduled by World Rugby coincide with the finales of the Top 14, which means that the best French players are playing the most important matches of their year at that time. It's not a matter of being afraid or uncomfortable with the idea of playing away from French territory, but it's just not the players' priority to go play friendly matches on the other side of the world at that time of the year. Organize international matches wherever you want in October, and you'll see that we'll send our A team. It's not because the southerners keep repeating the idea that we are afraid that we will eventually send the A team next June. As long as the summer tour takes place in June, France WILL NOT send its A team.