Since the start of the French team's preparation week, it seems that the mantra has been the same: do not talk directly about victory, but about progression; not to mention the Grand Slam, but successes in each match; not only aim for the Six Nations Tournament in the short term, but look further afield with the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. This avoids making promises and failing.
Advancing quietly with the desire to win, but cautiously, with humility, because they know so well that a misstep can easily occur. Another legacy of the 2023 Rugby World Cup that they were logically supposed to win and which they let slip away, or of this 13-13 draw last year against Italy, a team that they very often won.
But on the other hand, observers and fans are growing impatient: only one Tournament won in five editions (Grand Slam 2022), second place four times over the last five years, brilliant club players (Top 14 or Champions Cup) but who fall always too fair against other national selections when the stakes are high. As if the French team were victims of the last mile syndrome, this concept specific to logistics which covers the last segment of the delivery chain of an order.
The fear of stagnating
“We are starting this Tournament to win it, like every year,” said Fabien Galthié at the launch of the 25th edition of the Tournament in Rome on Tuesday January 21. “There is this expectation of a title, always. This is due to our good results in recent years and the popularity of the French team. We really feel this expectation, in and around the team. There is a very strong pressure but it is a good pressure. It is pleasant, it stimulates us.
“We have gained experience over the last five Tournaments, each competition has allowed us to prepare better, to try to do better each time. We are more mature in our approach it seems to me. Even if this does not bode well for the result, which remains random and sometimes has nothing to do with it, a rebound, an arbitrable decision, a fair gesture or a gross error…”
Not doing better than the Autumn Nations Series last November – a three out of three against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina – would be a failure. But this thirst for progress is also an admission of fragility. An unsuccessful performance could break the Blues' good momentum.
“We are approaching this Tournament as a continuation of the November tour, our last competition,” confirmed Laurent Sempéré, co-coach of the Blues forwards, at a press conference the next day in Marcoussis. “We first want to maintain the achievements that we were able to obtain during this November tour. We were also able to orientate some points of progress towards which we want to go. It was important for us to reconnect with the players, give them our ideas, the way we were going to want to develop the method and our game. We do all this to win, as we did in November, and as we do at every competition. »
Which team to take on the challenge?
Since the Autumn Nations Series, the France group has largely evolved between injured players in the recovery phase (Jean-Baptiste Gros, Cyril Baille, Tevita Tatafu, Mickaël Guillard, Anthony Jelonch, Paul Willemse), others who could return during the Tournament (Uini Atonio, Gaël Fickou, Alexandre Roumat, Reda Wardi, Jonathan Danty, Thibaud Flament) and Charles Ollivon who we will not see again until a moment.
“We needed to see the development of the players. Everyone's fitness level. This is what we are doing throughout this week. We can see the progress and physical availability of the players. Mentally, we see that each of them really wants to participate,” affirmed Sempéré.
-Conversely, sure values return to the image of the brilliant Toulouse link Antoine Dupont – Romain Ntamack. “Antoine is our captain, so it’s an important return. He came back well this fall and he carries with him – beyond his qualities as a rugby player – an internal aura. And externally,” says Fabien Galthié.
“Romain was seriously injured just before the World Cup. Then he missed the November tour again due to injury. It was very hard for him. We went through difficult times, this was one of them. He has worked hard to come back very strong and he seems ready and determined. For the French team, it is still a hinge which plays in Toulouse and which performs. It gives stability, a framework. »
“For my part, since I coached the French team, I had never had the opportunity to have him in the group. I’m happy with it,” agrees Sempéré, not surprised by the development of the France group. “It’s a living group,” he remarks soberly.
The other teams are not left out in terms of injuries like England (Jamie George, Alex Mitchell, Alex Coles, Jack Van Poortvliet, Alex Dombrandt), Wales (Sam Costelow, Cai Evans, Dewi Lake, Ryan Elias, Liam Belcher, Efan Daniel, Henry Thomas, Keiron Assiratti, Archie Griffin, Harri O'Connor, Sam Wainwright…), from Scotland (Sione Tuipulotu, Dylan Richardson…), Ireland (expected returns of James Lowe and Dan Sheehan) and Italy (Louis Lynagh, Andrea Zambonin, Ivan Nemer…).
The curse of odd years
66% of the players in the French XV come from the three best clubs in the Top 14: Unions-Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Toulousain and RCT Toulon. “Our job is to recover this energy that comes from the clubs and refocus it on a single team. We have clubs that are performing well, we have to recreate a team for us, a harmony, in a short time. If we manage to recover this energy and transform it well, we will be able to compete. But it’s not a foregone conclusion,” recalls Fabien Galthié, eager to ward off the fate of odd years.
Because with three important trips in quick succession (England, Ireland, Italy), between the reception of Wales and Scotland, the 6 Nations Tournament 2025 promises to be a monument this year. The French feel immense pressure, but the scars of past failures are still palpable.
“We would like to have a more extensive list of achievements but that’s up to us. We are the ones on the ground and it is up to us to make the necessary efforts to expand this list. We have a group that lives well, that plays well. Now, it has to come to fruition,” admitted François Cros at a press conference on Tuesday January 21. “It’s true that the results are perhaps not successful in the sense that trophies are missing but once again, it’s a group that works well and plays good matches. Now we have to manage to perpetuate this and validate it with something. »
“France has only won the 6 Nations Tournament once in odd years, in 2007, without a Grand Slam. This shows the complexity that awaits us to perform this year. But that doesn’t take away the beauty of the challenge and the desire to do something great,” recalls Fabien Galthié. It's high time to ward off fate.
