2023-10-17 16:31:33
For French rugby, it is still time to digest the enormous disappointment suffered on Sunday evening with the elimination of the Blues against South Africa, for a small point (28-29), in the quarter-final of the Cup of the world. The time to take stock with coach Fabien Galthié, reinforced in his role on Monday by the president of the French Rugby Federation Florian Grill, will come “in the days or weeks to come”, promises Jean-Marc Lhermet.
“The World Cup ended suddenly, we all have a bit of a headache. There, there is a strong need for all stakeholders to digest, to rest physically, mentally, declares the vice-president of the French Rugby Federation delegated at high level and therefore, as such, responsible for discussing with Fabien Galthié, who is under contract until 2028. We have recorded the meeting with the main lines. Everyone will take advantage of the days to come to think and prepare well, there is no rush. »
“We have already talked about taking stock of the World Cup and the last three years to plan for the sequence to come,” adds Jean-Marc Lhermet. The assessment is what worked, what we must capitalize on, what we must keep, what did not work, how we can improve it, etc. The assessment will integrate the positive and the negative, it will be done with Fabien and will be honest, transparent, and without concession. »
“Having a French team on the roof of the world”
After the time of assessment will quickly come that of the constitution of the staff called to work with Fabien Galthié until the next World Cup, in Australia in 2027, knowing that most of the assistants are already known. “We said we would discuss this with Fabien after the World Cup. This is a subject that we will put on the table. Contractually, the situation is validated for part of the staff, for others there is still room for maneuver. That’s what we’re going to discuss. »
The identity of the replacement for performance director Thibault Giroud, in charge of physical preparation but leaving for Bordeaux-Bègles, “is one of the points to be discussed”. “Nicolas (Jeanjean) is in place and doing a good job. One more person, it will depend on the project. »
Will former referee Jérôme Garcès, who directed the 2019 World Cup final, continue his mission within the French staff? “Here too, it will depend on the project. I don’t start with any preconceived ideas of who to add or remove. The idea is to have a French team on the roof of the world, and capable of winning the next World Cup. »
“This analysis of the situation can lead to an evolution in the scope of the staff, but not only linked to financial aspects,” specifies Lhermet. Perhaps a different organization is needed in view of the assessment that we will make. Let it be clear: we are not going to make deep cuts in the functioning of the French XV in proportion to the FFR deficit. That’s not the idea. You have to build according to the objectives, taking into account all the points. »
The certainties in the constitution of the staff are the extensions of Fabien Galthié, Raphaël Ibanez (manager), William Servat (forwards coach), Shaun Edwards (defense), Nicolas Buffa (head of the analysis unit) and Nicolas Jeanjean (physical trainer) . Patrick Arlettaz (attack) and Laurent Sempéré (forwards) join the coaching staff, replacing, respectively, Laurent Labit and Karim Ghezal, who both joined Stade Français.
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