PHILIPPE SAINT-ANDRE looks at Thursday’s Six Nations opener between France and Ireland and only sees one winner. In detailing his reasons, he offers snippets of hope for Andy Farrell’s side, but on the whole, the former France great finds it hard to envision anything other than a home win.
A man still close to the heart of the game in France, he’s well-placed to preview Thursday’s box-office opener in Paris. Saint-Andre spent three years as France coach between 2012-2015, and is now in charge of a Provence side who are second in the Pro D2 table. He’ll be an interested observer as France launch their Six Nations campaign in Paris on Thursday night, and while memories of Ireland’s superb 2024 win in Marseille still linger, there’s no escaping the sense Andy Farrell’s men have much to correct if they’re to spring another upset on French soil.
“I think they are not as good as two years ago,” says Saint-Andre.
“I think you can see in the European Cup, Munster are struggling. I didn’t see Munster like this for a long, long time. Leinster, they still win, but they don’t play like before.
“Very often, the year after the Lions tour, the Irish team and the English team normally are struggling with key players. You never know. You (Ireland) are so good and normally you are all the time ready for the Six Nations.
It shows that you have a lot of injuries with loosehead, it’s a problem. Fly-half, you have a choice, but you didn’t find the (quality of) fly-half that you had before.
“To start on a Thursday night in Stade de France, it’s not the best way to start.”
Ireland aren’t the only team missing key players, with France also going into the game without some of their most experienced campaigners. Lock/flanker Paul Boudehent will miss the Paris opener with injury, while tighthead rock Uini Atonio was shockingly forced into retirement following a heart issue last week. Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou and Gregory Alldritt will be tuning in from home having been left out of the 42-man squad named by Fabien Galthié.
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“It’s a lot of change, I think. I spoke with Fabien Galthié (at the Six Nations launch). His job is to make some tough decisions and it shows.
Saint-Andre is currently coaching Pro D2 side Provence. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
“The two captains of the Tests in November, Fickou and Alldritt are out. Plus, Penaud is the best try-scorer, but we have so much depth in French rugby for the last seven-eight years. Like the Irish team, they have a few injuries but I think they look quite confident.
“We remember that the Irish team smashed us two years ago in Marseille. But I feel the (French) players, the team and the mood in the camp, they are quite confident.
“We must never be overconfident, but there’s so much depth and a lot of players from Toulouse. Like Leinster, they have the cohesion, they have the habit to play together, they have a lot of connection. We have so many young players, young backs from Bordeaux, Pau, Toulouse also, from Toulon.
“The big question is who will be tighthead, who will be No 8, and the winger, I think it will probably be (Théo) Attissogbe, the winger of Pau, because he’s very good on the high ball.
“And we know against the Irish team that you need to be very accurate and very competitive with the high ball. But (Gaël) Dréan, the winger of Toulon, is in good form, he scored a try (recently) against Montpellier from 60m. So I think Louis Bielle-Biarry, one wing, and it will be between Drean and maybe Attissogbe.”
Saint-Andre is tipping Pau winger Théo Attissogbe to start in Paris. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The depth of quality available to Galthié is the envy of most coaches, and Saint-Andre himself underlines how he had nowhere near the same resources available during his own time in the French hot seat. In the Top 14 all sides must have an average of 16 homegrown French players in their matchday squads across the league campaign.
“When I was coach, we didn’t have depth. There were no rules, with 16 French players in each team sheet. After the disaster against New Zealand (62-13 quarter-final loss at 2015 World Cup), we changed and we put these rules, which was amazing. Before when I was the French coach, 80% of the wingers were Fijian, 70% of the tightheads were Georgian.
“But now, you need to have 16 French qualified in each team sheet, so the players and the club, they develop the U20s with good coaching. And the young players now have the opportunity to have game time very, very quickly. And it shows that it’s a tough choice for Fabien because he has a lot of depth.
“I know in Ireland you have three loosehead injuries and are struggling. I would say our fifth choice loosehead is still starting in the Top 14, in the European Cup, he still has been an international at U20s.”
Wrap it all up, and Saint-André is confident Les Bleus will make a winning start on Thursday night.
“I make them strong favourites. And also for the competition, because they won last year with just two games at home. And this year, they play Ireland at home, they play England at home, they play Italy.
And Antoine Dupont, he’s such a big player for the French team, so important. Not just about what he does, but what he brings to the squad, about confidence, about belief.
“It’s funny, but you speak also with players from Toulouse, they feel that when he’s here, they have the feeling that they will win. I think he brings so many things.
“You (Ireland) need to be very good on the set-piece. If you are struggling in the set-piece against France, in Stade de France, when they have the momentum, and if you give two or three seconds for Dupont to make the right decision… if it’s close to the right, he will take, if not, he will do a chistera (out the back pass). If you are tight, he will do a cross-kick for the winger.
“So I think the key will be if you disturb the set-piece of the French team, I think you can win. If you are not, it can be a long night.”
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Philippe Saint-Andre: Why Ireland could be in for a long night against France
PHILIPPE SAINT-ANDRE looks at Thursday’s Six Nations opener between France and Ireland and only sees one winner. In detailing his reasons, he offers snippets of hope for Andy Farrell’s side, but on the whole, the former France great finds it hard to envision anything other than a home win.
A man still close to the heart of the game in France, he’s well-placed to preview Thursday’s box-office opener in Paris. Saint-Andre spent three years as France coach between 2012-2015, and is now in charge of a Provence side who are second in the Pro D2 table. He’ll be an interested observer as France launch their Six Nations campaign in Paris on Thursday night, and while memories of Ireland’s superb 2024 win in Marseille still linger, there’s no escaping the sense Andy Farrell’s men have much to correct if they’re to spring another upset on French soil.
“I think they are not as good as two years ago,” says Saint-Andre.
“I think you can see in the European Cup, Munster are struggling. I didn’t see Munster like this for a long, long time. Leinster, they still win, but they don’t play like before.
“Very often, the year after the Lions tour, the Irish team and the English team normally are struggling with key players. You never know. You (Ireland) are so good and normally you are all the time ready for the Six Nations.
“To start on a Thursday night in Stade de France, it’s not the best way to start.”
Ireland aren’t the only team missing key players, with France also going into the game without some of their most experienced campaigners. Lock/flanker Paul Boudehent will miss the Paris opener with injury, while tighthead rock Uini Atonio was shockingly forced into retirement following a heart issue last week. Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou and Gregory Alldritt will be tuning in from home having been left out of the 42-man squad named by Fabien Galthié.
“It’s a lot of change, I think. I spoke with Fabien Galthié (at the Six Nations launch). His job is to make some tough decisions and it shows.
“The two captains of the Tests in November, Fickou and Alldritt are out. Plus, Penaud is the best try-scorer, but we have so much depth in French rugby for the last seven-eight years. Like the Irish team, they have a few injuries but I think they look quite confident.
“We remember that the Irish team smashed us two years ago in Marseille. But I feel the (French) players, the team and the mood in the camp, they are quite confident.
“We must never be overconfident, but there’s so much depth and a lot of players from Toulouse. Like Leinster, they have the cohesion, they have the habit to play together, they have a lot of connection. We have so many young players, young backs from Bordeaux, Pau, Toulouse also, from Toulon.
“The big question is who will be tighthead, who will be No 8, and the winger, I think it will probably be (Théo) Attissogbe, the winger of Pau, because he’s very good on the high ball.
“And we know against the Irish team that you need to be very accurate and very competitive with the high ball. But (Gaël) Dréan, the winger of Toulon, is in good form, he scored a try (recently) against Montpellier from 60m. So I think Louis Bielle-Biarry, one wing, and it will be between Drean and maybe Attissogbe.”
The depth of quality available to Galthié is the envy of most coaches, and Saint-Andre himself underlines how he had nowhere near the same resources available during his own time in the French hot seat. In the Top 14 all sides must have an average of 16 homegrown French players in their matchday squads across the league campaign.
“When I was coach, we didn’t have depth. There were no rules, with 16 French players in each team sheet. After the disaster against New Zealand (62-13 quarter-final loss at 2015 World Cup), we changed and we put these rules, which was amazing. Before when I was the French coach, 80% of the wingers were Fijian, 70% of the tightheads were Georgian.
“But now, you need to have 16 French qualified in each team sheet, so the players and the club, they develop the U20s with good coaching. And the young players now have the opportunity to have game time very, very quickly. And it shows that it’s a tough choice for Fabien because he has a lot of depth.
“I know in Ireland you have three loosehead injuries and are struggling. I would say our fifth choice loosehead is still starting in the Top 14, in the European Cup, he still has been an international at U20s.”
Wrap it all up, and Saint-André is confident Les Bleus will make a winning start on Thursday night.
“I make them strong favourites. And also for the competition, because they won last year with just two games at home. And this year, they play Ireland at home, they play England at home, they play Italy.
“It’s funny, but you speak also with players from Toulouse, they feel that when he’s here, they have the feeling that they will win. I think he brings so many things.
“You (Ireland) need to be very good on the set-piece. If you are struggling in the set-piece against France, in Stade de France, when they have the momentum, and if you give two or three seconds for Dupont to make the right decision… if it’s close to the right, he will take, if not, he will do a chistera (out the back pass). If you are tight, he will do a cross-kick for the winger.
“So I think the key will be if you disturb the set-piece of the French team, I think you can win. If you are not, it can be a long night.”
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