The French played rugby with panache et esprit

Press, 18 July 1979, Page 25

The French played rugby with panache et esprit

By

JOHN BROOKS

For thousands of New Zealanders the imperishable memory of the 1979 French rugby team will be the stylish manner of its victory over the All .Blacks at Eden Park. Ra

rely has test football been played with such elan. But it was just as rare, and more important, that both tests between these adversaries were played without a blow being struck in anger. Apart from the insidious French boot which thudded into Frank Oliver’s back at Lancaster Park, there were no unpleasant incidents. Indeed, after the shakeup which followed the tempestuous match against Waikato, the French behaved splendidly, even to the extent of keeping cool when they felt agrieved at refereeing decisions. Much of this was because of firm leadership; as the manager, Mr Yves Noe, said to New Zealand reporters after the North Auckland match — the next after Waikato — "there were no thumps today, eh?” The conduct of both sides

and this reflected great credit on the rival captains, Graham Mourie and Jean-Pierre Rives, as well as coaches and managers. It proved, once and for all time, that matches played with such intensity of purpose as tests can proceed without violence as an ingredient. It was not so when the All Blacks played the Tricolours at Athletic Park in 1968. In that test, not one try was scored, but kicks nd punches and other acts of brutality followed thick and fast after a French loose forward, Bernard Dutin. butted Colin Meads in the head. It was an vil, ill-tem-pered match, and it ended wit’ both half-backs having broken hands. The game was soured by the deplorable actions of men on both sides. International rugby players have a great responsibility, which, in the heat of a big match, they sometimes forget. Because of their reputations and the status of the match, their performances are imitated by the boys and young men in the game. After one particularly bad-tempered exhibition in a test an inter-school game in Christchurch was marred by stiff-arm tack : les and “mountaineering” in rucks. It does not take long for decay to spread through the game. But the performances of France and New Zealand in this month’s tests will be a powerful influence for the good in rugby. Good conduct on a football field is not so difficult to achieve if the lead from captains and coaches is clearly defined. The French also left a legacy of bright, inventive back play, which burst into full flower at Eden Park. Their technique was not complicated, for they relied on long, swift passes to clear the ball to the outside backs, hard running, and faithful backing up. In fact, it was the intelligent manner in which the players supporting the ball carrier positioned themselves for the pass that gave so much edge to the French attack. The Tricolours won five and lost three of their matches in New Zealand, and that was a reasonably

good outcome, considering that several experienced players, such as Alain Paco, Roland Bertranne, .lea n-P ier r e Bastiat, Francis Sangalli and JeanFrancois Imbernon, were unable to tour, for one reason or another. The side was in the early stages of a rebuilding process, but the coaches, Jean Desclaux and Jean Pique, achieved wonders in such a short space of time. Only four of the players were genuinely seasoned internationals, yet such was the spirit within the team that a XV worthy of the grand French tradition emerged at Eden Park. The French made a mistake common to touring teams by playing close to their best side in the opening match and then fielding a weaker team against more formidable opposition in the second. Scotland did it, and paid the penalty, in 1975, and the French blindly followed suit by playing the three most experienced men, Jean-Pierre Rives, Robert Paparemborde and J e a n-Michel Aguirre, against Marlborough and not against Waikato. But the French management was quick to learn, and the four-man panel that chose the sides displayed a keener awareness of the needs of the situation from then on. Mr Noe was unstinting in his praise of Rives’s contribution. “His playing ability and his modesty formed an example to all players,” he said. “He analysed play well and could make changes of tactics if required as the

game progressed. And he was obeyed blindly when he commanded on the field, without shouting.” Rives’s work rate was astounding, even to such- a busy beaver as Mourie, and his tackling and tidying up of the loose ball were worth more than tries to his team. Only fractionally behind him in value was Jean-Luc Joinel, the tall flanker whose straight-running attacks, enveloping defence and line-out ability stamped him as a distinct success. “Joinel confirms himself more and more,” Mr Noe said. “Some see him as a No. 8, but he is doing so well as a flanker that he should not be shifted.” The loss through injury of Jean-Francois Marchal left France in trouble at lock, because Alain Maleig was hampered by a deficient hamstring, and Francis Haget, probably because of the late nights he spends as a croupier in the casino at Biarritz, looked short of a gallop until the second test. But Patrick Salas, a solid slab of a man from the champion club, Narbonne, handled the heavy demands made of him cheerfully and well. Without his unsung contribution, France would not have performed so solidly up front. Paparemborde had a rewarding tour, and Mr Noe appropriately referred to him as the cornerstone of the French pack. “He shouts a lot, and everyone follows him,” the manager said. The best of the other

forwards was Phillippe Dintrans, a chunky hookei who was good value about the field and in the mauls as well as shading Andy Dalton in the test scrums. Aguirre, Jean-Luc Averous, Jerome Gallion and Alain Caussade, all of whom had test experience in varying degrees, were capable performers who showed flashes of brilliance. But the two most lively lads were the two cheeky little men in the threequarter line, Frederic Costes and Didier Codorniou. Their speed, footwork and initiative put them among the most attractive backs to have toured New Zealand. Costes, whose acceleration conjured up visions of toothpaste being forcibly ejected from a tube, scored eight tries, which was twice as many as any Frenchman from the 1961 or 1968 teams had achieved in New Zealand. And they had more matches, too. The reception the Tricolours received in defeat at Lancaster Park and in victory at Eden Park showed that the New Zealand rugby public appreciates good play, and an absence of thuggery. It has taken a long time for this sublime situation to arrive. May it never depart.