Which got here first, the hen or the egg? Observers of French rugby could also be asking that very query proper now, after Union Bordeaux-Bègles’ dramatic 28-20 victory over Northampton Saints within the Champions Cup ultimate. Have UBB created a brand new momentum in French rugby, or was their Champions Cup victory a spin-off of Six Nations success?
It’s axiomatic in fashionable methods considering that each enchancment in a system adjustments the system itself. Bigger outcomes are all the time rising from the interplay of the smaller, typically invisible components inside it. They will cascade all through the entire construction and produce dramatic change. ‘Emergence’ is the time period used to explain the method.
UBB are that novelty by way of the league by which they take part. In comparison with different competitions across the globe, the Top 14 is dominated by uncooked energy and ferocious physicality. It options huge items within the tight forwards, with extra frequent interchanges off the bench [12 rather than the usual eight] permitting these leviathans common breathers. Ball-in-play time is often anyplace between two and 5 minutes lower than it’s in Tremendous Rugby, the URC and the Gallagher Premiership.
UBB have emerged from that system however they’re extra of an outlier than absolutely consultant of it. They’re large, however nowhere close to as large within the forwards as the 2 French golf equipment who’ve dominated the Champions Cup in latest seasons, Stade Toulousain and La Rochelle. Many of the forwards in Bordeaux are constructed for work-rate, depth and mobility moderately than set-piece energy.
Toulouse could have been the standard-bearers of the nationwide flag within the Antoine Dupont period, but when there’s one membership within the High 14 which resembles extra intently than some other proper now, it’s the claret and white of UBB. A choice of comparative stats between membership [Champions Cup rounds one-seven] and nation [Six Nations 2025] reveals a particular similarity within the kinds of play.
The French revolution which occurred in spherical three of the Six Nations despatched no fewer than 5 Toulousain forwards to a brand new 7-1 bench, with all-rounders akin to Jean-Baptiste Gros and Mickael Guillard most well-liked to Cyrille Baille and Emmanuel Meafou within the beginning line-up.
Neither membership nor nation had been unduly anxious by a sub-50% share of possession, nor did they emphasise ruck-setting as a way of constructing strain on their opponents. Removed from it: each groups had been on the very backside of the pool for rucks set, and kicked lengthy and sometimes.
Once they scored, they each scored rapidly inside 4 phases of possession or much less, highlighting the offload to create momentum on rapid-fire assaults from turnover ball. Each ramped up the strain after half-time and within the fourth quarter particularly, partaking overdrive within the second interval of the match.
Whereas Toulouse has been the mainstay of the nationwide facet for so long as anybody can bear in mind, UBB has been influencing the nationwide fashion extra of late – and particularly after Bordeaux halfback Maxime Lucu changed rouge et noir Dupont in solely the 28th minute of the Six Nations sport towards Eire. It was a symbolic second which confirmed France it could win the crunch video games with out its talisman.
That climactic match was preceded by a captivating trade on the RTE podcast between ex-Leinster hooker Bernard Jackman and present UBB assault co-ordinator Noel McNamara within the build-up. It targeted on the club-country cohesion in France and the evolution of taking part in fashion at nationwide stage:
“Once they ma
de the choice across the JIFFs [Joueurs Issus des Filières de Formation], that ruling created an surroundings the place you’re incentivised to play [young] French-qualified gamers. They’re reaping the profit from it, and the affect can typically be felt a few years later. There’s a construction now.” [NM]
“The French nationwide facet had been disgraceful as [a representative of] the sum of the components within the membership sport, however that dwelling World Cup in 2023 allowed golf equipment to enroll to an settlement round JIFF, and it made French gamers extra precious.” [BJ]
“That is thought of a ‘golden technology’. They’ve received quite a few under-20 World Cups, they’ve an awesome depth of expertise coming via, they usually have an unprecedented stage of help from the golf equipment.
“Throughout the fallow weeks of the Six Nations they will defend 19 gamers and there’s a coaching squad of 42. That is essentially the most help that has ever been given [by the clubs] to the nationwide group.
“The settlement was signed earlier than the 2023 World Cup however they’ve managed to maintain it in place. Membership presidents haven’t seemed for a land-grab, to take a few of that energy again. That hasn’t occurred.” [NM]
The dialog turned to the significance of the kicking sport, and attacking alternatives garnered from it.
“France with Dupont, Ramos and Ntamack [at the back], they kick very properly they usually kick very lengthy. Towards that three particularly, it is rather troublesome to win the territory battle towards them.” [NM]
“When Shaun Edwards first got here in [as France defence coach], he mentioned ‘I’m not coming until you get a kicking coach’, and their coverage has been actually constant – it’s ‘lengthy and on’ [long and infeld].
“Eire’s personal kicking sport will threat that France search for at some stage and say, ‘it’s on’ they usually counter-attack, they usually have the individuals to beat the primary defender. Then it’s ‘jouer’!” [BJ]
“France additionally modified when ‘Dupont’s Regulation’ was outlawed. Dupont had been defending the tight 5 by staying upfield on lengthy kicks, now they’ve gone to the 7-1 [bench split]. It’s all about making an attempt to guard their tight 5… The most important distinction [compared to Ireland] is France’s means to play in transition, within the unstructured a part of the sport – turnover, counter-attacking. When they’re in behind you, they’re ruthless.” [NM]
“The spine of UBB and Toulouse has given a readability round ‘having a go’ in these conditions. The constructive angle has transferred from these two groups and it appears much more seamless than it has at instances up to now. There are numerous gamers who now understand how and when to assault these conditions. The entire Bordeaux-Toulouse axis helps France for the time being.” [BJ]
Whereas the king has not but abdicated, there’s an abiding sense of a delicate shift away from pink and black and in direction of claret and white, and it’s epitomised by the way in which by which France had been in a position to seamlessly change ‘the perfect participant on this planet’ from Toulouse with a Bordelais, with out shedding vital traction. When it comes to tactical stability, they could have gained greater than they misplaced. UBB’s emergence has modified the structural panorama of French rugby.
Maxime Lucu was topped ‘homme du match’ after the ultimate in Cardiff, and it was as a lot a tribute to the regeneration of his sport in his early thirties because it was a reward for his efficiency on the day. When Lucu first entered the nationwide jousts with Dupont away on sabbatical for the Olympic sevens, he was ceaselessly caught in two minds, taking steps away from the bottom of the ruck and chopping down the house of the boys outdoors him.
The French system designed for Dupont, with a block of six forwards in and across the scrum-half, by no means suited the UBB man. Again on acquainted territory with Bordeaux within the Champions Cup ultimate, Lucu was in a position to showcase his enchancment.
In each cases, the scrum-half retains the defence guessing by setting as much as go to the left earlier than switching to the other facet of the sphere. The Saints defence is on the again foot and compelled react to Lucu, unable to foretell his actions and tee off on the receiver.
If there was one important distinction between the 2 finalists on the Principality Stadium, it was to be discovered within the high quality of the kicking, and kick return video games. Northampton misplaced two of their beginning again three [James Ramm and George Furbank] inside the first 5 minutes, and their possibilities of countering the UBB lengthy kicking sport successfully departed with them.
Lucu solely had one destructive end result among the many 12 kicks he launched, and he was in a position to out-kick the Saints backfield together with his extraordinary size off the precise boot.
Within the first clip UBB are rewarded with a wonderful attacking lineout place, within the second with a promising return alternative for certainly one of their most deadly attackers, Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
One of many issues for the defence is that Lucu is genuinely two-footed, identical to Dupont. He can kick as properly off his left foot as he can off his proper.
Lucu’s left foot facility opens up either side of the sphere and spreads the defensive backfield to each corners. The second instance is a win-win state of affairs: if the ball goes out over the side-line, Saints have a defensive lineout in their very own third; if it stays in, the quickest man on the sphere [Bielle-Biarrey] will probably be in scorching pursuit.
Whereas Toulouse have been the first bulwark supporting the French nationwide group ever since 2019 and during the last full World Cup cycle, it’s the emergence of UBB which is reshaping the system throughout the Channel proper now.
The mid-tournament choice adjustments on the Six Nations, when a majority of 4 UBB backs began and 5 Toulousain forwards completed off the bench, modified the expectation of what Les Bleus may obtain with out the nice Dupont obtainable.
There have been no back-stops or emergency fill-ins with Lucu as le petit normal. There was a wealthy harvest of eight tries and 72 factors scored over the one and a half video games with the Bordelais as the primary man at 9. Pretty much as good as ‘the perfect participant on this planet’ could also be as a person, the system may have modified for the higher.
