It’s an end-of-year event that already evokes spring before we even begin winter. The autumn series, these test matches that the nations of the Southern Hemisphere come to play every November in the Northern Hemisphere (excluding the World Cup), are never trivial. And even more this fall. Japan (November 9), New Zealand (16) and Argentina (22) make up the menu at the Stade de France. A year after the failure in the World Cup and after twelve months crossed by more news items than moments of glory, the French XV finally hopes to enter into redemption. The opportunity is there to be seized.
Stunned by its defeat in the quarter-final of the World Cup against the South Africans in October 2023, convalescing in the following Six Nations tournament and pathetic in its summer tour in Argentina (1), the French XV is in search of bearings . The federation (FFR) has just ended the eventful episode of repeated elections and has a president, Florian Grill, comfortably re-elected for four years on October 19. The Olympic summer brought joy again thanks to the victory of the VII tricolor and the talent of Antoine Dupont. Finally, Fabien Galthié, the coach, who drew up with his staff a variable list of 42 players to fill the blue squad, has perhaps definitively released his frustration. Three men, three leaders, it is up to them to take charge of the revival of the Blues.
Florian Grill, elected head of the FFR with 67.22% of the votes, emerges stronger after weeks of uncertainty. Barely a year and a half after a first vote which allowed him, before the summer of 2023, to succeed Bernard Laporte, forced to resign after various legal disputes, he can govern like a boss. On the playing side, he confirmed Fabien Galthié last November as coach of the Blues, a way of calming doubts. Since then, Grill has weathered the storm away from the field. The slip-ups of his internationals in Argentina in July, the disappearance at sea of the young Medhi Narjissi, in the U18 selection with the Blues in South Africa in August, so many situations which have undermined his authority and would have even pushed him to consider resigning . It’s up to him and his committee to restore confidence. His new mandate obliges him. “There will be a tightening of the screws,” declared Florian Grill regarding the extra-sporting behavior of the players in the selection. At the end of August, rugby “states general” were held. First measure: a reinforced performance plan. It comes into force this November. It is up to the president to ensure its proper application over time.
In this atmosphere, Fabien Galthié can't wait to get back to the game and the challenge, that of the goal – still distant – of the World Cup in Australia in 2027. Installed in his position as coach since the end of the year 2019 by Bernard Laporte, he had built a team to win the World Cup at home and had obtained the great means and the men to achieve it. Everything was going well until the defeat against South Africa. Gone is the state of grace and disappointing results after so many promises. Long in denial of defeat and analysis of failure at the World Cup, the 2024 Six Nations tournament started poorly and ended well, allowing the Blues and their coach to begin a timid convalescence. Heads and bodies had to be treated. The fiasco of the summer tour in Argentina precipitated the relapse. Galthié spoke of “astoundment” in the first days of the investigation. He has since turned off his communication. His silence, before speaking again at the end of October to give his list of internationals, questioned the community. How has he coped with all the trauma of the past year? Should he show up? Since September, the coach has increased the number of meetings to draw up his group. The return of the Blues to the field puts him back into public action. We will judge how he still shows himself to be the leader of his group.
Leader, Antoine Dupont, the captain of the French team, is more so than ever at 27 years old. Injured and weakened during the World Cup – fracture of the cheekbone which kept him away for twenty days – the Toulouse native has not worn the blue jersey of the XV tricolor since, but he is the only French international whose rating has climbed to the firmament in one year. On a mission for rugby sevens this year, far from the tournament meetings, he spared himself the torment and happily devoted himself to the quest for the title of champion of France and that of Europe with the Stadium Toulouse. And then all the joy of the Olympic week and the first gold medal with the VII squad. His morale and form are at their peak. Dupont is brand new when he reunites with the Blues. He, at least, made the most of his year.
- (1) During the tour in Argentina, Melvyn Jaminet was excluded from the group and suspended for thirty-four weeks for racist remarks on social networks. Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, neo-internationals, were involved in a case of alleged rape after a night out, arrested then indicted, before their return to France two months later. The prospect of a dismissal at the end of October closed the legal episode, but not the sulphurous echo of these Argentinian third halves.
