Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Behind the Lines Sportswriters discuss their careers and the work that inspires them. Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories France boss Fabien Galthié.Alamy Stock Photo Dublin battle could be defining game of the Fabien Galthié era He guided France to the Grand Slam in 2022 but has come up short otherwise. 8.07pm, 4 Mar 2025 Share options FABIEN GALTHIÉ HAS the best win ratio of any French coach ever at 77%. He’s the man who ended les Bleus’ miserable 12-year drought in the Six Nations by leading them to the title in 2022. It’s hard to believe now that French rugby went that long without winning the championship, but Galthié got them back on top. That was a Grand Slam in 2022, just the 10th in French rugby’s history. And yet, Galthié has his doubters and critics. They have been vocal again recently. The French boss found himself under fire when his team came up short against England at Twickenham last month. Les Bleus had “lost the unlosable game,” said one stinging article. That was in reference to the sheer number of try chances France blew in the first half against the English. “France remain the champions of ‘expected points’” read another headline. The worry in many quarters in France is that Galthié might be in danger of squandering a thrillingly talented generation of French players with near-misses in the biggest of games. There were widespread questions about whether complacency had seeped into the squad before that game against England, for which Galthié’s men were heavily fancied. He has been accused of being arrogant in the past as a player and coach. “Not at all,” said Galthié of his team. “It’s not their style. They’re not an arrogant team at all.” In truth, doubts around Galthié have been lingering for some critics since France’s home World Cup in 2023 when they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champions South Africa. That quarter-final was one of the great World Cup games and was decided on the slimmest of margins but it was painted as a damaging failure by Galthié’s critics. The national team had been backed like never before for that tournament, with even the Top 14 clubs making notable concessions to help the cause. Galthié’s whole mission after taking sole control of les Bleus in 2020 was about winning that home World Cup and the dejection of coming up short was evident. Galthié’s hangover seemed to roll into the 2024 Six Nations as Ireland beat the French on the opening weekend before les Bleus squeezed past Scotland, and were then deeply fortunate to draw at home to Italy. The Fédération Française de Rugby had to come out in support of Galthié following that fright against the Italians. Galthié has a 77% win rate with France.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo “Fabien is absolutely not under pressure,” said FFR president Florian Grill amid questions about the head coach’s future. France finished last year’s championship in second place after wins over Wales and England in the closing rounds and the ship seems to have been much steadier since. A development tour to Argentina and Uruguay last summer saw Galthié blood fresh faces, while they enjoyed a clean sweep of their November Tests by beating Japan, New Zealand, and Argentina on home soil. They opened the current Six Nations with a facile home win over Wales but then they botched that game in Twickenham. England deserve credit for clawing their way to victory but France had enough chances to end it as a contest before half time. The rain didn’t help their handling, but Galthié felt it was impatience from his side that cost them. “Maybe we didn’t need to score immediately but instead wait for one more ruck,” said the France boss. Advertisement The response in round three was emphatic as France rode out a promising start by Italy in Rome to streamroll the Azzurri. The Italians have been a much-improved force in recent years but this was an old-school hammering. France’s 73-24 win left them just short of England’s Six Nations record scoreline of 80-23 against Italy back in 2001. 11 tries in one game by les Bleus was just one short of Scotland’s record of 12 that dates all the way back to 1887. Italy were undoubtedly poor and they crumbled once the game was lost, but France were in a ruthless mood after what happened in Twickenham. Antoine Dupont ran riot against the feeble Italian defence around the rucks and he had a staggering array of powerful and clever players to choose from with his passes. So the French will feel they are back on track ahead of this Saturday’s visit to Dublin. Without being too dramatic, it feels like this could be a defining game of the Galthié era. He is contracted until the 2027 World Cup so has plenty of road to run but the French surely have a greater need to win this weekend. France were second best last time they visited Dublin in 2023.James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO They’ve lost their last two battles with Ireland, coming out second best in an epic game in Dublin in 2023 before failing to reach the pitch in Marseille last year when a first-half red card for Paul Willemse didn’t help. They certainly feel like they owe Ireland one. This is probably the game that will decide the destiny of this year’s Six Nations title. England are still in contention but the likelihood is that the victor of Saturday’s game in Dublin will go on to seal the championship crown a week later. The 2022 Grand Slam has undoubtedly been the peak of Galthié’s reign so far. Les Bleus were impressively efficient that year with their 30-24 win at home against a Johnny Sexton-less Ireland in Paris proving key. There was a close call as they edged out Wales on a 13-9 scoreline in Cardiff but the silverware is all that is remembered. Otherwise, France have finished second in every Six Nations under Galthié. While Andy Farrell’s Ireland have had unforgettable Tests down in South Africa and New Zealand in recent years, France haven’t. With key men left at home, France lost a series in Australia in 2021. They played two Tests in Japan with a second-string squad in 2022, then took the development squad to South America last summer. So while Farrell’s Ireland would justifiably point to a series success in New Zealand in 2022 and a Test victory in South Africa in 2024 as being among their finest achievements, France have had no experiences of the sort. The 2022 Slam means Galthié’s France can’t quite be considered nearly men. He has already done what his three predecessors – Jacques Brunel, Guy Novès, and Philippe Saint-André – couldn’t do by claiming a trophy. Galthié’s has lost just 12 of the 57 Tests he’s been in charge of. Of course, there’s a fine chance Galthié’s men will march home from Dublin after a win and seal the Six Nations at home against Scotland the following Saturday. Buoyed by such a success, les Bleus could kick on into an era of dominance leading into the 2027 World Cup. But there’s no doubt that if France come up short in Dublin this weekend for their second defeat of this Six Nations, tough questions will be asked and knives will be out. Murray Kinsella Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Dublin battle could be defining game of the Fabien Galthié era”. 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