Guy Novès' Big Plans To Save French Rugby
Two new agreements brokered between the FFR and LNR look set to curb the number of overseas players in the Top 14 and return the French national side to its former glory. James Harrington explains.
Those of a certain age may recall the glory days of French rugby with a wistful sigh, their minds running a grainy showreel featuring highlights of a bloodsoaked Jean-Pierre Rives and a perfectly balanced Serge Blanco; the silver streak that was Philippe Bernat-Salles or Thomas Castaignède doing his tongue-out chicken dance.
Younger rugby fans, however, are more likely to admit that, much like Father Christmas, they no longer believe in this mysterious ‘French flair’ their elders whisper of in awed tones. The French rugby they know is dour and staid and uninspired. Bash. Bosh. Grunt. Repeat. And, more often than not, lose.
Those who like their rugby theories neat and tidy point to the rise of the Top 14 as the richest league in the world as coinciding with the decline and fall of the national team. Yes, club squads are full of exciting imports, they say, but quality ‘Made in France’ players are almost impossible to come by.
At first glance, they have a point. Rugby fans have known for years the French national side is a shadow of its legendary flair-filled self.
But things are not that clear-cut. Coaches have come, blamed the Top 14, blamed the clubs, blamed everyone else, and gone. But it’s not as bad as Philippe Saint-André’s constant fiddling may have led you to believe.
In fact, France has a rich supply of talent at nine and 10. It has the makings of a three-quarter line with the speed and nous to scare just about any opposition you’d care to mention. And powerful, mobile forwards? That production line is running smoothly.
The good news – if you’re French, or at least miss the glory days of French rugby – is that two halves of what has been described as a ‘small revolution’ have come together under mostly favourable stars, so that this ridiculous talent could strut its stuff on the Test stage sooner rather than later.
A historic accord between the FFR, which runs the national team, and the LNR, made up of club presidents from the Top 14 and ProD2, has allowed France coach Guy Novès to select a 30-man ‘Elite’ squad and a 20-strong ‘Development’ group. He oversees their training, game time and rest periods. He also has more time with them at key points in the calendar – November internationals, Six Nations, the next World Cup.
It would be easy to imagine Novès – who, years later than he should have done, finally took charge of France after last year’s World Cup quarter-final humiliation against New Zealand – bashing a few heads together behind the scenes to get clubs to agree to these changes.
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He could do this because, unlike previous incumbents of the hotseat at the national side’s training centre at Marcoussis, he packs a powerful influential punch in the conservative corridors of power that run rugby in France.
That accord alone means the gnomic coach, who won four European Cups and 10 French championships with Toulouse, can begin plotting his country’s way back up the rugby pecking order.
But it’s not all. From next season, France’s 30 Top 14 and ProD2 clubs must name a minimum of 14 JIFF-qualified players in their match day squads. Those who do not reach this quota will lose points – up to 10 if they miss the mark badly enough.
In the 2014/15 season, 10 points was the difference between a European Champions Cup slot and relegation to the ProD2.
What’s JIFF, you ask? Call it a quota system if you want, but it’s typically convoluted – typically French. It stands for Joueurs Issus des Filières de Formation. Qualified players are those who have been part of a French club’s youth academy for three seasons before the age or 21, or who had been licensed to play in France for five seasons before the age of 23.
Equally, from next season no more than 16 players in clubs’ 35-man squads can be non-JIFF. That is to say, imports. Overseas players. Pension-fillers. And that’s including any medical jokers – though, crucially, not players hired as cover for those named in Novès’ Elite squad.
Most clubs support the system. Even Racing 92’s owner Jacky Lorenzetti has publicly backed the idea. Two are notable in their opposition. Toulon’s Mourad Boudjellal, who is running to be president of the LNR, has called it unworkable, while the outraged silence from Mohed Altrad, owner of Jake White’s South African player-outreach scheme at Montpellier, is deafening.
The question is: are either of them willing to risk points – and with them play-off or European places – to prove their point?
Regardless, we can expect a few out-of-contract overseas players in France’s Top 14 to start heading back home in search of a job from the end of this season.
Comments on RugbyPass
This is short sighted from Clayton if you ask me, smacks of too much preseason planning and no adaptability. What if DMac is out for a must win match, are they still only going to bring their best first five and playmaker on late in the game? Trusting the game to someone who wasn’t even part of planning (they would have had Trask pinned in as Jacomb preseason). Perhaps if the Crusaders were better they would not have done this, but either way imo you take this opportunity to play a guy you might need starting in a final rather than having their 12th game getting comfortable coming off the bench.
1 Go to commentsThanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.
21 Go to commentsWhat a load of bollocks. The author has forgotten to mention the fact that the Crusaders have a huge injury toll with top world class players out. Not to mention the fact that they are obviously in a transition period. No this will not spark a slow death for NZ rugby, but it does mean there will be a new Super Rugby champion. Anyone who knows anything about NZ rugby knows that there is some serious talent here, it just isn’t all at the Crusaders.
2 Go to commentsI wouldn’t spend the time on Nawaqanitawase! No point in having him filling in a jersey when he’s committed to leave Union. Give the jersey to a young prospect who will be here in the future.
4 Go to commentsIt was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
7 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
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