9 coaches who could take on France job if it all goes bad for Noves

Bernard Laporte has told Guy Noves that France must win three of their four November internationals. But what happens if it all goes wrong? James Harrington lists nine coaches who could take over, in no particular order of seriousness

France coach Guy Noves will not publicly admit it, but a dismal South African tour for Les Bleus means his job is as close to on the line as it has ever been.

FFR president Bernard Laporte has issued a public vote of confidence, a dreaded statement that often signals the imminent death-knell of a coaching career. But this one came with a caveat that – ironically – offered more certainty than an unconditional insistence of support would have done.

Laporte publicly warned Noves that France had to win three of their four November internationals – which features two Tests against the All Blacks, as well as South Africa and Japan – otherwise questions of a “would you like directions to the nearest job centre?” nature may  be asked.

So, Noves is officially safe. For now. New elite player systems have replaced older new elite player systems – the national coach can now name 45 players, as well as 20 development players, whose training, fitness and rest periods are under his control. And, if he survives November, it’s more than highly likely that Noves will take France to the World Cup in 2019.

But, for the sake of argument, here are nine coaches who could take over if it all goes wahooni-shaped at the end of the year.

Fabien Galthie

Montpellier is a common thread in this list, and new Toulon boss Galthie is the first with links to the Mediterranean coast club. His brand of sexy rugby turned the Herault side into one of the most watchable – and, from time to time, frustrating – in the Top 14. For a while, he was the heir apparent for the France job. But, in late 2014, things went horribly wrong. It has taken until this year to sort out the mess of his departure from the club, during which time he has been on gardening leave and media pundit duty.

It remains to be seen whether that break has been good or not for Galthie. Certainly Toulon boss Mourad Boudjellal thinks he will be hungrier than ever when he returns to the dugout. He’s been chasing the former scrum-half for some time, even before Diego Dominguez’s brief and ill-advised turn in the big chair, there were rumours that big, bad Boudjellal had the coaching hots for Fabien. Which could be a problem if France want him. It has taken Boudjellal so long to get his man, he’s unlikely to want to let him go, even if good buddy Laporte does the asking.

Franck Azema

The man who finally ended Clermont’s long and painful wait for some deserved silverware would surely be on any semi-serious list for France’s top job. Azema’s credentials are unimpeachable. Clermont are always challenging on domestic and European fronts. They are breathtaking and innovative in attack, scrooge-like and savage in defence. They are as close to a classic French side as you will see in the modern game. They even have – whisper it quietly – flair… What wouldn’t France give to see some of that dressed up in Les Bleus’ shirts?

Gonzalo Quesada

Another coach with Top 14-winning credentials. And Quesada did it with a predominantly French, predominantly young, Stade Francais side. What happened in the two seasons that followed the Paris club’s surprise march to the title was caused by backroom problems as much as any on the field.

But he may have taken himself out of the immediate reckoning for Les Bleus. He gave up the Stade hotseat in favour of a job at ProD2 side Biarritz. The Basque club is clearly building a side for an assault on promotion – but if Noves does go in the next 12 months (and nothing is certain), FFR bosses are unlikely to look to the French second tier to find his replacement.

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Patrice Collazo

Until recently, the job of young, charismatic pretender to the French rugby coaching throne belonged to former Bordeaux coach Raphael Ibanez. He was, before Noves got the job, the media and public favourite to take over from Philippe Saint-Andre after the 2015 World Cup. But, his ill-timed insistence on fiddling with Six Nations media commitments while his Begles repeatedly fizzled like a damp firework in the Top 14 ultimately cost him his job. And, for now at least, his shot at the Marcoussis hotseat.

The current hot young coaching property in France is 43-year-old pitbull Patrice Collazo. The former prop with a solitary international cap has – with a little help from right-hand man Xavier Garbajosa – taken La Rochelle from entertaining zeroes to all-conquering heroes in a frankly ridiculously short time. And on a budget less than half that of some clubs in the French top flight. The question is whether cut-price success can translate into big-time glory. He would not be the first coach to find things suddenly, surprisingly get a whole lot more difficult when when money is no object.

Vern Cotter

As with their recently overturned long-standing refusal to go down the oh-so gauche shirt sponsorship route, France so far have resisted looking overseas for a coach. If they decide to change their mind, they could do worse to consider the new man at Montpellier.

If Noves goes sooner rather than later, they would have to pay the Mediterranean club a pretty penny to prise him out of his freshly minted contract, which may well count against him. But, he’s fluent in French, which would work in his favour. He has proven experience of the Top 14 with Clermont, which is a definite plus. And he worked wonders with Scotland in his short tenure as national coach. Imagine what he could do with the richer resources in l’hexagone.

Jake White

Speaking of successful overseas coaches, here’s another one with that heady combination of international and French rugby experience. The 2007 World Cup-winner turned Montpellier (there they are again) from thoroughly entertaining also-rans into brutal, trophy-winning, Top 14-challenging, opposition-munching monsters. But, his Montpellier left fans cold, which strangely failed to concern boss Mohed Altrad. He also mysteriously failed to bother to learn the language – which really didn’t go down too well with Altrad. It would be unlikely to impress the suits at FFR headquarters. Always assuming he applies for the job if and when it becomes vacant in the first place.

Pierre Mignoni

Pierre, who? Mignoni’s record is not as silverware-coated some of the previous names, but make no mistake the star of Lyon’s young head coach is on the rise. It may be a bit early for Mignoni’s name to be mentioned in such proximity to the France job, but he’s doing smart things at Lyon. Maybe not this time, but look out for his name on the serious serious list in a few years.

Simon Mannix

Another leap of faith, this option from overseas – who has more than a hint of the Cotters about him, minus the international experience. The New Zealander has built an impressive unit at Pau since taking over at the start of the 2014/15 season, when the club was in the ProD2. In his first season, he took them to the Top 14, then guided them to a more-than creditable eighth place in the French top flight at the first time of asking. He’s been in France before, helping Racing 92 return to the Top 14 in 2009, so there’s no denying his French qualifications. And, like Cotter, he does speak the language. But he’s probably just a little low on overall experience for the conservative folks at Marcoussis to seriously consider in the immediate future.

Nick Mallett

It is so written in the justified, ancient and secret code of the rugby writers’ illuminati that the former South Africa and Italy coach must, at least once, be linked to any vacant, soon-to-be-vacant, possibly soon-to-be-vacant, or theoretically-vacant-at-some-point-in-the-future international or high-ranking club job going, no matter how tenuous, vacuous or simply made up that link may be.

This is despite the fact that (a) Mallett has not held a permanent international coaching role of any sort since the Italy job in 2011, and (b) he must be having a far too much fun ripping lumps out of coaches, referees and players in his current role as a semi-retired media pundit.

For the sake of fairness, Mallett – like Cotter – does have French rugby experience. He coached Stade Francais to the Top 14 title in 2003 and 2004. And he turned down Mourad Boudjellal’s offer of the big chair at Toulon – though whether that would actually endear him to FFR president Bernard Laporte, who got the job he rejected in 2011, is another question entirely.