It should come as precisely no surprise that France head coach Fabien Galthie reckons he knows 90 per cent of his squad for the next World Cup, two years before the first match kicks off.
It’s not hard to imagine that every international coach could name the bulk of their preferred squad for France 2023, in private if not in public. That’s the relatively easy bit.
It’s always that last ten per cent – those final few hard-call names – that is difficult. Which player best fits the overall gameplan? Who complements a nailed-on option better? Who can the coach call on for a very specific role?...