Betsen: Manager's pain will drive France despite great expectations
Rafael Ibanez has endured the crushing disappointment of failing to lead his country to Rugby World Cup glory on home soil which makes his role as France team manager absolutely crucial as the team prepares to deal with the burden of winning the 2023 tournament which kicks off next Friday in Paris.
Serge Betsen, the legendary France flanker, was in the 2007 team captained by Ibanez that finished fourth as the host nation and he believes the former hooker can help the current players find that elusive winning “recipe” for a first title at the 10th attempt.
France has ended with runners’ up medals three times losing to New Zealand twice in Auckland in 1987 and 2011 and against Australia in Cardiff in 1999 when Ibanez was captain.
Besides the All Blacks in 1987 and 2011 and South Africa in 1995 no other host country has successfully dealt with the pressure of delivering a home Cup triumph with England failing to get out of their pool in 2015.
Dealing with the massive expectation of the French nation this year will be vital which makes the presence of Ibanez, appointed as the French national Team Manager with Fabien Galthié as Head Coach in 2020, so important.
Betsen, who also played alongside Ibanez at Wasps, appeared in 10 World Cup matches in the 2003 and 2007 tournaments winning 63 caps in his test career and said: “France is one of the most successful teams in the nine World Cups but unfortunately we haven’t managed to win the tournament and that bloody trophy!
“It is a real challenge for us to find the secret, the recipe of winning that trophy. Now, with this tournament, we are in a good position to complete the task and Rafael understands how the pressure can build up.
“The expectation is bigger than 2007 because the team didn’t lose last year and beat all the teams they will face. That is why the expectation is real but we are in a difficult section of the draw and Rafael knows all about this and has played in the final of a World Cup.
“Rafael has shown as a player and captain that while he is naturally an introvert, it is more about your actions not just talking. That is why he is the best and he will make sure the team is ready by creating the right environment to be successful. Along with Fabien Galthie, William Servat and Shaun Edwards, they know how important leadership is for the squad.
“It would be huge to win the World Cup because we have done this in football and a number of other sports in France like handball. Hopefully, we will be doing something special starting with the first game with New Zealand.”
Ibanez, 50, started his career with Dax, going on to win 98 caps – 41 as captain – and was part of the French team that won back to back Grand Slams in 1997, 1998. He captained his country in the 1999 Cup final and at the 2007 Cup, playing in a total of 18 matches in three tournaments.
Ibanez, who joined Saracens after the 2003 Rugby World Cup, moved to Wasps in 2005 and in three seasons with the club won the Powergen Cup, the Heineken Cup and the Guinness Premiership title. As a proven winner other competitions, now he must help lift the ultimate rugby prize.
Betsen is putting his faith in his former captain and added: “It will be tricky and we already have some injury problems. First we must get through the pool stage and see what comes up and I don’t want us to be like England in 2015 and not get through to the knock out stages. We have good momentum going into this World Cup and I trust the players and the management to create real positivity and victory would show everyone our sport is one of the best in the world.
“I tried to avoid talking about the tournament in 2007 and I wanted to concentrate, as I had done in 2003, on being the best possible player and do everything I could do to focus on the task and not talk about expectation.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
41 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
41 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
41 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
39 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
41 Go to comments