History of the French national rugby union team
Encyclopedia
The French national rugby union team first competed at the 1900 Olympics.
by British merchants and students in the 1870s and was subsequently spread throughout the schools and colleges. The first clubs were established in the late 1870s and early 1880s, with a club championship soon formed, and games against English clubs organised. The first involvement a national rugby union side had was at the 1900 Paris Olympics
, where a French team took part in the tournament and defeated Britain (represented by Mosley Wanderers RFC) 27 - 8 and Germany 27-17 to win the gold medal. However the team represent France at the 1900 games are not considered to be a Test XV.
On January 1, 1906 France played its first ever Test match - a 38-8 loss to Dave Gallaher
's All Blacks
in Paris
. In The Complete Rugby Footballer, Gallaher and Billy Stead
wrote of French rugby; "We are strongly of the opinion that the game will spread in their country and that in the course of time they will put a team in the field which will command the utmost respect of any other." France first played England
in March of that year, again in France, this time losing 35-8.
France played their first Test outside their nation on the January 1, 1907, losing to England 31-13 at the Athletic Ground in Richmond. Two days later they played a game against the Springboks in Parc des Princes
, Paris with a side made up from the two Parisian clubs: Stade Français and Racing Club de France. Only two of the side that had faced the All Blacks played against the Springboks – three-quarter Paul Sagot and forward Georges Jérôme – and none was in the team that had played England. The Springboks scored 13 tries in winning 55-6.
for the first time on the 2nd of March 1908, losing 36 - 4 away from home. On March 20, 1909, France played Ireland
for the first time, falling 19-8.
When Scotland
played France in the first official international match between the two countries in 1910, the foundation was laid for a Five Nations competition
. Their first win in the competition came against Scotland 16-15 in Paris in 1911. In early 1913, France was host to a touring Springboks
party, France lost 5 points to 35, the match was part of an era that last from 1911 until 1920 which saw France lose 18 games in a row.
In 1919, the Fédération Française de Rugby
was formed, 13 years after France's Test debut. At the 1920 Antwerp Olympics
there was another rugby event and France was one of only two teams to enter. A straight final took place between the USA and France but the USA caused a shock by winning 8-0 to take the gold medal. Their first win in the five nations against Ireland was attained in 1920 in Dublin - 15-7. During their last match of the 1921 Five Nations, France showed signs of new strength beating Ireland 20 to 10. Though France did not win a game the following year, the side did draw with Scotland and England.
In 1924 rugby union was again an event at the Olympics held in Paris
, France. France beat Romania 59-3, scoring 13 tries including four by the fine Stade Francais winger Adolphe Jaureguy. The final took place at Colombes Stadium in Paris on May 18, 1924 and the USA took the gold with a 17-3 victory in front of 30,000 spectators. The All Blacks returned to France in 1925, the first time since their inaugural Test against them in 1906, France lost 6 to 30.
, which began to build in popularity, as the latter code was excluded from the Five Nations. Despite this there were some internationals played; Germany
between 1932 and 1936, Italy
(1937) and Romania
(1938). On the 2nd of January 1934 FIRA
was formed, an organisation to rival the International Rugby Board
(IRB). Having been expelled from the Five Nations and forced to play against weaker opposition, France went on a winning spree which still stands today, winning ten games in a row during the years from 1931 to 1936. In 1939, the FFR was invited to send a team to the Five Nations Championship for the following season, but when war was declared, international rugby was suspended. During the German
occupation of France in World War II
, Vichy France
forcibly merged the French rugby league
into the French rugby union
, declaring that there was only one rugby.
was the innovative captain whose line-out
ploys bring a new attacking dimension to forward play. France beat Wales for the first time in 1948 and England in 1951. In 1952, France played their second match against the Springboks and again lost 25-3. France claimed a share of the Five Nations title for the first time in 1954 alongside England and Wales. France also recorded their first win over New Zealand 3-0 at Stade Colombes in 1954. In 1955, France had defeated England, Ireland and Scotland, a win against Wales would give France its first ever Grand Slam. However France lost to Wales 11-16 at Stade Colombes in Paris.
The French became the first northern hemisphere country to tour South Africa in 1958. They rocked the Springboks by winning the two-Test series. Led by Lucien Mias, in the absence of tour skipper Michel Celaya who had been injured, the underestimated French drew the first Test 3-3 at Newlands
and then produced an even bigger shock by beating the Springboks 9-5 at altitude at Ellis Park
. That tour was considered a watershed in the history of French rugby union; signaling that they were now among the top nations. Victories over Scotland and Wales at the Stade Colombes, together with a 3-3 draw with England at Twickenham earned France their first outright Five Nations title in 1959. They arrived in Dublin as champions, only to be denied a Grand Slam by a 9-5 defeat.
set a record for the most drop goals, three, in the 23-6 victory over Ireland. France then embarked on a tour of Argentina. In three Tests, France scored 78 points in three victories while the Pumas scored only 12 points. In 1961, the French won the five nations championship outright. The Springboks formidable 1960/61 touring side defeated Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales but were held to a 0-0 draw at Stade Colombes. The game was almost abandoned after fighting broke out. The Tricolours became the first European national team to tour New Zealand in 1961. Les Bleus went on to lose half of the provincial games and both Tests to New Zealand 5-3 and 32-3. The French played a single Test on Australian soil and went home with a 15-8 win over the Wallabies.
France won the 1962 Five Nations, but missed out on the Grand Slam again after losing to Wales for the fourth year running. France lost a Test to Romania at the end of the year. In 1964, the Tricolores returned to South Africa for a mini-tour, losing only one of their six games and once again beating the Springboks [8-6] in the battle of Springs; a Test described until his dying day by Dr Danie Craven as the worst yet to be seen in South Africa.
France set a then record win over England in 1966. After back-to-back Welsh wins, the French won the 1967 Five nations title. The title came down to the last match of the championship against Ireland at Lansdowne Road which France won 11-6, only a 9-8 defeat by Scotland preventing them from winning a Grand Slam. France embarked on their first full-scale tour of South Africa. They were beaten 26-3 in Durban and 16-3 in the "Battle of Bloemfontein" but were able to come back and win the third 19-14 in Johannesburg and draw the last 6-6 in Cape Town.
In 1967, they again won the five nations championship. They returned to South Africa, but lost the Test series 2-1 with one match draw. Fifty-eight years after contesting their first Five Nations tournament, France won their first 'Grand Chelem' with a 14-9 win over Wales at the Arms Park in 1968. However, it was overshadowed by the deaths of Guy Boniface and Jean-Michael Capendeguy in road accidents. They toured New Zealand but once again failed to make an impact, losing the series 3-0. France imploded the following year, losing their first three matches to Scotland, Ireland and England but draw with Wales to deny them a Grand Slam.
coached France between 1973 and 1980. The 1976 Championship went well for France, their only loss came against Wales
and they beat England
30-9. 1977 saw France win their second Grand Slam with Jacques Fouroux
as captain. No tries were scored against them and they fielded an unchanged team throughout the championship. In November, France beat New Zealand 18-10 in Toulouse but the All Blacks squared the series in Paris by winning 15-3. In the 1978 five nations championship, France met Wales in a Grand Slam decider at the Cardiff Arms Park, the Welsh ran out 16-9 victors. In March 1978, France finally became a full member of the International Rugby Board. France overcame a first Test defeat to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time 24-19 on Bastille day 14 July 1979 at Eden Park.
became the coach of France shortly before the 1981 Five Nations tournament. In the ten years that he managed the side, France won the Five Nations on six occasions and two Grand Slams (1981 and 1987). France's successes were based around their massive pack, a fact which upset a number of commentators in France who preferred a more technical approach. Famous names from this time included Philippe Sella
, Daniel Dubroca
and Serge Blanco
.
In 1981 France clinched the Grand Slam at Twickenham. The 1983 championship came down to the last game played against holders Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Ireland triumphed 22-16. Scotland and France meet in a Grand Slam decider at Murrayfield, the Scots secure the Grand Slam. The 1986 Five Nations title is shared by Scotland and France after both won three games and lost one. An inexperienced team New Zealand team arrived in France in the autumn. The vast majority of New Zealand's top players had taken part in a rebel tour of South Africa in 1986 and had been banned. Despite this the 'Baby Blacks' won 19-7 in Toulouse. France won 16-3 over the All Blacks in the 'Battle of Nantes' in 1986.
France entered the inaugural World Cup
as one of the favourites. France beat Australia
30-24 in the semi final, coming from behind three times to triumph. France were unable to repeat the feat in the final against favourites New Zealand
losing 29-9. After an embarrassing 12-6 defeat to Romania
on French soil, Fouroux was given the sack. The 1988 Five Nations is shared between France and Wales. France again win the Five Nations in 1989, but are denied the Grand Slam by England, who triumph 11-0.
With the ban on playing South Africa lifted, France toured South Africa. They were led by Olivier Roumat after tour captain Jean-Francois Tordo had suffered a horrific facial wound in the game against Western Province at Newlands. They lost to South Africa 'B' and Northern Transvaal and drew with Free State but then drew the first Test 20-20 in Durban and again upset the odds by taking the series with an 18-17 victory at Ellis Park. France were knocked out by England in the quarter-finals in the 1991 Rugby World Cup
.
The early 1990s had seen France in the shadow of England. Eight consecutive defeats to Will Carling's teams, starting in 1989, underlined the indiscipline of French rugby. An isolated Five Nations title came in 1993, as England slipped to defeats in Cardiff and Dublin. In 1992, Argentina stunned France 24-20 in Nantes, the Pumas' first ever win on French soil. On their 1994 tour of New Zealand, the French, under captain Philippe Saint-André
, recorded a 2-0 series win over the All Blacks. The series win was sealed by the famous "try from the end of the world", which saw Saint-André begin a counterattack from deep in France's end in the final minutes that ended with Jean-Luc Sadourny
scoring the winning try. France were desperately unlucky to lose in the semi-finals to the hosts and eventual champions South Africa
in 1995
. The miserable run against the English finally came to an end in the third place play-off at the 1995 World Cup.
As the game adjusted to the new professional era, the Championship was very much dominated by England, who coming off the 1995 win, backed up with a tournament win in 1996. During the tournament, France actually defeated England, but it was their one point loss to Wales that prevented them from taking the title. After the Five Nations France hosted Romania, and later travelled to Argentina for a two match series; winning all fixtures. At the end of the year, they met Wales, who had beaten them in their last game of the Five Nations, though this time France won, 40 to 33, though this was followed by two losses to the Springboks at home.
After narrowly missing out on the 1996 Five Nations championship, France entered the tournament with confidence, and went through the competition undefeated. After the win, France played aspiring Five Nations entrants Italy, who defeated France 40 points to 32. After defeating Romania, France continued on to Australia for a two Test series, which they lost. At the end of the year, France defeated Italy, Romania and Argentina at home, and against host South Africa for a two Test series, losing both, the second by 40 points.
Despite performing poorly against the southern hemisphere teams of Australia and South Africa in 1997, France successfully defended their Five Nations title, and again completed a grand slam of the tournament, even defeating Wales 51 to nil. France also hosted Australia at the end of the year, though the Wallabies won, 32 to 21. Their Five Nations title defense was off to a weak start, after defeating Ireland by just one point. France went onto lose every other match and finished wooden-spoonists
in the last ever Five Nations. Bernard Laporte
became the first fully professional head coach at the end of 1999.
After mixed results during the mid-year, France stormed through the group stages at the 1999 World Cup
to finish atop of their pool. After defeating Argentina 47 to 26 in the quarter-finals, France proceeded to the semi-finals, where they met red hot favourites, the All Blacks. Trailing by 14 point at the beginning of the second half, Fabien Pelous’ toops mounted an outstanding display of attacking rugby, scoring 30 consecutive points to triumph 43-31. In the final,they met Australia; fatigue took hold as they were beaten convincingly 35 to 12 at Cardiff's new Millennium Stadium
.
France again did not perform that well in the 2001 Six Nations, losing to Ireland, Wales and England; and only finishing fifth. They did however manage victories over South Africa and Australia at the end of the year, as well as an impressive 77 to 10 win over Fiji. France went undefeated in the 2002 Six Nations Championship
to claim the first Six Nations grand slam. Though they later lost two games to Australia, France defeated South Africa, and drew with the All Blacks that year.
France lost two matches at the 2003 Six Nations
, including their opening game with England, who would go onto win a grand slam. France finished only third. After the strong showing at the World Cup, France reproduced their Six Nations success of 2002 at the 2004 Six Nations Championship
. France won all five of their matches to win the tournament and complete a grandslam. France finished second, behind Wales in the 2005 Six Nations Championship
, and the following year at the 2006 tournament
, France won again, getting their third Six Nations trophy under Laporte.
In preparation for the 2003 World Cup
, France played Argentina, the All Blacks and England, with mixed results. France won their opening match against Fiji at Brisbane
's Suncorp Stadium
, which saw them continue undefeated through the rest of the pool stages. They met Ireland at Telstra Dome
in Melbourne
in the quarter finals, which they won 43 points to 21. France then met England at Telstra Stadium
in Sydney
, and went down seven to 24. At the same venue, France contested for third place with the All Blacks, and lost, finishing fourth overall in the tournament.
The following year France completed a tournament grand slam of the 2004 Six Nations
, including a win over World Champions England. After a short successful tour of North America, France played southern hemisphere teams, Australia, Argentina and the All Blacks; losing all three. In 2005 France completed another strong Six Nations, losing only to eventual grand slam winners Wales. France lost a two Test series to South Africa, and lost to Australia during the mid-year. At the end of the year, France continued Australia's run of losses, and completed heavy wins over Canada and Tonga, and a close victory over South Africa. France lost their opening game of the 2006 Six Nations
, 16 to 20 to Scotland, but went on to defeat the other four nations to win the Six Nations.
In their final tournament before the 2007 World Cup
, France's defence of their title proved again successful, although it came down to the final minutes of their last 6 Nations
game to regain the crown. France needed to beat Scotland by more than the Irish beat Italy to ensure that they would be champions again. They were successful, winning the Championship by 4 points.
France failed to retain their crown in 2008
, finishing third overall. Despite beating Scotland, Italy and Ireland, France's Grand Slam dreams went up in smoke after a poor, aimless performance against England. France also failed to deny Wales the Grand Slam in the final game losing 29-12.
France won the Grand Slam
again in 2010
by beating England
12-10 in Paris
in their final match.
France's 2011 Rugby World Cup
campaign was marked by turmoil within the camp. Reports before the tournament indicated as many as 25 of the 30-member squad had turned against head coach Marc Lièvremont
. In pool play, France had unimpressive wins over Japan
and Canada
, an expected loss to New Zealand, and a shock loss to Tonga
. During this stage, Lièvremont heavily criticized the team in the media, further angering many of his players. Number 8 Imanol Harinordoquy
responded publicly, attacking Lièvremont for taking his criticism public instead of keeping it within the team. Despite the losses, they qualified for the knockout stage. At this time, the players rebelled against Lièvremont, with Harinordoquy telling the French rugby publication Midi Olympique after the tournament, "We had to free ourselves from his supervision." The team responded by defeating England
19-12 in the quarter final and controversially beating Wales
9-8 in the semi-final after Welsh captain Sam Warburton
was sent off. The French proved admirable opponents in the final, losing out to New Zealand 8–7 to finish second for the third time in a Rugby World Cup
.
Early years
Rugby was introduced to the Le Havre region of FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by British merchants and students in the 1870s and was subsequently spread throughout the schools and colleges. The first clubs were established in the late 1870s and early 1880s, with a club championship soon formed, and games against English clubs organised. The first involvement a national rugby union side had was at the 1900 Paris Olympics
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
, where a French team took part in the tournament and defeated Britain (represented by Mosley Wanderers RFC) 27 - 8 and Germany 27-17 to win the gold medal. However the team represent France at the 1900 games are not considered to be a Test XV.
On January 1, 1906 France played its first ever Test match - a 38-8 loss to Dave Gallaher
Dave Gallaher
David "Dave" Gallaher was a New Zealand rugby union footballer, best known as the captain of "The Originals", the first New Zealand national rugby union team to be known as the All Blacks....
's All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In The Complete Rugby Footballer, Gallaher and Billy Stead
Billy Stead
Billy Stead was a New Zealand rugby union player born in Invercargill who played for the All Blacks in their 1905 tour. Stead also played for Southland, and later coached various teams, including Southland and the New Zealand Māori...
wrote of French rugby; "We are strongly of the opinion that the game will spread in their country and that in the course of time they will put a team in the field which will command the utmost respect of any other." France first played England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in March of that year, again in France, this time losing 35-8.
France played their first Test outside their nation on the January 1, 1907, losing to England 31-13 at the Athletic Ground in Richmond. Two days later they played a game against the Springboks in Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
, Paris with a side made up from the two Parisian clubs: Stade Français and Racing Club de France. Only two of the side that had faced the All Blacks played against the Springboks – three-quarter Paul Sagot and forward Georges Jérôme – and none was in the team that had played England. The Springboks scored 13 tries in winning 55-6.
The Five Nations and the Olympics
France played WalesWales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
for the first time on the 2nd of March 1908, losing 36 - 4 away from home. On March 20, 1909, France played Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
for the first time, falling 19-8.
When Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
played France in the first official international match between the two countries in 1910, the foundation was laid for a Five Nations competition
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
. Their first win in the competition came against Scotland 16-15 in Paris in 1911. In early 1913, France was host to a touring Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
party, France lost 5 points to 35, the match was part of an era that last from 1911 until 1920 which saw France lose 18 games in a row.
In 1919, the Fédération Française de Rugby
Fédération Française de Rugby
The French Rugby Federation ) is the governing body for rugby union in France. It was formed in 1919 and is affiliated to the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body...
was formed, 13 years after France's Test debut. At the 1920 Antwerp Olympics
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
there was another rugby event and France was one of only two teams to enter. A straight final took place between the USA and France but the USA caused a shock by winning 8-0 to take the gold medal. Their first win in the five nations against Ireland was attained in 1920 in Dublin - 15-7. During their last match of the 1921 Five Nations, France showed signs of new strength beating Ireland 20 to 10. Though France did not win a game the following year, the side did draw with Scotland and England.
In 1924 rugby union was again an event at the Olympics held in Paris
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
, France. France beat Romania 59-3, scoring 13 tries including four by the fine Stade Francais winger Adolphe Jaureguy. The final took place at Colombes Stadium in Paris on May 18, 1924 and the USA took the gold with a 17-3 victory in front of 30,000 spectators. The All Blacks returned to France in 1925, the first time since their inaugural Test against them in 1906, France lost 6 to 30.
Expelled from Five Nations
The mid to late 1920s was a period of disappointment for the French, that is until they won their first games over England and Wales, in 1927 and 1928 respectively. France had mediocre results on field during the latter end of the decade and the start of the 1930s, but showed definite signs of improvements in the Five Nations. However, they were expelled from the Five Nations in 1932 following accusations of professionalism in the French league as well as on-field violence and poor organisation and were not allowed to rejoin until 1939. During this time many French players turned to rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, which began to build in popularity, as the latter code was excluded from the Five Nations. Despite this there were some internationals played; Germany
Germany national rugby union team
Germany is a third-tier Rugby Union playing nation. Germany currently plays at the second level of European rugby but has never managed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup...
between 1932 and 1936, Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
(1937) and Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
(1938). On the 2nd of January 1934 FIRA
FIRA - Association of European Rugby
The FIRA - Association Européenne de Rugby is the administrative body for rugby union in Europe. It was formed in 1999 to promote, develop, organise and administer the game of rugby in Europe under the authority of the International Rugby Board .The predecessor to FIRA–AER was the Fédération...
was formed, an organisation to rival the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(IRB). Having been expelled from the Five Nations and forced to play against weaker opposition, France went on a winning spree which still stands today, winning ten games in a row during the years from 1931 to 1936. In 1939, the FFR was invited to send a team to the Five Nations Championship for the following season, but when war was declared, international rugby was suspended. During the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
occupation of France in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Vichy France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
forcibly merged the French rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
into the French rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, declaring that there was only one rugby.
Post war
The Five nations resumed after the second World War in 1947 and French rugby came of age. Lucien MiasLucien Mias
Lucien Mias is a former international rugby union player for France. His usual position was Lock. He won the 1959 edition, captained the French team to their first Five Nations Championship. Mias was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2005.-External links:*...
was the innovative captain whose line-out
Line-out
A line-out is the means by which, in rugby union, the ball is put back into play after it has gone into touch. It is the equivalent of the throw-in in soccer. Rugby league abolished line-outs in 1897...
ploys bring a new attacking dimension to forward play. France beat Wales for the first time in 1948 and England in 1951. In 1952, France played their second match against the Springboks and again lost 25-3. France claimed a share of the Five Nations title for the first time in 1954 alongside England and Wales. France also recorded their first win over New Zealand 3-0 at Stade Colombes in 1954. In 1955, France had defeated England, Ireland and Scotland, a win against Wales would give France its first ever Grand Slam. However France lost to Wales 11-16 at Stade Colombes in Paris.
The French became the first northern hemisphere country to tour South Africa in 1958. They rocked the Springboks by winning the two-Test series. Led by Lucien Mias, in the absence of tour skipper Michel Celaya who had been injured, the underestimated French drew the first Test 3-3 at Newlands
Newlands Stadium
Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue....
and then produced an even bigger shock by beating the Springboks 9-5 at altitude at Ellis Park
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
. That tour was considered a watershed in the history of French rugby union; signaling that they were now among the top nations. Victories over Scotland and Wales at the Stade Colombes, together with a 3-3 draw with England at Twickenham earned France their first outright Five Nations title in 1959. They arrived in Dublin as champions, only to be denied a Grand Slam by a 9-5 defeat.
The sixties
Les Bleus scored four tries to one at Cardiff Arms Park and beating Ireland with a record score, 23-6. France's match against England ended in a stalemate and the two sides had to share the 1960 Five Nations trophy. Pierre AlbaladejoPierre Albaladejo
Pierre Albaladejo is a French rugby union footballer. His usual position was at fly-half or at fullback. He played all his career for Dax. He played for the France national rugby union team....
set a record for the most drop goals, three, in the 23-6 victory over Ireland. France then embarked on a tour of Argentina. In three Tests, France scored 78 points in three victories while the Pumas scored only 12 points. In 1961, the French won the five nations championship outright. The Springboks formidable 1960/61 touring side defeated Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales but were held to a 0-0 draw at Stade Colombes. The game was almost abandoned after fighting broke out. The Tricolours became the first European national team to tour New Zealand in 1961. Les Bleus went on to lose half of the provincial games and both Tests to New Zealand 5-3 and 32-3. The French played a single Test on Australian soil and went home with a 15-8 win over the Wallabies.
France won the 1962 Five Nations, but missed out on the Grand Slam again after losing to Wales for the fourth year running. France lost a Test to Romania at the end of the year. In 1964, the Tricolores returned to South Africa for a mini-tour, losing only one of their six games and once again beating the Springboks [8-6] in the battle of Springs; a Test described until his dying day by Dr Danie Craven as the worst yet to be seen in South Africa.
France set a then record win over England in 1966. After back-to-back Welsh wins, the French won the 1967 Five nations title. The title came down to the last match of the championship against Ireland at Lansdowne Road which France won 11-6, only a 9-8 defeat by Scotland preventing them from winning a Grand Slam. France embarked on their first full-scale tour of South Africa. They were beaten 26-3 in Durban and 16-3 in the "Battle of Bloemfontein" but were able to come back and win the third 19-14 in Johannesburg and draw the last 6-6 in Cape Town.
In 1967, they again won the five nations championship. They returned to South Africa, but lost the Test series 2-1 with one match draw. Fifty-eight years after contesting their first Five Nations tournament, France won their first 'Grand Chelem' with a 14-9 win over Wales at the Arms Park in 1968. However, it was overshadowed by the deaths of Guy Boniface and Jean-Michael Capendeguy in road accidents. They toured New Zealand but once again failed to make an impact, losing the series 3-0. France imploded the following year, losing their first three matches to Scotland, Ireland and England but draw with Wales to deny them a Grand Slam.
The seventies
Les Bleus continued to feature as a major player in the five nations, finishing first equal in 1970, second in 1971. In 1972, in the final international played at the Yves du Manoir Stadium at Colombes, France marked the occasion by scoring six tries to one and racking up their biggest ever win against England 37-12. Jean DesclauxJean Desclaux
Jean Desclaux was a French rugby union player and coach who played for US Dax as flanker.Born in 1922 in Dax, he played and coached club rugby for US Dax only; as a player he served the club from 1947 to 1959 and represented France A eight times.As coach he managed US Dax from 1959 to 1973 winning...
coached France between 1973 and 1980. The 1976 Championship went well for France, their only loss came against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
and they beat England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
30-9. 1977 saw France win their second Grand Slam with Jacques Fouroux
Jacques Fouroux
Jacques Fouroux was a French rugby union player and coach. He captained France when they won the Grand Slam in 1977, and was the manager when the side repeated the feat in 1981 and 1987.-Player:...
as captain. No tries were scored against them and they fielded an unchanged team throughout the championship. In November, France beat New Zealand 18-10 in Toulouse but the All Blacks squared the series in Paris by winning 15-3. In the 1978 five nations championship, France met Wales in a Grand Slam decider at the Cardiff Arms Park, the Welsh ran out 16-9 victors. In March 1978, France finally became a full member of the International Rugby Board. France overcame a first Test defeat to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time 24-19 on Bastille day 14 July 1979 at Eden Park.
The eighties and early nineties
On the 8th of November 1980, France play their last international against South Africa in the apartheid era. They were led by Jean-Pierre Rives and lost 15-37 to the Springboks at Newlands in what was termed the "Summer Test". Jacques FourouxJacques Fouroux
Jacques Fouroux was a French rugby union player and coach. He captained France when they won the Grand Slam in 1977, and was the manager when the side repeated the feat in 1981 and 1987.-Player:...
became the coach of France shortly before the 1981 Five Nations tournament. In the ten years that he managed the side, France won the Five Nations on six occasions and two Grand Slams (1981 and 1987). France's successes were based around their massive pack, a fact which upset a number of commentators in France who preferred a more technical approach. Famous names from this time included Philippe Sella
Philippe Sella
Philippe Sella is a French former rugby union player, who held the record for most international appearances until beaten by Jason Leonard. He became a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 1999, and the IRB Hall of Fame in 2008.Sella joined Saracens in 1996 from French side Agen...
, Daniel Dubroca
Daniel Dubroca
Daniel Dubroca is a former French national rugby union player and coach. He played as a prop and as a hooker.-Biography:Dubroca was born at Aiguillon....
and Serge Blanco
Serge Blanco
Serge Blanco is a former rugby union footballer who played fullback for Biarritz Olympique and the French national side, gaining 93 caps, 81 of them at fullback. His alternative position was wing....
.
In 1981 France clinched the Grand Slam at Twickenham. The 1983 championship came down to the last game played against holders Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Ireland triumphed 22-16. Scotland and France meet in a Grand Slam decider at Murrayfield, the Scots secure the Grand Slam. The 1986 Five Nations title is shared by Scotland and France after both won three games and lost one. An inexperienced team New Zealand team arrived in France in the autumn. The vast majority of New Zealand's top players had taken part in a rebel tour of South Africa in 1986 and had been banned. Despite this the 'Baby Blacks' won 19-7 in Toulouse. France won 16-3 over the All Blacks in the 'Battle of Nantes' in 1986.
France entered the inaugural World Cup
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
as one of the favourites. France beat Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
30-24 in the semi final, coming from behind three times to triumph. France were unable to repeat the feat in the final against favourites New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
losing 29-9. After an embarrassing 12-6 defeat to Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
on French soil, Fouroux was given the sack. The 1988 Five Nations is shared between France and Wales. France again win the Five Nations in 1989, but are denied the Grand Slam by England, who triumph 11-0.
With the ban on playing South Africa lifted, France toured South Africa. They were led by Olivier Roumat after tour captain Jean-Francois Tordo had suffered a horrific facial wound in the game against Western Province at Newlands. They lost to South Africa 'B' and Northern Transvaal and drew with Free State but then drew the first Test 20-20 in Durban and again upset the odds by taking the series with an 18-17 victory at Ellis Park. France were knocked out by England in the quarter-finals in the 1991 Rugby World Cup
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
.
The early 1990s had seen France in the shadow of England. Eight consecutive defeats to Will Carling's teams, starting in 1989, underlined the indiscipline of French rugby. An isolated Five Nations title came in 1993, as England slipped to defeats in Cardiff and Dublin. In 1992, Argentina stunned France 24-20 in Nantes, the Pumas' first ever win on French soil. On their 1994 tour of New Zealand, the French, under captain Philippe Saint-André
Philippe Saint-André
Philippe Georges Saint-André is a former French rugby union footballer who earned 69 test caps for France between 1990 and 1997, 34 of them as captain. His preferred position was wing but he could also play at Fullback. After retiring, Saint-André found success as a rugby coach in both England and...
, recorded a 2-0 series win over the All Blacks. The series win was sealed by the famous "try from the end of the world", which saw Saint-André begin a counterattack from deep in France's end in the final minutes that ended with Jean-Luc Sadourny
Jean-Luc Sadourny
Jean-Luc Sadourny is a former French rugby union footballer and a current coach. He played as a fullback. He was nicknamed The Old Woman and he's generally considered one of the best French players of his generation, a fair successor to Serge Blanco in his position.Sadourny played all his career...
scoring the winning try. France were desperately unlucky to lose in the semi-finals to the hosts and eventual champions South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
in 1995
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
. The miserable run against the English finally came to an end in the third place play-off at the 1995 World Cup.
Professional era
After narrowly missing out on the 1996 Five Nations championship, France entered the tournament with confidence, and went through the competition undefeated. After the win, France played aspiring Five Nations entrants Italy, who defeated France 40 points to 32. After defeating Romania, France continued on to Australia for a two Test series, which they lost. At the end of the year, France defeated Italy, Romania and Argentina at home, and against host South Africa for a two Test series, losing both, the second by 40 points.
Despite performing poorly against the southern hemisphere teams of Australia and South Africa in 1997, France successfully defended their Five Nations title, and again completed a grand slam of the tournament, even defeating Wales 51 to nil. France also hosted Australia at the end of the year, though the Wallabies won, 32 to 21. Their Five Nations title defense was off to a weak start, after defeating Ireland by just one point. France went onto lose every other match and finished wooden-spoonists
Wooden spoon (award)
A wooden spoon is a mock or real award, usually given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition, but sometimes also to runners-up. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous events...
in the last ever Five Nations. Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte is a rugby union coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. He is currently the head coach at Toulon, having taken over in 2011 from Philippe Saint-André, who had been named the new head coach of the France national team. Laporte himself is a former head coach of France,...
became the first fully professional head coach at the end of 1999.
After mixed results during the mid-year, France stormed through the group stages at the 1999 World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
to finish atop of their pool. After defeating Argentina 47 to 26 in the quarter-finals, France proceeded to the semi-finals, where they met red hot favourites, the All Blacks. Trailing by 14 point at the beginning of the second half, Fabien Pelous’ toops mounted an outstanding display of attacking rugby, scoring 30 consecutive points to triumph 43-31. In the final,they met Australia; fatigue took hold as they were beaten convincingly 35 to 12 at Cardiff's new Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
.
21st century
In 2000, Italy joined the Five Nations, making the tournament the Six Nations. France did not perform to expectations in the revamped tournament, losing to both England and Ireland and finishing second behind England. After defeating Romania 67 to 20, France hosted Australia in Paris, who beat them 18 to 13 in a 1999 World Cup final re-match. This was followed by a two Test series against the All Blacks, which France lost one and won one.France again did not perform that well in the 2001 Six Nations, losing to Ireland, Wales and England; and only finishing fifth. They did however manage victories over South Africa and Australia at the end of the year, as well as an impressive 77 to 10 win over Fiji. France went undefeated in the 2002 Six Nations Championship
2002 Six Nations Championship
The 2002 Six Nations Championship was the third series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
to claim the first Six Nations grand slam. Though they later lost two games to Australia, France defeated South Africa, and drew with the All Blacks that year.
2003 Six Nations Championship
The 2003 Six Nations Championship was the fourth series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
, including their opening game with England, who would go onto win a grand slam. France finished only third. After the strong showing at the World Cup, France reproduced their Six Nations success of 2002 at the 2004 Six Nations Championship
2004 Six Nations Championship
The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
. France won all five of their matches to win the tournament and complete a grandslam. France finished second, behind Wales in the 2005 Six Nations Championship
2005 Six Nations Championship
The 2005 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the sixth series of the Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, and the following year at the 2006 tournament
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, France won again, getting their third Six Nations trophy under Laporte.
In preparation for the 2003 World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, France played Argentina, the All Blacks and England, with mixed results. France won their opening match against Fiji at Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
's Suncorp Stadium
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
, which saw them continue undefeated through the rest of the pool stages. They met Ireland at Telstra Dome
Telstra Dome
Docklands Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in the quarter finals, which they won 43 points to 21. France then met England at Telstra Stadium
Telstra Stadium
Stadium Australia, currently also known as ANZ Stadium due to naming rights, formerly known as Telstra Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct of Homebush Bay...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and went down seven to 24. At the same venue, France contested for third place with the All Blacks, and lost, finishing fourth overall in the tournament.
The following year France completed a tournament grand slam of the 2004 Six Nations
2004 Six Nations Championship
The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
, including a win over World Champions England. After a short successful tour of North America, France played southern hemisphere teams, Australia, Argentina and the All Blacks; losing all three. In 2005 France completed another strong Six Nations, losing only to eventual grand slam winners Wales. France lost a two Test series to South Africa, and lost to Australia during the mid-year. At the end of the year, France continued Australia's run of losses, and completed heavy wins over Canada and Tonga, and a close victory over South Africa. France lost their opening game of the 2006 Six Nations
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, 16 to 20 to Scotland, but went on to defeat the other four nations to win the Six Nations.
In their final tournament before the 2007 World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, France's defence of their title proved again successful, although it came down to the final minutes of their last 6 Nations
2007 Six Nations Championship
The 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 113th series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
game to regain the crown. France needed to beat Scotland by more than the Irish beat Italy to ensure that they would be champions again. They were successful, winning the Championship by 4 points.
France failed to retain their crown in 2008
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
, finishing third overall. Despite beating Scotland, Italy and Ireland, France's Grand Slam dreams went up in smoke after a poor, aimless performance against England. France also failed to deny Wales the Grand Slam in the final game losing 29-12.
France won the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
again in 2010
2010 Six Nations Championship
The 2010 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2010 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 11th series of the Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
by beating England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
12-10 in Paris
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in their final match.
France's 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
campaign was marked by turmoil within the camp. Reports before the tournament indicated as many as 25 of the 30-member squad had turned against head coach Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont is a former rugby union footballer and was the head coach of the French national rugby union team. He played as a back-row forward for France, gaining 25 caps from 1995 to 1999, and was selected in France's 1999 Rugby World Cup squad...
. In pool play, France had unimpressive wins over Japan
Japan national rugby union team
The Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...
and Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
, an expected loss to New Zealand, and a shock loss to Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
. During this stage, Lièvremont heavily criticized the team in the media, further angering many of his players. Number 8 Imanol Harinordoquy
Imanol Harinordoquy
Imanol Harinordoquy is a French rugby union player who typically plays as a number 8 for Biarritz at club level in the Top 14 and for France internationally...
responded publicly, attacking Lièvremont for taking his criticism public instead of keeping it within the team. Despite the losses, they qualified for the knockout stage. At this time, the players rebelled against Lièvremont, with Harinordoquy telling the French rugby publication Midi Olympique after the tournament, "We had to free ourselves from his supervision." The team responded by defeating England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
19-12 in the quarter final and controversially beating Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
9-8 in the semi-final after Welsh captain Sam Warburton
Sam Warburton
Sam Kennedy-Warburton , commonly known as Sam Warburton, is a Welsh rugby union player. Warburton plays regional rugby for the Cardiff Blues and was first capped for Wales in 2009...
was sent off. The French proved admirable opponents in the final, losing out to New Zealand 8–7 to finish second for the third time in a Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
.