France national rugby union team

The France national rugby union team are a national sporting side, representing France in rugby union. The team is also known as les Bleus or les Tricolores. France is governed by the Fédération Française de Rugby, which was formed in 1919.

France competes in the Six Nations Championship annually. The team was infamously expelled from the competition in the 1930s amid allegations of professionalism and other problems. France has won the competition outright on 14 occasions, shared in another 8 wins and completed 8 Grand Slams.

Since the inaugural World Cup in 1987, France have competed in all tournaments which have taken place. France appeared in the very first World Cup final, but lost to New Zealand. They were again losing finalists in the 1999 World Cup against Australia. The last World Cup saw France finish atop of their group table and make it to the semi-finals.

History

Early years

Rugby was introduced to the Le Havre region of France by English merchants in 1872 and spread through the country with them, but despite this arrival in the north of the country the game began to flourish in the poorer, more rural south amongst workers in the wine trade. The first involvement a national rugby union side had was at the 1900 Paris Olympics, where a French team took part in the rugby union event. France beat Britain (represented by Mosley Wanderers RFC) 27 - 8 and Germany 27-17 to win the gold medal. In 1906 France played and lost their first ever test match against Dave Gallaher's All Blacks, losing 38-8 in Paris. France first played England in March 1906, again in France, this time losing 35-8.

France played their first test outside their nation on the 1st of January 1907, losing to England 31-13 at the Athletic Ground in Richmond. Two days later they played a game against the Springboks in Parc des Princes, Paris with a side made up from the two Parisian clubs: Stade Français and Racing Club de France. Only two of the side that had faced the All Blacks played against the Springboks - three-quarter Paul Sagot and forward Georges Jérôme. and none was in the team that had played England. The Springboks scored 13 tries in winning 55-6.

France played fellow European rugby union nations, Wales and Ireland for the first time in 1908 and 1909 respectively. When Scotland played France in the first official international match between the two countries in 1910, the foundation was laid for a Five Nations competition. Their first win in the competition came against Scotland 16-15 in Paris in 1911. In early 1913, France was host to a touring Springboks party, France lost 5 points to 35, the match was part of an era that last from 1911 until 1920 which saw France lose 18 games in a row.

In 1919, the Fédération Française de Rugby was formed, 13 years after France's test debut. At the 1920 Antwerp Olympics there was another rugby union event and France was one of only two teams to enter. A straight final took place between the USA and France but the USA caused a shock by winning 8-0 to take the gold medal. Their first win in the five nations against Ireland was attained in 1920 in Dublin 15-7. During their last match of the 1921 Five Nations, France showed signs of new strength beating Ireland 20 to 10. Though France did not win a game the following year, the side did draw with Scotland and England.

In 1924 rugby union was again an event at the Olympics held in Paris, France. France beat Romania 59-3, scoring 13 tries including four by the fine Stade Francais winger Adolphe Jaureguy. The final took place at Colombes stadium, Paris on 18 May 1924 and the USA took the gold with a 17-3 victory in front of 30,000 spectators. The All Blacks returned to France in 1926, the first time since their inaugural test against them in 1906, France lost 6 to 30.

The mid to late 1920s was a period of disappointment for the French, that is until they won their first games over England and Wales, in 1927 and 1928 respectively. France had mediocre results on field during the latter end of the decade and the start of the 1930s, but showed definite signs of improvements in the Five Nations. However, they were expelled from the Five Nations in 1932 following accusations of professionalism in the French league as well as on-field violence and poor organisation and were not allowed to rejoin until 1939. During this time many French players turned to rugby league, which began to attract larger crowds than Union while the latter code was excluded from the Five Nations. Despite this there were some internationals played; Germany between 1932 and 1936, Italy (1937) and Romania (1938). On the 2nd of January 1934 FIRA was formed, an organisation to rival the International Rugby Board.

Despite being expelled from the Five Nations and mounting pressure from rugby league, ironically France went on a winning spree which still stands today, winning ten games in a row during the years from 1931 to 1936. During the German occupation of France in World War II, Vichy France forcibly merged the French rugby league into the French rugby union, declaring that there was only one rugby. After this, the union code was dominant in France again.

Post war

The Five nations resumed after the second World War in 1947 and French rugby came of age. Lucien Mias was the innovative captain whose line-out ploys bring a new attacking dimension to forward play. They finally won their first outright Five Nations title in 1959. They were champions for four years in a row and in 1968 won their first Grand Slam.

In 1952 France played their second match against the Springboks and again lost 25-3. France's recorded their first win over New Zealand 3-0 at Colombes in 1954.

The French made their first visit to South Africa in 1958 and rocked the Springboks by winning the two-test series. Led by Lucien Mias, in the absence of tour skipper Michel Celaya who had been injured, the underestimated French drew the first test 3-3 at Newlands and then produced an even bigger shock by beating the Springboks 9-5 at altitude at Ellis Park. That tour was considered a watershed in the history of French rugby union; signaling that they were now among the top nations.

The Springboks formidable 1960/61 touring side were held to a 0-0 draw at Colombes Stadium in Paris.

In 1964 the Tricolores returned to South Africa for a single match in Springs, and beat the Boks again 8-6 in a test described until his dying day by Dr Danie Craven as the worst yet to be seen in South Africa.

In 1967 The French again toured South Africa. They were beaten 26-3 in Durban and 16-3 in the "Battle of Bloemfontein" but were able to come back and win the third 19-14 in Johannesburg and draw the last 6-6 in Cape Town.

The late 1960s and early 1970s was also a golden era in the Five Nations, with the French running the Welsh every step of the way, winning in 1967 and 1968 and sharing the top spot in 1970 and 1973. Titanic battles raged between Barry John, Gareth Edwards, Dai Morris, John Taylor and Gerald Davies for the Welsh and Jo Maso, Claude Dourthe, Jean-Pierre Lux, Guy Camberabero and Pierre Villepreux for the French.

Jean Desclaux coached France between 1973 and 1980. The 1976 Championship went well for France, their only loss came against Wales and they beat 30-9 England 30-9. 1977 saw France win their second Grand Slam. France beat the All Blacks for the first time 24-19 on Bastille day 14 July, 1979.

In November 1980 France play their last international against South Africa in the apartheid era. They were led by Jean-Pierre Rives and lost 15-37 to the Springboks in what was termed the "Summer Test".

Jacques Fouroux became the coach of France shortly before the 1981 Five Nations tournament. In the ten years that he managed the side, France won the Five Nations on six occasions and two Grand Slams (1981 and 1987). France's successes were based around their massive pack, a fact which upset a number of commentators in France who preferred a more technical approach. Famous names from this time included Philippe Sella, Daneil Dubroca and Serge Blanco.

France entered the inaugural World Cup as one of the favourites. France beat Australia 30-24 in the semi final, coming from behind three times to triumph. France were unable to repeat the feat in the final against favourites New Zealand losing 29-9.

After an embarrassing 12-6 defeat to Romania on French soil, Fouroux was given the sack.

With the ban on playing South Africa lifted, France toured South Africa. They were led by Olivier Roumat after tour captain Jean-Francois Tordo had suffered a horrific facial wound in the game against Western Province at Newlands. They lost to South Africa 'B' and Northern Transvaal and drew with Free State but then drew the first test 20-20 in Durban and again upset the odds by taking the series with an 18-17 victory at Ellis Park.

Knocked out by England in the quarter-finals in the 1991 Rugby World Cup, they were desperately unlucky to lose in the semi-finals to the hosts and eventual champions South Africa in 1995.

Modern era

As the game adjusted to the new professional era, the Championship was very much dominated by England. France, however, still managed to win back-to-back Grand Slams in 1997 and 1998.

After finishing wooden-spoonists in the last ever Five Nations they upset the odds by beating red hot favourites New Zealand 43-31 with an outstanding display of attacking rugby in the semi-final of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. A week later, however, fatigue took hold as they were beaten convincingly 35-12 by Australia in Cardiff.

Since the advent of the Six Nations in 2000, France has won the competition three times (2002, 2004, and 2006), completing a Grand Slam in 2002 and 2004.

Current squad

Squad for Tests against Romania and South Africa:

Forwards

Backs

Notable players

External links

Sources

100 years of SA rugby contact with France (from Planet Rugby)

National rugby union teams | Rugby union in France | National sports teams of France

Tîm rygbi'r undeb cenedlaethol Ffrainc | Équipe de France de rugby à XV | Nazionale di rugby francese

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