France know they need to be better in all departments to take on high flying Irish

Team manager Raphael Ibanez: France and Ireland 'almost equal'. Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Wary France are readying for an all-out Irish assault when the two autumn conquerors of the All Blacks meet in the Six Nations on Saturday.

Ireland climbed to third in the World Rugby rankings after their win over a poor Wales, while Les Bleus needed half an hour — and the jolt of conceding the first try — to take control of their match against a better-than-expected Italy a day later.

Team manager Raphael Ibanez described Ireland’s performance as “accomplished”, and warned far-from perfect France would have to “take it up a notch” if they were to keep their hopes of a title alive after two second-placed finishes.

Preparations for the Ireland game — billed by some, prematurely, as an early Championship decider after England’s Calcutta Cup defeat at Murrayfield — were well underway before the teams arrived at Stade de France for Sunday’s match. They had started before the players went to bed the night before.

Ibanez revealed that a Covid-positive head coach Fabien Galthie had taken advantage of his isolation to put in some detailed early gameplan work, to in part mitigate the shorter turnaround time between games for the hosts.

“In preparation, I believe we are almost equal,” Ibanez smiled. “Fabien had plenty of time on Saturday for analysis and work on strategic aspects against the Irish.” Despite winning their last two meetings, France have worked hard to portray Ireland, two places above them in WR’s standings, as favourites on Saturday.

Captain Antoine Dupont called them ‘the big cheese’, and told journalists: “Watching Ireland’s match against Wales, I am not sure we are favourites. It is up to you rather than us to say who is favourite. I just know predictions don’t win matches.” 

Mind games they may be, but there’s no doubt France were undercooked for Italy. A combination of Covid call-offs, injury and illness meant Dupont, halfback partner Romain Ntamack and the Toulouse contingent had scarcely played in two months, while withdrawals ripped up the coaches’ best-laid plans for the first week of pre-tournament training with the Foreign Legion.

Instead of the usual fortnight, the 23 that faced Italy were together for a few days. The lack of preparation showed as they struggled to work as a unit, conceded too many penalties, and showed Ireland coach Andy Farrell exactly where their weaknesses lie.

France ironed out the worst of the problems and kept Italy scoreless in the second half, but they know Sunday’s performance was sub-par on all levels. “Our errors and penalties allowed Italy to get into our camp,” Dupont said on Sunday. “We need to correct that this week.” And he echoed Ibanez’s scarcely coded warning: “We have to raise individual and collective standards.”

A lot of work at France’s Marcoussis HQ this week falls on former referee Jerome Garces’s shoulders as Les Bleus seek to cut the penalties that would cut more deeply against Ireland.

Galthie has one injury-enforced change to make but, for all his loyalty as he builds experience for the World Cup, is expected to make more.

Centre Jonathan Danty withdrew on Monday with an ankle injury picked up against Italy. The decision over who gets his place is probably binary: his replacement on Sunday, Yoram Moefana, who impressed in his 22 minutes on the pitch, supplying the final pass for winger Gabin Villiere’s hat-trick try; or Virimi Vakatawa, plagued by injuries and havering form in recent months but who has recognised pedigree and who put on a strong try-scoring performance with Racing 92 at the weekend.

Gael Fickou has no doubt the perceived dip in form of club-and-country midfield partner Vakatawa is temporary. Speaking before the tournament, he said: “Virimi started for two years, and put in extraordinary performances. He helped us win a lot of matches — he is one of the best centres in the world.

“We are hard on him. We expect him to do exceptional things all the time, so when he doesn’t, we say he is not at his best. He will be back stronger - and soon.” It’s possible Galthie will spring a surprise, but reviving the Matthieu Jalibert — Romain Ntamack 10-12 experiment seems unlikely in a match as important as this, in a tournament France want to win. Attack coach Laurent Labit has already indicated there will be “less experimenting”.

Jalibert, not risked against Italy after picking up a thigh injury in Bordeaux’s Champions Cup win over Scarlets in mid-January, will probably rejoin the 23 among the “finisseurs”, expected to add late impetus. Cameron Woki could also move from the second row to his more usual backrow slot, allowing Galthie to select the abrasive and deceptively rapid Bernard Le Roux at four, to combat Ireland’s breakdown threat.

France know they need to be better in all departments to take on an Irish side at full roar after that victory over Wales. They will be. The question, then, is whether they will be good enough.