France coach Fabien Galthie expressed his disappointment after the team’s four-year plan to win the World Cup ended with a one-point loss to the Springboks in the quarter-finals. Galthie’s primary concern after the 29-28 defeat was the supporters who had passionately backed the team and the players along with their families. However, he asserted that he had no regrets regarding the team’s performance. “No regrets, none,” he stated. He believed that the players had the right to lose such a match and commended their efforts in optimizing their potential and handling various incidents throughout the tournament. Galthie added, “For four years, we wrote a beautiful picture for French rugby, the players can be proud, coaches can be proud.”
One of the incidents the French team had to confront was captain Antoine Dupont’s fractured eye-socket, which he sustained during the third pool game against Namibia. Despite missing the final pool game, Dupont made a remarkable comeback on Sunday. However, he felt that the French team had been on the receiving end of unfavorable decisions from New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe. Dupont said, “It’s hard to talk about things at the moment but there were a few clear things that should have been blown that weren’t blown. I don’t want to be a bad loser and complain about the refereeing, but I’m not sure it was up to the mark tonight. This doesn’t take anything away from the South Africans, who beat us in the fight tonight, they played really well.”
Galthie, on the other hand, refrained from criticizing the officiating, although he did mention an important moment in the match when South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth’s fumbled interception attempt occurred while the French team was pressing for a second early try. He acknowledged the frustration of the players but chose not to criticize the referees. Galthie congratulated South Africa and conveyed his hopes for their continued success in the tournament. He emphasized the need for courage and praised the team’s bravery over the past four years.
Galthie, who has a contract until the next World Cup in 2027, confirmed that he will continue as the coach. He stated, “There is a French team that will continue to play, they will soon be playing the first match of the Six Nations in Marseille. What we’ve been through at this tournament is another chapter in the story of the French team.”
Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Ken Ferris
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