LONG READ Why Bromley-born Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, France's two try debutant, owes a debt to English rugby

Aaron Grandidier Nkanang marked his debut for France with a brace of tries in their 42-26 thrashing of Australia last week. It was a momentous day for the 26-year-old winger, and an emotional one. In a live pitchside interview shortly after the match, Grandidier Nkanang was asked what was going through his mind. “I’m thinking about the journey, about rugby sevens, because without rugby sevens I wouldn’t be here today.,” he replied. “I’m thinking of my partner, my parents and my mates in London.”

That must be a first, a Frenchman thanking his friends in London for getting him to where he is today. But Grandidier Nkanang is not your run of the mill Bleu.

Grandidier Nkanang was born in Bromley, Kent, to a British-Nigerian father and French mother. All his youth rugby was played in England, including some matches for Kent U18, and then in his nineteenth year he signed terms with Brive. For the first years of his professional career, Grandidier Nkanang’s speciality was Sevens and he was a member of the French squad that won gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

That same year he signed for Pau and ever since his focus has been on becoming as effective in 15s as he was in 7s. Judging from his debut against the Wallabies, Grandidier Nkanang is a fast learner.

He’s not the only French international playing for Pau who was born in England. Centre Émilien Gailleton was born in Croydon, seven miles up the road from Bromley, to a French dad and an English mum. When he was three the family moved to France.

It’s a shame England let the pair slip through the fingers, particularly given their scarcity of top-class threequarters. France, on the other hand, are brimming over with talent. Gailleton hasn’t featured so far in France’s two Nations Championship matches because of the standout performances from Pau teammate Fabien Brau-Boirie. The 20-year-old won his third cap in the narrow 34-32 defeat to New Zealand but he played with the assurance of a seasoned international.

His partner in the centre was Bordeaux’s Yoram Moefana, who is returning to his most powerful form after a quiet 12 months. Kalvin Gourgues, 21, came on as a substitute in the second-half against Australia, while Nicolas Depoortere performed a similar role against the All Blacks.

This abundance of riches allowed coach Fabien Galthie to rest Pierre-Louis Barassi, the Toulouse centre, who has been a mainstay of the last two Six Nations French teams.

I do feel a lot of attachment to England – my family and friends are there, I grew up there so I still have a lot of love for it. But France has given me everything professionally.

Aaron Grandidier Nkanang

Grandidier Nkanang’s performance increases Galthie’s options out wide. Like Barassi, the phenomenon that is Louis Bielle-Biarrey – 29 tries in 27 Tests – was left at home to rest his body for the upcoming World Cup season. In his absence Théo Attissogbe, 21, another prodigy from Pau, is underlining his reputation down under as a player who is solid in defence and lethal in attack.

It says much for France’s threequarter firepower that their record try-scorer, Damien Penaud (41 tries in 60 Tests) has struggled for game time this year. Omitted from the Six Nations squad, Penaud returned for the All Blacks match but at 29 he increasingly looks like yesterday’s man.

Aaron Grandidier Nkanang has been asked in the past why he chose France and not England, to which he replied: “I do feel a lot of attachment to England – my family and friends are there, I grew up there so I still have a lot of love for it. But France has given me everything professionally.”

It underlined how sharp-eyed France have become in talent spotting. The Bleus are not sentimental; if a player if eligible by World Rugby rules they will select him.

Of their current squad: lock Tom Staniforth and prop Moses Alo-Emile were born in Australia; lock Emmanuel Meafou in New Zealand and prop Tevita Tatafu in Tonga.

Hooker Peato Mauvaka, prop Sipili Falatea and his cousin Yoram Moefana were born on the Pacific islands that are part of France’s overseas collectivity.

It is in the last decade that France has really started to mine the rich seam of rugby talent at their disposal in this region.

Laporte has always been broad-minded when it comes to making the Bleus as strong as possible

When Bernard Laporte campaigned to become president of the FFR in 2016, one of his promises was to do more to develop rugby in the Pacific region. He spent three days in the Islands in the autumn 2019, pronouncing that “there is an enormous potential in this region”. He added that everyone “is committed, whether they’re technical staff, development officers or the presidents”.

Laporte has always been broad-minded when it comes to making the Bleus as strong as possible. When he was coach of the national side in the early 2000s, he pioneered the policy of picking of overseas’ players, the likes of Brian Liebenberg, Tony Marsh and Pieter de Villiers.

Nor, incidentally, did Laporte or the FFR place any restrictions on where a player must play his club rugby. Three of the 2007 World Cup squad, including captain Raphael Ibanez, played for English clubs.

This pragmatism continues. Among the 2026 Six Nations squad was Leinster prop Rabah Slimani.

Of the European sides in the Nations Championship, France will be most satisfied with their opening two matches. A narrow defeat to New Zealand with an under-strength XV and then, beefed up by the arrival of several players from the Top 14, a thumping win over Australia. Even then, France were without Bielle-Biarrey, Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos, Julien Marchand, Charles Ollivon and Thibaud Flament, all of whom didn’t travel Down Under.

They will be in Australia next year for the World Cup, and right now, France look the most likely northern hemisphere side to challenge the southern hegemony.