French panache a thing of the past

After France’s rather unimpressive, tryless win over Scotland, Philippe Saint-Andre was at pains to claim there is still flair in the team — but that concept is dead and buried, writes Ronan O’Gara.

French flair has been a myth for a long time, and there’s a number of reasons for that. Chief among them is that the Top 14 is a real league, whereas the Guinness Pro12 isn’t, because it doesn’t have relegation. For whoever goes down, there’s a huge drop in finances and prestige; the whole town suffers, because it’s a massive way of life here.

The incentives are clear. The league is so result-dependent performances go by the wayside, getting four points is all that matters, no matter how you manage it. Creativity among French players is suffering as a result.