The trope that ‘you never know which France are going to turn up’ for the Six Nations has long since been dispelled. Truthfully, it was always more lazy stereotype than searingly accurate truism but, in recent years, they have become perhaps the most consistent rugby force in the northern hemisphere.
Since Fabien Galthie took charge following the 2019 World Cup, Les Bleus haven’t finished lower than second in the five editions of the Six Nations they’ve contested. They’ve developed an explosive, scintillating back-line that has game-changers in every position, led by the best player in the world, with a skillset the sport has never seen before, in Antoine Dupont.
