Rugby: “He takes people for idiots”… Richard Dourthe’s vitriolic outing on Fabien Galthié

2023-11-11 23:56:38

Supporters of the French XV have long waited for the words of Fabien Galthié, silent in the media after the elimination of the Blues in the quarter-final of the World Cup, against South Africa on October 15 (28-29). ). But this week, the coach finally spoke again, notably during a press conference on Wednesday.

Not enough to convince Richard Dourthe, the former French international now a consultant on Canal +, who believes that Fabien Galthié has “evaded” several important subjects. “I think he takes people for idiots,” he said live on the Canal Rugby Club set this Saturday. “He just talks, he manages his press conference. It’s all about communication, he stays calm, it’s very good, people love him, it’s perfect. But in fact he avoids all the points that upset us rugby connoisseurs. That is to say why we lost, what was the management of the group, why there were so many injured…”, lamented the former Bayonnais.

????️ “I think he takes people for c***”

Richard Dourthe gives his opinion on Fabien Galthié’s speaking to the press. pic.twitter.com/KJ3FpVY6eU

— CANAL+ Rugby (@CanalplusRugby) November 11, 2023

“At the end, we are as good as Fiji”

“He smokes everyone with his data,” he even said, angry against the one who has been at the head of the Blues since 2019. “We cannot take away the results and the 80% of victories. But on arrival we did everything we could for four years, we wrote a blank check to Fabien Galthié to be world champions. At the end, we are as good as Fiji, as Wales, and we are a little better than Scotland, Japan or Romania,” said Richard Dourthe.

During his press conference, Fabien Galthié notably returned to the failure against South Africa, ensuring that he “would use the same strategy (…) if it had to be done again”. Despite the elimination of the Blues in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, Fabien Galthié was very quickly reinforced as coach of the French XV by Florian Grill, the president of the French Rugby Federation.