FORMER FRANCE SCRUM-HALF Fabien Galthié will become his nation’s new head rugby coach after this year’s World Cup, according to a report by L’Equipe this afternoon.

Les Bleus, three-time World Cup finalists, are eighth in the World Rugby rankings and have struggled for both consistency and landmark results under the stewardship of both Guy Noves and Jacques Brunel since exiting the 2015 World Cup on the back of a 62-13 hammering at the hands of New Zealand.

L’Equipe report that Galthié will join Brunel’s backroom team before the tournament in Japan, and will then take the reins on a four-year contract after its conclusion.

The former scrum-half was head coach of Toulon last season, when a late Andrew Conway try knocked his side out of Europe at the quarter-final stage in Thomond Park. Prior to that, the 50-year-old was coach of Montpellier and Stade Francais.

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