Although France will be without several of their first choice players when they take on the All Blacks in their upcoming series, New Zealanders should not underestimate Fabien Galthie’s charges.
That was the word from former All Blacks back-rower Victor Vito, who knows the psyche of French rugby players after spending spending several seasons in France as a player.
Vito plied his trade with the Hurricanes from 2009 to 2016 and won back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles with the All Blacks in 2011 and 2015 before furthering his career in France with La Rochelle.
The 37-year-old spent seven seasons with La Rochelle and enjoyed great success during his time there as he won the 2017 Top 14 Player of the Year award and retired after helping the club to victory in the 2022 Champions Cup final against Leinster.
Fabien Galthie receiving plenty of criticism in New Zealand
There has been plenty of criticism in New Zealand aimed at Les Bleus head coach Galthie after it was revealed that he will be without the services of his leading players due to their involvement in the recent Top 14 play-offs.
Les Bleus will be without several stars from Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles after the two heavyweights of the French game faced off in last weekend’s Top 14 final in Paris.
This is because of an agreement between the French Rugby Federation and the LNR – the governing body of professional club teams in France – around the release of star players, ensuring that they get sufficient rest.
Galthie has named an understrength squad for the series against New Zealand with several of the players yet to make their debuts for their country.
France are also without the services of star scrum-half Antoine Dupont and half-back partner Romain Ntamack, who are both sidelined with injuries.
Although France will be without the bulk of their best players, Galthie has selected most of France’s golden U20 generation, which has seen them win three of the past four World Championships at that age group.
France have won their last three Tests against New Zealand, which were all played in Paris. Vito believes that due to their impressive recent record, Galthie’s troops will still fancy their chances when they face the All Blacks in the upcoming series.
France have ‘changed over the last five or six years’
“It’s definitely changed over the last five or six years,” Vito told Sport Nation’s Scotty & Izzy. “All the success that they have had in their U20s, it’s filtered through into these guys that they have there now.
“They just aren’t scared anymore of the All Blacks. They used to be… and they’d always build it up to be a massive game. This new generation, they’re coming in and they just don’t care.”
New Zealand and France have faced each other in 64 Tests with the All Blacks winning 48, Les Bleus 15 and there has been one draw.
New Zealand’s last triumph was registered in 2018, however, when they sealed a 3-0 series victory on home soil after beating France in Tests in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin.
Vito, who played in 33 Tests for New Zealand, believes France’s current crop of inexperienced players make them a dangerous adversary for the All Blacks.
“We think they are young and inexperienced looking to get a hiding, but they are coming to win. That’s a dangerous beast.”
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