In their clear blue sky, the one cloud is the lack of a Slam, but given where French rugby is right now you wonder how much longer they’ll be waiting. Prediction: not very long at all.
French clubs have won the last four Champions Cup and three of the past four Challenge Cups. It would be the least surprising thing in global rugby if that trend continued in a few months.
Toulouse, the reigning champions, have already beaten Ulster 61-21, Exeter 64-21 and Leicester 80-12. Bordeaux, the fiercely impressive contenders, have put 69 points on Exeter and 66 points on the Sharks. They’re a pair of behemoths.
England are improving, Ireland regressing, but France are steaming ahead. On Friday they won the Under-20 Six Nations for the first time since 2018.
Though still kids, 18 of the 23 that beat Scotland have played for their clubs this season. Toulouse, Bordeaux, Toulon, La Rochelle – all the biggest French guns have given game time to their youth. They start them early here.
Their under-age system has seen them win three of the past four Junior World Cups and they were beaten in the final of the other. One of the scariest things for everybody else is the age profile.
Theo Attissogbe – three tries in his two games in the championship – is only 20. Bielle-Biarrey, Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, all involved on Saturday, are 21. Nolann le Garrec, who was Maxime Lucu’s deputy, is 22. Leo Barre, not in the squad for the denouement but scorer of two tries in his one game, is also 22.
There are other potential superstars waiting in the wings – Marko Gazzotti, the brilliant 20-year-old back-row from Bordeaux; Emilien Gailleton, the outstanding 21-year-old centre from Pau; Nicolas Depoortere, already an important figure in a magnificent Bordeaux backline at the age of 22.
The list isn’t endless, but it can feel like it at times.
As they whooped and hollered and paraded the trophy around the Stade de France, you got an overwhelming sense that this Belle Epoque in rugby boots is only just getting started.
