French feelgood factor is shortlived

French rugby really should still be basking in the moral-winners’ glow of last Sunday’s Autumn Nations’ Cup final – but, these days, reality comes at you harder than a Georgian prop at an attacking 5m scrum.

- JAMES HARRINGTON

For a brief moment, though, France basked. Comeback king Brice Dulin was named player of the tournament. The rugby Press ran back-slapping pieces – one highlighting the relative strengths of France’s ‘First XV’, its ‘replacements XV’ and its ‘substitutes XV’ was a particular favourite.

Pundits fell over themselves competing to rain plaudits on everyone and anyone connected with France’s squads. Those English Press ‘farce’ headlines were gently mocked. The gloire shone all around, and was – if headlines in New Zealand are anything to go by – noticed as far away as the southern hemisphere.

And Six Nations’ Grand Slam dreams were dreamt, as France coach Fabien Galthie – in a pointed barb at the clubs – called the national side the ‘shop window’ of French rugby live on post-match TV.

But, within days of that sonear, so-far, loser-takes-most match at Twickenham, its referee Andrew Brace was pulled from a Champions Cup match in Toulouse later this month following online abuse from French trolls, Top 14 clubs heard bad news from the French Prime Minister, and the old club-v-country row roared back at the top of the rugby agenda.

Brace had been due to referee the repeat of October’s Champions Cup semi-final between Toulouse and Exeter on Sunday, December 20, at Stade Ernest Wallon. But a torrent of shameful abuse – some of it on an online obituary for his father – prompted European Professional Club Rugby, which organises the two European competitions, to switch him to Wasps v Mont pellier, with Mike Adamson heading to Toulouse instead.