Fabien Galthié has made two key changes to his France coaching team ahead of the July Nations Championship matches, according to reports.
The France head coach has reportedly hired new defence and kicking coaches to replace Shaun Edwards and Vlok Cilliers, respectively. The French coaching team met in Narbonne and Montpellier in recent days to begin preparations for the friendly against England A as well as three Nations Championship matches against New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.
Shaun Edwards being forced out
However, according to a report by L’Equipe, Edwards is being pushed out, is very close to leaving, and was absent from the coaching staff’s meetings.
The report states that Galthié wants to bring in a new defence coach, as the once-popular Englishman is no longer universally liked for various reasons. The defence guru is contracted through to 2028, but a source told the publication that his employment has become ‘a real issue’.
This isn’t a new issue, according to the report, which claims that new Georgia head coach Pierre-Henry Broncan had been approached in the past. Furthermore, Galthie has recruited the help of Gérald Bastide, who previously looked after the team’s defence between 2015 and 2017 under former head coach Guy Novès.
Bastide is currently working with the French women’s team and is set to work in both roles in the interim, but it’s yet to be seen if that could be managed through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
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Possible replacements
Meanwhile, Toulon kicking coach Maxime Petitjean is set to take over from Cilliers for the Nations Championship matches before re-joining Pierre Mignoni’s Top 14 coaching team. The publication questions whether this could be the start of a longer collaboration, with no other names linked with the position. It also doesn’t state the reasons for Cilliers’ departure, which comes as a surprise, with France’s tactical kicking game being a real strength en route to winning the Six Nations, and the same cannot be said of their defence.
As for Edwards’ long-term replacement, L’Equipe states that Geoffrey Doumayrou is Galthié’s favoured candidate, having discreetly approached several Top 14 defence coaches. The former centre is contracted to Montpellier until 2027 and is in talks over an extension.
However, in a recent interview with Midi Olympique, Montpellier’s club president Mohed Altrad refused to entertain the idea of the Challenge Cup-winning defence coach leaving permanently, but he added: “Loaning Geoffrey out for a few months, why not.”
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It’s understood that the French national team hopes to have him available for the World Cup, and Doumayrou reportedly spoke directly with Galthié and Jean-Marc Lhermet, FFR vice-president in charge of elite rugby, during their visit to Montpellier.
Former Springbok fly-half Cilliers, who worked with Galthié at Toulon as well, will likely continue to work with youth talents in South Africa in the meantime but won’t be short of interested suitors. The 58-year-old is held in high regard worldwide and worked with some of the top talents in the game.
READ MORE: Fabien Galthié accused of ‘squandering golden generation of French talent’ by ex-England international
