I’VEnever understood the problem appointing the France coach. You consider all your options, compare domestic records and take into account whether they are forward oriented or a proponent of total rugby, you factor in which part of France they come from and you might even consider whether they are fluent in English. And then you pick the bloke who used to play scrumhalf.
It saves time. The three best coaches of France in the modern era have all been No.9s.
Jacques Fouroux (1981- 1990), Pierre Berbizier (1991-95) and, of course, Bernard Laporte (1999- 2007). It is always the pivotal p...