France Still Lack Shape To Conquer The World

I Do not see France as the best side in the 2020 Six Nations, mainly because England’s wins over Wales and Ireland were bigger in terms of team performances. By comparison, France are still a side relying on individuals to produce moments of magic to win matches, rather than team-work.

- Jeremy Guscott

Scrum-half Antoine Dupont and No.8 Gregory Alldritt have been France’s two big performers, and to a degree also fly-half Romain Ntamack. However, Ntamack is producing glimpses of brilliance rather than being the complete conductor of the team, one who varies it by sitting in the pocket and kicking into space one minute, and the next playing flat and challenging the defence, or keeping the opposition guessing with up-and-unders or wipers kicks.

Ntamack is not controlling the game enough, so when you look at this French team there is no structural shape – they just tend to be waiting for someone to do something inspirational, and then follow them.

For instance, England have structure when they exit out of their own half. Forwards will play a couple of phases to set a platform before they implement their kicking strategy via the half-backs. England could also go wide playing right to left and using Slade’s left foot.

France don’t have that midfield kicking option – it seems to happen more by chance. Ntamack’s chip-and chase which set up Virimi Vakatawa’s try against Ireland two weeks ago was planned, but you get the feeling it was called on the move rather than being part of a phase play strategy.

The difference with France is that you feel they can make it happen from anywhere on the field, whereas England’s structure makes it very unlikely that they will run from deep. The French also have a player of huge pace, power and destructive ability in Vakatawa, but at the moment he and Ntamack have not played together long enough to have the level of understanding that England backs like Farrell, Ford and Henry Slade enjoy.

Dupont and Ntamack is a 9-10 partnership that any country would want to keep together until the 2023 World Cup – and with Dupont 23 and Ntamack only 21, that partnership could even last two World Cups.