French add discipline to flair

Press, 20 May 1987, Page 43

French add discipline to flair

By

DEREK PARR

of Reuters France, once the whipp-ing-boy of international rugby, embarks on the first World Cup as master of Europe after completing its fourth Grand Slam in splendid style in Dublin on March 21. France successively dispatched Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland, who all made a habit of trouncing the Gallic newcomers when

they entered the international arena early this century. The Frenchmen - prefaced their triumphant Five Nations season with an ideal morale booster — a rousing victory over New Zealand in Nantes last November just a week after they had been pilloried following defeat by the All Blacks in Toulouse. The 16-3 victory over New Zealand restored self-belief in the French

squad, which demonstrated unprecendented resilience in its fourth Grand Slam campaign in 20 seasons when three times in four games it had to overturn substantial deficits to win. The Frenchmen kept their nerve, resisted old urges to fight their way out of trouble and relied instead on their undoubted playing strengths. “The team has once again given evidence of great moral and technical

virtues. We possess a playing heritage which makes us unbeatable when we play,” Jacques Fouroux said after his unique Grand Slam treble — captain in 1977 and coach in 1981 and 1987. “We fixed several objectives this season — beating the All. Blacks, achieving the Grand Slam. But it’s true our victory in the tournament cannot be considered an end in it-* self since the first World Cup in looming. “The important thing for us is to have shown we possessed a sufficiently solid playing basis to win away and surmount difficult situations.” France had its share of “difficult situations” in the early days — from the 38-8 defeat by New Zealand in its international bow in Paris in 1906 to the 16 years spent in the rugby wilderness, outlawed because of violence on the pitch and professionalism. From the end of 1931, when the bar was im-

. posed, Germany, Italy and Rumania were the only teams to play France until the end of. World War II after which encounters with Wales and Ireland led to full . French rehabilitation in the Five Nations championship in 1947.

Starved of international competition, French rugby lost players when the rival rugby league code was introduced in 1933. But now the drift is more likely to be in the other direction, with material and job benefits more attractive for top players in the 15-man game.

France celebrated its Five Nations return with a victory over Scotland at Colombes, but had to wait until 1954 for its first share of the title, with England and Wales, in the days of Lucien Mias and Jean Prat, who, the same year scored the try which gave France its first victory over New Zealand. Mias and his pack drove France to its first

outright Five Nations title in 1959 after another landmark win — its first over South Africa in Johannesburg in 1958.

Forwards of the stamp of Alfred Rogques and Michel Crauste and backs like Andre Boniface an Pierre Albaladejo helped it to four straight titles between 1959 and 1962, while Christian Carrere, abetted by Walter Spanghero and the Camberabero brothers, kept France on the winning track in 1967 and 1968, the year of the first French Grand Slam.

Fouroux, the “little general” at scrum-half, captained the 1977 Grand Slam side, and two years later the fearless blond flanker, Jean-Pierre Rives, inspired France to an historic victory over New Zealand in Auckland on Bastille Day and then led the side to another Grand Slam in 1981.

Philippe Dintrans took over the captaincy in

1984, but a back operation forced him to make way for his fellow front ranker, Daniel Dubroca, who led the latest. French exploit

Dubroca insists it was a team effort

“Our Grand Slam is, above all, a collective victory,” he said. But no team in Europe can match the Frenchmen for individual brilliance, either.

Ten tries in four tournament matches illustrates their incisiveness. A centre, Philippe Sella, who scored tries in each 1986 Five Nations match, demonstrated his devastating combination of speed and power when be touched down after a 60m dash against England at Twickenham.

Over the years France has shown it has players with all the talents. This year it demonstrated they have the discipline.

Now all that remains is to prove they can travel.