How France have been 'found out' this Six Nations

Just six months ago, France were sweeping aside the All Blacks in the opening match of their own World Cup, with the rugby world seemingly at their feet.

Fast forward six months and it is nothing short of a rugby miracle that they have managed a win and a draw from their opening three matches of the Guinness Six Nations. One different TMO call against Scotland and a slightly more secure placement of the ball on the tee by Italy’s Paolo Garbisi and Les Bleus would be at rock bottom of the Six Nations table instead of fourth.

A sizeable injury list has not helped Fabien Galthie, particularly in the second row department. Romain Ntamack’s longterm knee injury allied with Antoine Dupont’s conversion to rugby sevens has meant France have also been without their favoured halfback pairing, and that is apparent.

NORTH vs SOUTH: Rhys Patchell on the differences he’s seen since playing in NZ

Welsh fly-half Rhys Patchell weighs in on the differences between playing for the Scarlets back home and where he is playing now, with the Highlanders in New Zealand

NORTH vs SOUTH: Rhys Patchell on the differences he’s seen since playing in NZ

Welsh fly-half Rhys Patchell weighs in on the differences between playing for the Scarlets back home and where he is playing now, with the Highlanders in New Zealand

But former Springboks Schalk Burger and Jean de Villiers believe France have been “found out” tactically.

Joining Hanyani Shimange on RPTV’s Boks Office recently, the World Cup-winning duo explained how France are no longer reaping the rewards of their long kicking game. Alongside this issue, Burger added that the 2022 Six Nations champions have lost the intensity that they had just a matter of weeks ago.

“The way they play, I think people have worked them out with the long kicking game,” the former flanker said.

“So much of their game is around 22 entries, the accuracy around the maul and then with Dupont it’s almost like they have an extra loose forward in that 22 play the way he’s a real threat and speeds up the tempo of the game.

“They don’t have Dupont or Ntamack at the moment, but I think it runs a little bit deeper than that. They’re not getting the rewards from their long kicking game.

“I think they’ve been found out a little bit. Also they don’t have that intensity. If you think back to the quarter-final we played against them, that intensity they had there- the first maul they scored, [Peato] Mauvaka was on the end of it, but it was a 22 metre maul against the Springboks, the best maul defensive side in the world.

“Every time they had a 22 entry, they basically busted down the door and found a way to score a try. This weekend against Italy, when they got that 22 possession, it’s not the same effectiveness. It’s not the same aggro, tempo, spark. It almost looks easy to pick them off, whereas you thought in the four years leading up to the World Cup, when they had a 22 entry you were going ‘okay boys, this is trouble’.”