Fabien Galthie: 'Ireland are the best nation in Europe'

The French head coach doesn't believe the absence of Johnny Sexton will weaken Ireland for Saturday's hugely anticipated Six Nations showdown at Stade de France

France’s head coach Fabien Galthié enjoys a laugh with his players during training at Carpiagne. ‘Ireland are a very structured team, they are the best nation in Europe. Basically, they will maintain the same offensive and defensive structures, despite Sexton’s absence,’ said the French boss. Picture: Nicolas Tucat/Getty Images

No Johnny Sexton makes no difference to the clear-and-present threat Ireland pose to France’s Six Nations ambitions — or to Les Bleus’ plan to combat it, according to Fabien Galthié.

News of Sexton’s second absence in as many Six Nations meetings between the two sides was greeted with a Gallic shrug at French rugby’s Marcoussis headquarters, as head coach Galthié, back in the fold after isolating with Covid, revealed a forward-heavy France squad for tomorrow’s clash at a sold-out Stade de France.

“Honestly, in our preparations for the match we had Johnny Sexton at 10 in the Irish side,” Galthié told reporters. “[But] we know Joey Carbery … “

And he said, for the second year in a row, that he believed Sexton’s unavailability would have little effect on the gameplan of Andy Farrell’s squad.

“Ireland are a very structured team, they are the best nation in Europe. Basically, they will maintain the same offensive and defensive structures, despite Sexton’s absence.”

One look at France’s matchday 23, with its beefed-up backrow and its six-two bench split, makes it perfectly clear where Galthié expects the pitch battle to be.

Cameron Woki’s role against Ireland was up for debate in the French rugby media early in the week. It was thought he may switch back to his more usual backrow slot, giving Galthié the extra-abrasive option of Bernard Le Roux at 4.

In the end, the coach decided to release Le Roux back to his club and again name the prodigiously talented 23-year-old Bordeaux player in the second row, where he had excelled in November, especially against New Zealand, and again in last Sunday’s win over Italy — despite playing all his Top 14 and European games in between the two international windows on the flanks.

The decision to keep the young lineout maestro in the cage — a positional switch only really possible because of Cyril Baille’s ability at loosehead — has allowed Galthié to pack his backrow with low-down disruptive breakdown power, in the forms of Toulouse teammates Francois Cros and Anthony Jelonch either side of La Rochelle gainline breaker Gregory Alldritt, to combat Ireland’s prowess on the ground.

Galthié laughed off one reporter’s question suggesting Woki might be a weak physical link in the French pack. “I get the impression that you think he’s going to have a hard time against tough opponents,” he said.

“But Cameron Woki is a tough player. He’s preparing himself to live up to that intensity. And he won’t be alone. If you add up the toughness of our front eight, we’ll have something to match the Irish power.

“If I’m Woki, I hear your comments that I’m a light, non-combat player and it’s a challenge,” he added with a tight smile.

“It’s up to him how he wants to be defined. Cameron has aerial and running skills, but he’s a fighter too. The best answer to this question of our fighting ability will be our performance on the field.”

The player himself has said that the switch to the second row, whether it turns out to be permanent or not, has given him something extra. “It allows me to play differently, to be harder and to have that extra fighting edge,” he said at a press conference this week.

“I didn’t have any problems playing in the second row, I even felt comfortable.”

Like his coach and the rest of the squad, Woki expects a more difficult challenge this week than faced against Italy. “Ireland have a solid pack that can hurt you and make ground. It’s the strongest and most mobile pack in Europe. In the lineout and at the scrum, it will be a huge challenge, a big fight. A good war.”

His aerial skills — he’s one of the best counter-attacking operators in Europe in this area and will call France’s lineout moves — will be tested by Ireland. “I know I’m going to have a lot of responsibility in this game,” he said.

“The Irish strength is to use their height, then come in hard and try to set the pace. I’ve worked with lineout coach Karim Ghezal on their calls, I’ve tried to learn by heart their movements, so I’m ready to get myself in my game.”

There’s no doubt, either, that discipline and keeping referee Angus Gardner on side will play a crucial role. Both Woki and Galthié recognised that the visitors have the upper hand in this area.

“Ireland are the most disciplined team in Europe. That’s what we need to correct urgently,” Woki said, recognising that France’s penalty count against Italy would not be good enough against their opponents this weekend.

Galthié added: “The Irish concede few penalties. They know how to play within the rules — we are more random. We need to control our environment more. We’re working on that.”

FRANCE squad: Melvyn Jaminet, Damien Penaud, Gael Fickou, Yoram Moefana, Gabin Villière, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont, Anthony Jelonch, Gregory Alldritt, Francois Cros, Paul Willemse, Cameron Woki, Uini Atonio, Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille.

Replacements: Peato Mauvaka, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Demba Bamba, Romain Taofifenua, Thibault Flament, Dylan Cretin, Maxime Lucu, Thomas Ramos.