Before the 2023 World Cup, how do we protect the fifteen managers of France?

The Blues boss has not yet officially spoken about this topic, but it is clear that the 2023 World Cup (September 8 – October 28) will win or lose as well…

The Blues boss has yet to officially speak on the subject, but it is clear that the 2023 World Cup (September 8 – October 28) will be won or lost at the start of the competition, the way the tournament will be run. The next season of executives at Quinze de France.

Already 29 games for Natamak

The observation is not new: French players are playing too much. The problem was highlighted almost in a cartoonish way this spring with Toulouse. France’s first supplier during the Six Nations Championship with 10 players selected against England (1), Haut-Garonne had to keep the Blues crowded at the end of the Grand Slam to try to stay in the race on two levels: the Championship and the European Cup.

He was knocked out in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup but managed to get energy on day six^And The position is in the Top 14. But while the qualifying phase is not yet complete, Ntamack already has 29 games and 2,154 minutes of play on the clock. That’s two and a half times more time spent in the match than Ireland’s Jonathan Sexton, twice the time spent by England’s Owen Farrell or New Zealander Richie Muonga.

The Stade Toulousain flyhalf tops the most frequently used group of players this season. But it is not an isolated case. Even if the playing times vary according to the positions, for the most part the blues actually have between 22 and 28 playing cards. This is clearly more than their foreign counterparts. Periods of renewal between competitions do not exist for players torn between divergent interests, the interests of the clubs and those of the France team.

“There is no doubt about imposing regulations and setting up a gas plant” Serge Simon

“If we could, we would play fewer matches but the situation is relatively complicated. We have to go until these World Cup finals and let the France team compete. To illustrate the eternal French dilemma, Didier Lacroix, president of the Stade de Toulouse, said on Saturday, “But everyone wants to see Antoine Dupont. He plays all our games.

Didier Lacroix participated on Monday evening in the first meeting between the League and the Federation to try to plan for the next season and organize the French team’s preparations before the World Cup. It is far from simple.

extra effort

Next year’s Top 14 final will take place on June 17, a week earlier this year but perhaps too late. Usually foreigners are supposed to take four weeks off. The idea on the federal side would be to separate these holidays and postpone part of them after the World Cup to allow 42 players to start preparing as soon as possible. DIY in a nutshell.

At the moment, it is not envisaged to implement a specific system to oversee the 2022-2023 season for some international players, by limiting the number of matches, or imposing a break after X consecutive matches.

“There is no question of imposing regulation and setting up a gas plant,” said Serge Simon, Vice President of FFR who is leading the discussions. We will continue to work in the dialogue. Things are going well even if the parties don’t agree on everything. We are guided by the common interest, which is the success of the French national team in the World Cup. »

If that shared ambition is indeed one of the keys to Fifteen of France’s success under Fabien Galthié, he will be tested next season. Will the clubs be willing to go further?