With 82 caps with the French XV, former third row Imanol Harinordoquy has seen several generations in blue, and has also experienced more or less successful transitions. Here he takes an enlightened look at a pivotal moment in the mandate of coach Fabien Galthié.
Are new faces emerging in the group of 42 players called to prepare for the November tour by coach Fabien Galthié? Do you have the feeling that a shift is about to take place?
After each World Cup, a natural renewal takes place. It's difficult to go from one World Cup to another with the same players. A coach must bring fresh blood, competitiveness within his team, competition so that the slightly aging elements continue to train hard and feel that their place is not guaranteed. Just as it is important to show young people that they have a place to win. Fabien Galthié has always acted like this, he never closed the door. He also allowed many young players to express themselves, whether during the summer or November tours, which allowed him to keep his talent pool alive. With great success. Many people have tasted the gathering of the Blues without necessarily still being executives in their club. In this way, they often responded once selected. This November tour will allow us to test a few players with a view to the next 6 Nations Tournament where there will be a title up for grabs. Above all, the French group XV still has some aging players.
In fact, Fabien Galthié had declared that he wanted to take 90% of his group to the next World Cup in Australia. Does this seem feasible to you in the current state of affairs?
This seems very ambitious to me. I said it: the group is aging. During the World Cup, certain elements appeared very physically tested. Others had major injuries after giving a lot for the blue jersey. The question will arise of sacrificing part of the group's experience for the benefit of a breath of fresh air. It's a delicate balance to find.
You experienced these transitions in 2002 when you arrived in the French team or in 2012 when the door to the Blues closed. What memories do you have of these moments?
When I arrived in the French team in 2002, there were only a few young people joining the group. The advantage is that we achieved the Grand Slam in our first Tournament. This was also made possible by a kind welcome from the oldest members. A good balance had been found between the little “wankers” that we were with Traille, Michalak, Poitrenaud and a few others, and the oldest. The alchemy quickly worked.
But in 2012, did you feel the coach at the time Philippe Saint-André was bored by the transition to be made?
During the 6 Nations Tournament, the coach still retained quite a few veterans who had participated in the World Cup in New Zealand. Then, the transition hadn't really been managed well. There were missing players at an intermediate age, guys of 26, 27 or 28 years old. This is the problem when a coach relies on the same aging group for too long. And this is perhaps what is happening with the French team.
That's to say ?
Many players will be in their thirties in 2027, others will still be very young. There is a risk of lacking players in intermediate quotes. Afterwards, if the men perform well, age is not a problem. It's only in France that we get knots in our brains with the age of the players.
Do you think that the XV of France will make changes in its group of leaders?
It's good to bring, here too, a little new blood, a new vision, a little youth or even a different discourse. However, stability is also important. It's all about balance.
Who, in your opinion, are the players who can claim leadership status?
It's difficult because I'm quite far from these players today. But I find that a boy like Nolan Le Garrec, of whom a lot is asked at Racing and who seems to be a real boss in his club, can be one of those players who will bring something new to the French XV. Then there are certainly others. French rugby is full of talent.
