Charles Richardson writes:
There is now only one France-qualified player in the top two divisions in English rugby. Why have their numbers dwindled?
So much for the entente cordiale. The days when English rugby would be illuminated by the greats of French rugby - from Thomas Castaignede to Sebastian Chabal, Olivier Brouzet to Raphael Ibanez - are long past. Now, there is just one French-qualified player in the Premiership, and none at all in the Championship.
Thibaud Flament, the Wasps lock who is nominally a part of the club’s academy but has already made 10 Premiership appearances, is that one player, and even his background is not conventionally Gallic. After finishing his studies at an international school in Brussels, Flament went to Loughborough University on a recommendation from his London-based godfather, immediately slotting into the lofty echelons of the 5th XV. He then had a year working in Buenos Aires before returning to Loughborough for the final year of his degree fitter, heavier and stronger than ever. It was only then that Wasps came calling.
Flament has no problem being an outrider for his country - "being in a foreign country develops you, challenges you and improves you as a player and a person", he exclusively tells Telegraph Sport - but if what he says is true, why are there not more like him?
The heftier playing budgets of some Top 14 clubs would be an obvious target for the finger-pointing but there really is not much between the respective salary-cap regulations of the two nations. The salary cap in England is £7million, with clubs allowed two marquee players outside of the cap. Across the channel, the cap is £9.5million but there are no marquee players.
Flament cites a difference in approach from the players as one reason for the disconnect, observing the sport is "more professional and serious in England, the strength and conditioning, recovery – the little elements”. That theory is endorsed by former England centre Jamie Noon, now a rugby agent in France.
“In France, the perception of English clubs is that they are quite structured and, from a physical perspective, players are well prepared. They are physical specimens,” Noon says. “Conversely, England views the French players as being a bit laissez-faire. The clichéd view is that they don’t have the determination or desire to do well away from home. No team wants players who come in with that approach or attitude.”
Flament highlights, too, the lack of French community in England. His English is nigh-on perfect, but a French player for whom language learning is not a forté might find it tricky to settle.
“Not everyone has the chance to learn a language and speak fluently. There are English-speaking communities around the French clubs, but they don’t exist outside of London in England.”
Richard Hill, former England scrum-half and current director of rugby at Rouen Normandie in the second tier of French rugby, Pro D2, agrees with Flament’s hypothesis, adding that the lack of French coaches in England is an underlying issue.
“When they come over here they get accommodation, we have flats in two blocks where the lads can live together. We take their wives and girlfriends to have French lessons. That has to be done to make someone feel at home.
“It’s not just about sending kids over to England. You need liaisons; people who are going to be looking after the pastoral side to make sure they’re looked after, otherwise they go off the rails very quickly - young French lads are not well disciplined.”
Entente cordiale | Five of France's famous exports
Louis Picamoles
Signed a three-year, big-money deal with Northampton in 2016 but returned to France after just one season.
Sebastien Chabal
Nicknamed 'Caveman' for his grizzly mien, Chabal made 101 appearances for Sale between 2004 and 2009.
Raphael Ibanez
Ibanez won the Heineken Cup with Wasps in 2007, scoring a try in the final as his lineout trickery bamboozled Leicester.
Thomas Castaignede
Gliding full-back Castaignede spent seven seasons at Saracens, following in the footsteps of French legend Philippe Sella, who made 14 appearances in the late nineties.
Olivier Brouzet
Second-row Brouzet won a Grand Slam with France in 1998 and 2002, and made 42 appearances for Northampton.
Circumstances play their part, too - with French players decidedly ambivalent about the prospect of English weather and cuisine.
“I’m in the north and I have trouble even attracting players from the south,” adds Hill. “They come up here and sometimes it’s rainy, cold and miserable. It’s often difficult to persuade them to come because in Provence they’ll be training in shorts and a T-shirt.”
Beyond the rosbif stereotypes, however, there is also a more pragmatic explanation. English clubs must target an average of 15 English-qualified players (EQP) per matchday 23, which substantially affects the level of funding they receive from the RFU. But they still sign foreign players, so why do they not come from France?
In France, the regulations for home-grown players - a ‘JIFF’ player - are tighter, the punishments more drastic. To qualify as ‘JIFF’, a player must have spent at least three seasons in a French club’s academy before turning 21, or have been licensed to play in France for five seasons before turning 23. Top 14 clubs must have 19 JIFF players across their 35-man playing roster, and match-day squads must feature on average at least 14.
This is not an advisory measure. Whereas before clubs would be fined for not meeting the JIFF quota, they will now be deducted league points. This is a ruling that even extends down to Pro D2.
As Noon attests, a French club’s valuation of a JIFF-qualified player would be far higher than that of an English club, because they are vital in fulfilling the quota.
“French players want to go to England,” adds Noon. “But [English clubs] aren’t going to want to bring in young French players, who can command more money in France, instead of EQP-qualified players.”
Former France hooker Benjamin Kayser, who spent two years at Leicester, is in no doubt about the benefits of his move to the Tigers. But, if he had the chance, would he make the same decision again?
“I wouldn’t even think twice. Leicester was a 180-degree switch for me. Leicester is not Las Vegas, but it broadened my horizons so much.”
Topic: Teebo in the Telegraph (Read 2320 times)
Always a Wasp