Can France return to Grand Slam glory 10 years on?
Played two, won two. It’s a familiar start for France who have won their opening two games in the Six Nations Championship for the sixth occasion since 2010. The last time was in 2016, when they went on to lose their remaining three fixtures to finish fifth in the table to Italy. But in 2010, not only did Les Bleus win their first two matches, they went on to secure the Grand Slam, as they were victorious against all five opponents. It’s exactly a decade ago that they won the tournament, and while Six Nations Championship Odds still don’t favour them for success, they are still in the hunt, along with Ireland for the Grand Slam title. What a moment it would be for a vastly inexperienced side.
2010 campaign
France got off to a winning start in Edinburgh, brushing past Scotland with ease. Despite the hosts going ahead, France hit back and held a commanding lead at the break. The second half was a quieter affair, but France held on to a 18-9 victory.
It was another dominant display in round two as Les Bleus dispatched of then-current Grand Slam champions Ireland. Even at that early stage, France were being touted as favourites to win the Championship and they marked their 33-10 victory with a lap of honour at the Stade de France.
It was a much closer contest against Wales, who staged an almighty second half comeback, but ultimately, couldn’t break down France. The French led at the break 20-0, and despite Wales’ pressure, particularly in the final 35 minutes, France went on to keep their Grand Slam dream alive with a 26-20 win.
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A further demolition occurred in round four, when France hosted Italy. It was another commanding first half performance – and the second half brought much of the same. By this point, attention turned to England and a potential Slam in front of a home crowd.
A low-scoring affair at the Stade de France, but that didn’t matter as France were victorious and crowned Grand Slam champions. The Red Roses certainly didn’t go down without a fight, as they pushed France all the way and dominated the second half, despite getting few points on the board. The 12-10 victory sealed the Championship, providing France with their ninth Grand Slam, and their third of the Six Nations era.
2020 campaign
This year marked a year of change. Following November’s conclusion of the Rugby World Cup in Japan, France announced a new head coach, Fabien Galthié, as well as a new captain in Charles Ollivon, with Guilhem Guirado retiring from international rugby. Talk quickly turned to Galthié’s 42-man squad – the coach opting for youth over experience, with just one player over 30-years-old and an average age of 24. He named 19 uncapped players, looking to those who had tasted success before – France have won the two previous World Rugby Under-20 Championship titles. It was a brave move, but one that looks to have paid off so far.
In round one, five French players made their international debuts in the match against England. Les Bleus terrorised Eddie Jones’ side in the first half, scoring 20 points without reply. As the downpour in Paris continued, it was raining points too, and France then led by 24 points, before England decided to wake up and fight back. The match finished 24-17.
A lacklustre performance in the second half of their tie against Italy didn’t affect the result and it was business as usual for both sides, as Italy fell to defeat once more and France topped the table after two matches. Romain Ntamack’s try before the hour-mark secured the bonus point, as France retained the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy in the process.
It’s Wales at the Principality Stadium next for France, who are looking to get their campaign back on track. Defeat against Ireland last time out for the current champions has caused Wales coach Wayne Pivac to ring the changes, and although so far in France’s view at least, experience hasn’t counted for much, his named starting line-up has a combined total of 859 caps. The fighting talk has certainly ensued in the build-up to this one, but if France want to replicate their 2010 success, they’ll need to do the talking on the field, come the weekend.
