French clubs generally dominated their European opponents during the group stages of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup. But the truth of these two competitions will not necessarily be the same during the 6 Nations Tournament.
We saw, this weekend, the matches of a Champions Cup which suffers, let's say it, from these too big gaps observed. That Toulouse gives 80 points to Leicester Tigers flies the French flag high, that's for sure, like the defeat that UBB inflicted on the Durban Sharks (66-12), who were nevertheless announced as another candidate for the title. It raises the crowds, it galvanizes the patriotic fiber but it says nothing good about the state of health of this competition which we would like to be superb, committed but above all indecisive.
The reality, however, is that it is split in two: France has qualified for the final phase 6 of its 8 teams entered, some of which are in crisis. Five of them will even host their round of 16 next April. Elsewhere, there is a shortage: four qualified for England, three for Ireland, one for Italy and Scotland, none for South Africa – the immense disappointment of this 2025 edition. Like every year or so, only Leinster really seems able to compete with “our” best clubs for the title.
What do you think? That the South Africans, double reigning world champions, would have suddenly become worthless? That England, yesterday dominant in club Europe, has become a second-rate nation? Certainly not and, we're betting, you will see during the next 6 Nations Tournament that the forces are clearly more balanced than what we saw this Champions Cup weekend. Question of priorities.
To continue the parallel, we note that France has been crushing club Europe since 2020 and that, at the same time, it has only won one 6 Nations Tournament and still not the World Cup. Faced with this observation, Rabah Slimani provides an explanation (read page 5), he who is experiencing the Irish adventure and has just been recalled to the blue. “Everything is planned. Everyone knows what their deadlines are, what match they are expected to play. The programs are adapted accordingly.”
-Here, summarized in a few paragraphs, are the advantages and disadvantages of the two systems. Also, the paradoxes of rugby in its overall functioning: in Ireland as for the other Celtic nations, and even Italy, the national selection comes first. Everything is thought out, organized for its performance. This ensures peaks in form and performance at the time of the Tournament, while at the same time sacrificing the ambitions of the provinces.
In France, in a two-headed “clubs-selection” system where we want to play everything and win everything, butter, money for butter and creamery, we sacrifice a little of both to frankly give up none. none. So much the better for the Tournament, where the levels tighten, sometimes reverse, which maintains an exciting suspense. So much the worse for the Champions Cup where we reign supreme. However, one day we will have to find solutions to give this competition its splendor, starting in the group stage. As is often the case in rugby, it's a question of the overloaded schedule. As is often the case in rugby, it seems inextricable…
While waiting for us to find the physical formula to fit 5 liters into 3 liters, we are content with what we have and we look forward to the future, to what will soon be offered to us: this 6 Nations Tournament , Proust's eternal madeleine where, far from its last European weekend, France will not be able to dream of easy domination, almost too much so. It will take much more than a little seriousness at work to impose such supremacy and it is a much more exciting scenario that we are promised. So much the better. With, as a bonus, a trip to England, another to Ireland, uncertainty will be the spice of this Tournament. At the same time as its peril.
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