Four in frame for France role after Laporte rejects reports Galthie has the job
Four coaches remain in the frame to become the next France coach, after FFR President Bernard Laporte publicly denied Fabien Galthie had already got the job.
Media outlets were quick to pounce on a report in L’Equipe on Tuesday that Galthie had effectively been handed the keys to the French rugby kingdom. The article claimed his long coronation would start with him joining the national set-up ahead of the World Cup in Japan, leading to a complete takeover from Jacques Brunel after the tournament.
Some reports even named Lyon’s Pierre Mignoni and Toulouse’s William Servat as Galthie’s favoured lieutenants.
But, Laporte told La Provence on Wednesday: “Nothing has been recorded. We will make a decision within two weeks.”
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He did let slip the number of candidates on his all-French shortlist: “Galthie is one of the possibilities. Like three others.”
Laporte’s comment echoed claims by journalist Mathieu Lartot. He told France TV Sport: “Fabien Galthie is not yet the coach of the XV de France.
“He assured me that he had not signed a single contract with the FFR. There are discussions. They are examining avenues for collaboration. Things have been accelerating over the past five days. But that doesn’t mean that the games are over.”
The FFR, too, had weighed into the discussion with a tweet saying:
“Following the statements and assumptions made about the organisation of the staff of the XV de France after the 2019 World Cup, the French Rugby Federation confirms that no contract has been finalised to date. Several hypotheses are being studied.”
Consécutivement aux affirmations et suppositions parues sur l’organisation du staff du XV de France après la Coupe du Monde 2019, la Fédération Française de Rugby confirme qu'aucun contrat n’a été finalisé à ce jour. Plusieurs hypothèses sont à l’étude.
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) April 17, 2019
A second tweet added: “Jacques Brunel will decide on the organisation of his staff and will speak once it has been ratified. Its decision will be taken and communicated within 15 days.”
Concernant l’organisation du staff chargé de la préparation de la Coupe du Monde 2019 au Japon, le sélectionneur, Jacques Brunel décidera de l’organisation de son staff et s’exprimera une fois que celle-ci sera entérinée.
Sa décision sera prise et communiquée sous 15 jours.— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) April 17, 2019
Laporte’s search area for someone to take over from Brunel shrank when France’s clubs voted down a plan to look overseas – ruling his personal choice, Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, along with media favourite Warren Gatland, out of the reckoning.
Outgoing Castres Olympique coach Christophe Urios, for example, took himself off any possible list when he signed a four-year deal with Bordeaux earlier this year. Club president Laurent Marti had expressly sought assurances that Urios would not jump ship for the France post should it be offered before offering him the job.
So, here are the four names most likely to be on Laporte’s short list:
Fabien Galthie – By Laporte’s own admission, the former Montpellier and Toulon coach remains firmly on the list of possibles. It’s a gig that the man who was an experienced international scrum-half in the early years of the FFR president’s reign as France coach in the noughties has coveted for a long time. His big advantage, however – that he is not tied to a current coaching contract – is also his big disadvantage. While he has remained close to rugby in his capacity as a pundit for Six Nations broadcaster France 2, he has been out of coaching since losing the Toulon job at the end of last season. Widely regarded as a smart tactician, his player-management skills have been called into question…
Pierre Mignoni – The head honcho at Lyon has long been mentioned in dispatches as a future France coach. And he is another with long links to Laporte – first as an international player, than as a young coach under Laporte’s wing at Toulon from 2011 to 2015. Mignoni’s star is on the rise. He’s doing smart things at the ambitious club, coaching them to the Champions Cup for the first time last season – and almost certain to repeat that trick again this time around. And he coached the French Barbarians on their tour of South Africa in June 2017. But he’ll likely be expensive. The same year as he took charge of the French Baa-Baas, he signed a long-term deal to stay at Lyon until 2023.
Franck Azema – Last season was a injury-ravaged disaster for Azema’s Clermont. But, like Toulouse the campaign previously – and, perhaps, Toulon this time around – that could be a good thing. Clermont are second in the Top 14; and have a home semi-final in the Challenge Cup on the back of some bonkers all-out attacking rugby. The coach would surely be on any semi-serious list for France’s top job. Azema’s credentials are unimpeachable. He could be just what France needs, and with his Clermont contract up in June 2020, he may be available just when Laporte needs him.
Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit – The Racing duo have been linked to plenty of vacancies recently – including, for a while earlier this year, the Italian job. They, too, have contractual issues. Their current deals tie them to the club until 2021 – but a Top 14 title and two European Cup final appearances since 2016 mean they would be tempting for any union president.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments