From nowhere to viral sensation... the incredible rise of France's Anthony Bouthier
Twenty-five minutes into Le Crunch, a viral moment was born. England were 17-0 down, going through the phases a few metres out when the ball went loose.
Julian Marchand, the French hooker, grabbed the ball and threw it to full-back Anthony Bouthier, who calmly launched an 85-metre spiral kick indirectly into touch.
If you googled Bouthier at that moment, you wouldn’t have found much. The 27-year-old Montpellier back was making his debut for Les Bleus in only his first season with a Top 14 club. Before that, he played for Vannes, starting out in Federale 1 before gaining promotion to the Pro D2.
New coach Fabien Galthie preferred Bouthier to Thomas Ramos, the Toulouse No15 who played in Japan. His form this season has been unmissable – he heads the Top 14 try-scoring charts with five, is second for both most metres made and clean breaks, and third for defenders beaten.
When Montpellier have needed moments of magic this season, one tactic has been to move Bouthier to fly-half and let him run through defences. And yet, it wasn’t his attacking abilities that encouraged Galthie to give him his debut Test cap in the opening round of the Six Nations against France’s oldest rival.
(Continue reading below…)
Eddie Jones and Owen Farrell after England’s 24-17 loss to France
Instead, the French coach explained: ”He is steady, efficient. His training with us confirmed his potential. We gave him the organisation and instructions. After that, it is up to him to play. He responded positively to all the situations one after the other up until now.”
While that clearance kick understandably took the headlines, it was those qualities that his coach highlighted that underscored Bouthier’s accomplished first performance.
CALM UNDER PRESSURE
In this fixture last year, England kicked France around like a rag doll. Despite the English giving clear notice of their ability and intent to do this the week before against a more experienced Irish back three, the French still selected a back three who seemed destined to struggle.
Yoann Huget, more commonly a wing, started at full-back while the wingers, Damian Penaud and Gael Fickou, were hugely talented players who had spent far more time at centre. The result was painful to watch.
The French back three could not get to grips, literally or metaphorically, with the kicks raining down on them. Jonny May had a hat-trick within 30 minutes and this sequence from a confused Huget typified France’s high ball and positional difficulties.
This year, however, Bouthier gave early notice of his ability to deal with England’s kicking game. Here, with his first touch of international rugby, he calmly calls it to prevent confusion about whose ball it is, takes it comfortably, calls for the mark, checks his team-mates are ready and then clears the ball downfield.
If England had been expecting to overwhelm the debutant with early pressure, they were disappointed. He continued throughout the game in a similar manner, accepting a bit of a hospital pass from Teddy Thomas and clearing after eight minutes and then taking another high ball soon after. He was equally calm when Antoine Dupont risked a pass to him in the in-goal area to clear French lines after 75 minutes.
Throughout Sunday’s game, it was noticeable how in-tune he was with his fellow backline players, comfortably swapping with both Dupont and Romain Ntamack to cover the backfield when necessary.
And yet what has people talking is that huge clearance kick. The debutant didn’t panic as his hooker shovelled the ball towards him to get it away from England. He just looked up and executed the perfect kick. No wonder the moment went viral.
DEFENSIVE LEADERSHIP
Shaun Edwards’ impact on France’s defence, even in the short time he has been there, was immediately clear. Their phase defence improved, their tackles were (almost always) more committed, and their positioning far better. Most of all, they worked as a unit.
With Wales, Edwards used a defensively solid full-back to back up the defensive captain (Jamie Roberts and then Jonathan Davies). Bouthier performed that same role in support of defensive captain Fickou. Taking responsibility for clearing is a big part of that but so is communication and decision-making.
Throughout the game, the full-back could also be seen organising his defence, ordering his fellow backs to adjust the line.
After more than four minutes of England being camped in the French 22, he correctly judged that Jonathan Joseph was going for the try line rather than drawing the man and he bit in, bringing Joseph down in time for Virimi Vakatawa to add his weight and dislodge the ball, preventing a certain try.
Later, he managed to slow down George Kruis as he rampaged towards the line to try and get England within three points, allowing Ntamack to join him in the tackle and prevent the try.
Bouthier wasn’t always perfect. Like his fellow backs, he seemed caught off guard by May’s pace for England’s second try and will no doubt have felt Edwards’ wrath about such a defensive lapse (although he might also feel that Vincent Rattez, Ntamack and Thomas could have made a more concerted effort to spare his blushes).
He was also one of the players who stepped in to end the bout of afters that followed Charles Ollivon’s second try, reminding his team-mates of the stakes and the need to stay calm. His remonstrations had a positive effect, demonstrating the respect he has already acquired in camp.
THE FUTURE
So what else can we expect from Bouthier? What about that attacking flair? He only ran 19 metres with the ball against England. This try for Vannes gives some idea of his running ability:
While this try for Montpellier shows off his finishing prowess:
It isn’t difficult to see why Galthie took a risk, giving Bouthier his debut in such a high intensity match. He looked to be barely aware of the pressure, refusing to be awed or lured into over-playing in an attempt to show his talents.
He could regularly be seen supporting his team-mates at attacking rucks throughout the game, getting stuck in rather than hoping for the ball and an individual moment of glory.
Given that both Gregory Alldritt, the man of the match against England, and Demba Bamba, the exciting young tighthead prop, also spent time playing in the Pro D2, Galthie should perhaps see if he can dig up other gems in France’s second division.
A few more players with the steady attitude and ability of Bouthier would make a nice addition to a squad of fearless and talented youngsters.
WATCH: Catch up on all the highlights from round four of the Japanese Top League
Comments on RugbyPass
Should'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.
19 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.
19 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?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments