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Serge Betsen believes ego-free Shaun Edwards and \u201csmart tactician\u201d Fabien Galthie can drive France to break their World Cup duck in 2023.<\/p>\nSerge Betsen believes ego-free Shaun Edwards and \u201csmart tactician\u201d Fabien Galthie can drive France to break their World Cup duck in 2023.<\/p>\n
Former France and Wasps flanker Betsen has paid tribute to head coach Galthie and assistant Edwards for restoring Les Bleus\u2019 trademark facets of unpredictable attack and fearsome defense.<\/p>\n
France\u2019s new generation of talented and committed stars, led by half-backs Antoine Dupont and Roman Ntamack, forced a second-place Six Nations finish courtesy of a fine 35-27 win over Ireland in Paris on October 31.<\/p>\n
Now Galthie\u2019s men will kick-start their Autumn Nations Cup campaign by hosting Fiji in Vannes on Saturday, before further clashes with Scotland and Italy.<\/p>\n
Betsen and France lost successive World Cup semi-finals to England in 2003 and 2007, while Les Bleus lost in the final in 1987, 1999 and 2011.<\/p>\n
France will host the 2023 World Cup amid a growing resurgence, with Betsen backing his ex-Wasps coach and former Wales defense specialist Edwards to underpin a major title challenge.<\/p>\n
Asked if France are now well-placed to win the next World Cup, Betsen told the PA news agency: \u201cOf course, of course, I definitely believe there is room there for this France team to win it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tournament will be a great opportunity to showcase France and French rugby.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I remember being there in 2007, winning against the All Blacks in Cardiff, and losing against England in the semi-finals; that still hurts today.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then we managed to go to the final in 2011 and lost in the final against the All Blacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrance are one of the most successful countries in the World Cup without ever winning it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I definitely believe we need to break that, we need to definitely start doing something different. And hopefully it will be this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
France will hope to build on their return to form in the Six Nations during the inaugural Autumn Nations Cup, to be screened on Amazon Prime Video.<\/p>\n
Betsen will be on hand offering punditry on the streaming service, with the ex-Biarritz back-rower singing the praises of new France coach Edwards.<\/p>\n
Former Wigan star Edwards provided the defensive bedrock to Warren Gatland\u2019s Wales set-up after a glory-laden stint with Wasps.<\/p>\n
The 54-year-old boasts 50 winners\u2019 medals as both player and coach, but still sought out a new challenge, joining the French set-up in November 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really, really adore Shaun Edwards,\u201d said Betsen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was my coach at Wasps, he\u2019s phenomenal; his mentality to defend is so important.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you get coached by Shaun Edwards, defense starts to become your attack. And that mindset is so important. I\u2019m pleased that he\u2019s part of the staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t really have any ego. He has the pride of himself and what he wants from players.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he\u2019s someone who definitely can say \u2018sorry, it\u2019s my fault, and I\u2019m going to correct that\u2019, and then he will already have taken that on the chin, any errors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat makes his management also very positive.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t need to talk too much. He needs some time to show you what he wants from you, two or three key points of what he wants from you. And then you have to execute it.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wants the players to be engaged with his message, he\u2019s definitely a good guy, and he\u2019s not there to talk the talk; he\u2019s there to be effective in every single thing he wants to do, or he wants the players to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was impressed by him going to France. I was telling him about the language, about how he could get on with that. And fair play, it\u2019s not easy to change country, culture and adapt yourself as quickly has he did.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely something important as a person, and it showed that he can be adaptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Betsen played under Galthie\u2019s France captaincy, admitting Les Bleus\u2019 new boss always showed his coaching potential even in his scrum-half days.<\/p>\n
\u201cFabien played four World Cups and he was always a leader, he was always looking for the detail, and to be the most effective,\u201d said Betsen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has always been a very, very smart tactician, that was always a big characteristic of his.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a scrum-half, a tactician, I think his desire is definitely to work hard, to be understood, and give to the players a lot of conditions and a lot of assets to play the best rugby they can play.<\/p>\n
\u201cFabien Galthie was part of my generation, and Raphael Ibanez was also captain for France.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey all know the recipe of what it takes to be a great team, and I definitely believe they will put this in place step by step to take this new generation forward.\u201d<\/p>\n