Since Galactic Traveler's Guide, from Douglas Adams, the number 42 is, in geek culture, "The answer to the big question about life, the universe and the rest". Not all of that in rugby, but 42 is the key around which the future of France’s XV is built.
"Our plan is to have 42 players for the rallies, this will allow us to train them as well as possible", hammered Fabien Galthié when he took office at the head of the Blues in early November.
Why 42, instead of the 31 usually called so far? To compensate the injured and other players forced to rest the day after a championship match. Of the 42 men summoned in Blue, the new staff estimates that there will always be a dozen on the sidelines, which will leave enough players available to work. "We want to have quality collective training", insists the technician.
As the opening match of the Six Nations Tournament presents itself (France – England, Sunday February 2) and a first list of players is to be announced on January 8, a solution is in the process of being found between French Rugby Federation (FFR), the National Rugby League (LNR), the clubs and the players in order to offer the new coach the quota he claims. With a (big) difficulty however: nobody wants to finance the surplus.
Galthié and Ibanez "very confident"
"Today, our work is based on the presence of 42 players from the first day of training", mentioned Galthié last week, during the second team building seminar organized with his staff, in Hossegor. "If we did not have positive signals, we would not announce a timetable", continued the new general manager of the Blues, Raphaël Ibanez, ensuring "See a lot of positive signals" and "Be very confident".
Neither the League, nor the clubs, the Federation and even less the players do not want to take responsibility for a failed negotiations when the horizon of the 2023 World Cup, at home, is dawning.
All the players are convinced that they will soon reach an agreement to allow the new staff to start their mandate by applying their method from the start. "Everyone is mobilizing for the XV of France like never before", we welcome behind the scenes. Even if the agreement is only provisional, to alleviate the urgency of the situation.
As it stands, a short-term solution, built for the duration of the Six Nations Tournament, should quickly be announced. Before reopening negotiations at the start of the year, in order to establish a lasting solution for the operation of the Blues by 2023.
A specific agreement in sight for this Tournament
As revealed on Thursday in The Team, to avoid the clubs having to assume the additional cost of the eleven additional players claimed by Fabien Galthié – valued at 500,000 euros -, the idea proposed to the various players is to rely on paid vacation time for players.
Concretely, instead of returning to their club during the two weeks without a Tournament match (generally from Sunday to Wednesday), French internationals will have to ask for three days off twice. They will then no longer be in Blue and therefore not subject to compensation for the clubs, which agree not to collect this amount.
On Thursday December 19, the players "Accepted this transitional solution. " On the condition of "This derogatory measure only concerns the Tournament", said on RMC Robins Tchale Watchou, president of Provale, which represents the hexagonal rugby players. "There was no way out, so the players had to take it upon themselves, in the interest of French rugby", relates to World Mr. Tchale Watchou.
If it was necessary to convince certain internationals of the interest of this transitional solution modifying their collective agreement, the players judge to have released a frozen situation. Where all the bumps have not yet been ironed out.
On the side of the NRL like clubs, we confirm nothing “While the discussions are still going on. " Because many details remain to be settled. The early announcement by Robins Tchale Watchou rather surprised the various parties. "We are sure it will end well, assures an observer, but it will be necessary to start again during the first semester for the part outside Six Nations. "
By then, Fabien Galthié will have been able to unveil his first coaching list for the XV of France. And, as in Douglas Adams' novel, his response to "The big question about life, the universe and the rest" will be 42. It remains to be seen whether this number "Astrophysicist" will allow the Blues to return to the front of the stage.
