SERGE BLANCO STRUTS into the lobby, managing to make the tracksuit top draped over his shoulders look like a velvet cape.
The man is French rugby personified, his swagger still driven by having been one the greatest players of all time. Over the course of 93 caps for France, the Venezuela-born Biarritz man wowed rugby supporters, teammates and opposition around the world.
Blanco and Saint-André have built huge belief in the French camp. Andrew Fosker / INPHO
Andrew Fosker / INPHO / INPHO
The look of cool confidence on the 57-year-old’s face borders on disdain. All that’s missing is a Gauloises hanging out the side of his mouth.
Blanco spots Philippe Saint-André and glides across the tiled floor, leaning in for a quiet mot with the France head coach. Inaudible to us, but quite probably something important.
Last year, Blanco added himself the France set-up in an extremely casual appointment. Essentially proposing to take some of the diplomatic, political duties from Saint-André, the former Biarritz president is now the head coach’s right-hand man.
He’s there alongside or behind Saint-André in the stands on match days, in his ear at training and also present in camp. A sounding board, a confidant, un ami, a man to spread confidence through the group.
You can imagine Blanco stopping Frédéric Michalak in the corridor of France’s hotel in the impressive Vale Resort this week, staring him straight in the eye.
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Fred, t’es le meilleur. Sexton, il est nul.
You can envisage Blanco sitting down beside Mathieu Bastareaud as the eye-wateringly large centre ties up his laces before training.
Basta, mon pote, t’es prêt pour le combat?
The French fans will be out in force this weekend in Cardiff. Christophe Ena
Christophe Ena
Blanco looks to feed the confidence that has been growing within the France squad all week. They truly believe that after failing to beat Ireland in their last four attempts, losing the most recent two, victory will be taken in the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.
The relaxed nature of their camp 30 minutes outside Cardiff is truly remarkable. Press officer Lionel is happy to fulfil all requests, the players are engaging and engaged, they joke and laugh even with the French media, who have been severely hard on them in recent years.
The Vale Resort is the full-time home to the Cardiff Blues and football side Cardiff City, while Wales’ rugby and football teams both train there too. Indeed, as we wander into the luxury hotel, Gareth Bale is leading Chris Coleman’s team on a lap of one of the many world-class training pitches.
On the next pitch, with World Cup banners all around it, Michalak is out practising his place-kicking and line kicking. The out-half works through the finer technical details with France kicking coach Romain Teulet, the former ‘Robocop’ tee man for Castres.
It’s bordering on cockiness from France this week. Despite the utter mess that has been the last four years under Saint-André, the consistent underachievement, constantly changing selection and uninspired tactics, they truly believe that this World Cup is their time.
A full summer of training together, living together, understanding each other has been an utter contrast to their usual slapdash week before the Six Nations, when the rivalries of recent Top 14 clashes have often yet to fully fade away.
Training with the military forces, the much-discussed altitude training, all of those things have gone into ensuring the French believe they are in the best state they have ever been under Saint-André.
This French squad they feel more together than ever. PA Archive / Press Association Images
PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
It didn’t perhaps show in the wins over Canada, Romania and Italy, but les Bleus feel they have done enough to close the narrow gap that has existed between themselves and Ireland in the last two years.
Concurrently, there is a perception within the group that Ireland aren’t quite at their own peak, that Joe Schmidt’s men showed a mental frailty against Italy last weekend and that the same tactics that worked in the Six Nations this year won’t be as successful.
More than any other nation in the world perhaps, France also take great confidence from their World Cup history. Past achievements are driving the belief of Saint-André’s group this time around. They feel they are winners in World Cups more often than not.
Les irlandais ont peur au coupe de monde.
Fortunately for Ireland and unfortunately for the French, Test matches aren’t decided only by which team is the most cocksure. There are the minor matters of tactics, collisions, individual performances, refereeing (Nigel Owens might suit Ireland better) and, in this case, Schmidt.
Blanco and Saint-André can swagger all they like, but it will have to be matched with a superb performance on the pitch.
Allez les gars.
- This article was updated at 8.40 to correct ‘es’ to ‘est’.
Letter from France camp: Les Blues incredibly confident for Ireland clash
Murray Kinsella reports from the Vale Resort
SERGE BLANCO STRUTS into the lobby, managing to make the tracksuit top draped over his shoulders look like a velvet cape.
The man is French rugby personified, his swagger still driven by having been one the greatest players of all time. Over the course of 93 caps for France, the Venezuela-born Biarritz man wowed rugby supporters, teammates and opposition around the world.
The look of cool confidence on the 57-year-old’s face borders on disdain. All that’s missing is a Gauloises hanging out the side of his mouth.
Blanco spots Philippe Saint-André and glides across the tiled floor, leaning in for a quiet mot with the France head coach. Inaudible to us, but quite probably something important.
Last year, Blanco added himself the France set-up in an extremely casual appointment. Essentially proposing to take some of the diplomatic, political duties from Saint-André, the former Biarritz president is now the head coach’s right-hand man.
He’s there alongside or behind Saint-André in the stands on match days, in his ear at training and also present in camp. A sounding board, a confidant, un ami, a man to spread confidence through the group.
You can imagine Blanco stopping Frédéric Michalak in the corridor of France’s hotel in the impressive Vale Resort this week, staring him straight in the eye.
Fred, t’es le meilleur. Sexton, il est nul.
You can envisage Blanco sitting down beside Mathieu Bastareaud as the eye-wateringly large centre ties up his laces before training.
Basta, mon pote, t’es prêt pour le combat?
Blanco looks to feed the confidence that has been growing within the France squad all week. They truly believe that after failing to beat Ireland in their last four attempts, losing the most recent two, victory will be taken in the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.
The relaxed nature of their camp 30 minutes outside Cardiff is truly remarkable. Press officer Lionel is happy to fulfil all requests, the players are engaging and engaged, they joke and laugh even with the French media, who have been severely hard on them in recent years.
The Vale Resort is the full-time home to the Cardiff Blues and football side Cardiff City, while Wales’ rugby and football teams both train there too. Indeed, as we wander into the luxury hotel, Gareth Bale is leading Chris Coleman’s team on a lap of one of the many world-class training pitches.
On the next pitch, with World Cup banners all around it, Michalak is out practising his place-kicking and line kicking. The out-half works through the finer technical details with France kicking coach Romain Teulet, the former ‘Robocop’ tee man for Castres.
It’s bordering on cockiness from France this week. Despite the utter mess that has been the last four years under Saint-André, the consistent underachievement, constantly changing selection and uninspired tactics, they truly believe that this World Cup is their time.
A full summer of training together, living together, understanding each other has been an utter contrast to their usual slapdash week before the Six Nations, when the rivalries of recent Top 14 clashes have often yet to fully fade away.
Training with the military forces, the much-discussed altitude training, all of those things have gone into ensuring the French believe they are in the best state they have ever been under Saint-André.
It didn’t perhaps show in the wins over Canada, Romania and Italy, but les Bleus feel they have done enough to close the narrow gap that has existed between themselves and Ireland in the last two years.
Concurrently, there is a perception within the group that Ireland aren’t quite at their own peak, that Joe Schmidt’s men showed a mental frailty against Italy last weekend and that the same tactics that worked in the Six Nations this year won’t be as successful.
More than any other nation in the world perhaps, France also take great confidence from their World Cup history. Past achievements are driving the belief of Saint-André’s group this time around. They feel they are winners in World Cups more often than not.
Les irlandais ont peur au coupe de monde.
Fortunately for Ireland and unfortunately for the French, Test matches aren’t decided only by which team is the most cocksure. There are the minor matters of tactics, collisions, individual performances, refereeing (Nigel Owens might suit Ireland better) and, in this case, Schmidt.
Blanco and Saint-André can swagger all they like, but it will have to be matched with a superb performance on the pitch.
Allez les gars.
- This article was updated at 8.40 to correct ‘es’ to ‘est’.
Letter from Cardiff: The pressure rises in Ireland’s World Cup campaign
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