Europe's premier rugby competition returns to action this weekend when the Champions Cup knockout stages get underway, and Brian O'Driscoll isn't surprised to see French teams dominate the draw.
Seven of the 16 teams still in the first-tier competition hail from the Top 14, dominating the knockout bracket for the second straight year since it adopted a 'last 16'. Toulouse and La Rochelle last year produced the tournament's first all-French final since 2015, another sign the nation had re-tightened its grip on the continent.
The temptation for many fans and pundits is to attribute that trend to the fact France's governing body, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), permits its clubs a much more substantial salary cap in the Top 14. But France's recent Six Nations Grand Slam, as well as the fact they've finished top two in each of the last eight under-20 championships (winning two), tells O'Driscoll it's not just foreign imports driving success (though it is one component).
"It's a multitude of different factors that have added towards the re-emergence of France as one of the dominant nations in Europe, and now the world," O'Driscoll told Mirror Sport while promoting BT Sport's coverage of the Champions Cup knockout rounds. "On top of that, you're paying bigger money to overseas players to supplement those players [when they're] away at the Six Nations, so it's all worked in their favour.
"But they've had a long decade in darkness as well, so I'm always mindful of when teams or countries are going well that these things are cyclical; they don't remain forever. So, you can scrutinise one way or another, but the fortunes can change over the course of a season."
The Ireland icon lauded the work of Les Bleus boss Fabien Galthie in particular for focusing France's attention on developing its young players and the "investment in youth." The result is a bevy of young stars who are ready to lead right now, with now-essential starters like Antoine Dupont, Anthony Jelonch, Cameron Woki, Damian Penaud, Gregory Alldritt and Romain Ntamack all 25 or younger.
O'Driscoll is emphatic in his insistence that the French system "of course" deserves its credit for the current state of its clubs and national team. At the same time, he acknowledges the 12-year wait for a Six Nations title "hasn't been good enough" given a massive player pool and the resources at their disposal.
Clubs in England's Premiership voted to reduce the league's salary cap from £6.4million to just £5m following the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic (but there are plans to restore the old cap in coming years). In addition, teams are currently permitted two players whose wages are exempt from the cap, though this will be reduced to a single player ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The LNR also made moves to reduce its own salary cap in the wake of the global pandemic. However, their €10m (£8.3m) spending limit is still significantly higher than that of Premiership teams (and any other rival European league), enabling the French outfits to attract some of the world's most in-demand talents.
Now though, O'Driscoll added, "they're back to where they belong." At least two French teams are guaranteed to reach the Champions Cup quarter-finals following two all-French match-ups in the last 16, while the likes of Toulouse and Top 14 leaders Montpellier may well be fancied to move past Ulster and Harlequins, respectively.
At least one of Ireland's four provinces will be eliminated over the next two legs as United Rugby Championship leaders Leinster face Connacht. Munster's upcoming showdown with Exeter Chiefs has the makings of a classic affair, meanwhile, and is the most difficult fixture of the round to predict, according to O'Driscoll.
Ireland's top Champions Cup try-scorer of all time (30), the country's most capped player of all time (133) and a three-time Six Nations Player of the Tournament, O'Driscoll's list of plaudits and accolades is long. Little compares with European glory when it comes to his accomplishments on the club stage, however.
"Europe is huge in Ireland," he stresses. "It feels like it's bigger in Ireland than it is in England and France in particular. . .definitely your season has felt as though it's been judged on your European performance, in Ireland, for a long time. So for me, those years shine very, very brightly."
Without wanting to "talk down" those four domestic league titles—he speaks of Leinster's 2008 Celtic League triumph as the "catalyst for subsequent success"—O'Driscoll can't help but revel more so in his continental conquests. "That's my memories of club rugby."
Just as Andy Farrell's Ireland are reaping the benefits of a central-contract system that prioritises national team success ahead of its provinces, harmony between France's club and international representatives is likewise yielding very positive returns.
"My understanding is there's more conversation happening between the FFR and the LNR—the league and the national team," O'Driscoll continued. "And when you have a better relationship there, a greater understanding of one another, I think you get more out of your players."
A three-time winner of the Champions Cup (formerly the Heineken Cup) with Leinster, he leaves plenty of room for chance, however. Sometimes it's just a case of the "stars aligning," whether that's at club or international level—or both.
Such would appear to be the case for France right now, though there's no telling how long that spark will last. "You can find an angle with every circumstance, but it might not be consistent for very long. It might be a talking point for. . .a week! But it might change next week," said the four-time British and Irish Lions tourist.
The timing couldn't be better with a home Rugby World Cup just around the corner in 2023, and further French success in Europe will only enhance their odds. No one factor will be responsible for any triumphs to come in the next 18 months, but the elite teams of the Top 14 have a duty to capitalise while the getting is good.
BT Sport is the home of European Rugby Champions Cup. The 2021/22 season continues with a weekend full of games, including Leinster v Connacht live on BT Sport 1 at 7.15pm on Friday 8th April. Find out more information on how to watch at BT Sport bt.com/sport
