NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / All Blacks

Gregor Paul: French live in La La Land if they think they can save world rugby

Gregor Paul
By Gregor Paul
Rugby analyst·NZ Herald·
20 Sep, 2017 03:31 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

France is vying with Ireland and South Africa to host the 2023 tournament. Photo / Photosport

France is vying with Ireland and South Africa to host the 2023 tournament. Photo / Photosport

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Giving France the 2023 World Cup hosting rights won't save international rugby.

The man in charge of the French bid, Claude Atcher, who said it would, should be congratulated for coming up with such an innovative strategy of trying to scare World Rugby council members into voting for France and then told to quickly shut his gob before any more nonsense falls out of it.

His argument, as best as it can be followed, seems to be suggesting that if France win the hosting rights, it will give them increased ability to enforce changes within the professional club competition.

By that he means it will enable the national body to win political concessions to restrict the number of foreign players in the Top 14 and by doing so, the likes of Australia and South Africa will be able to more easily keep their best players, become better test teams and have more money as a result.

It kind of makes sense, but why don't the French just sort out their Top 14 regardless of whether they win the World Cup hosting rights? What difference will hosting the World Cup make in the battle to persuade French clubs to recruit fewer foreign stars?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It's a great headline but nothing else and no one should be fooled. It's emotive scaremongering.

There's no doubt that all national unions would like to see French clubs have greater restrictions on foreign recruitment. They would also like to see reality bite in regards to player payment and for the market to cool.

That would be helpful, take some pressure off what they have to pay players to keep them at home.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But to suggest that international rugby will collapse in 10 years if this issue is not addressed is laughably outrageous.

If there is, as Atcher suggests, a lack of genuine global competition in the test arena it is not attributable to what is happening in France.

The bigger challenge to the game is coaching. The number one reason the Wallabies have struggled in recent years is the lack of quality coaching in Super Rugby.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika knows what he's doing, but he's been hindered by the lack of basics being instilled in the players before he gets his hands on them.

Discover more

Sport|rugby

Boks skipper: Leave our loved ones alone

19 Sep 02:41 AM
All Blacks

Savea: I realise I'm not where I need to be

19 Sep 07:23 AM
Rugby World Cup

France World Cup would stop 'death of rugby'

19 Sep 10:09 PM
Sport|rugby

Watch: All Black great KO'd . . . again

20 Sep 04:38 AM

England and Ireland are also testament to the value of coaching.

The England team that jumped to number two in the world last year was largely made up of the same playing personnel that bombed out of the 2015 World Cup.

The difference - the arrival of the canny Eddie Jones as coach. Ireland have suddenly become a consistently dangerous team since 2013.

Why?

Maybe because Joe Schmidt took charge of them that year.

Coaching is the real driver of sustained performance in international rugby not player movement.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And secondly, the contention that international rugby is dying as Atcher says it is, needs to be challenged.

The All Blacks' 57-0 win against South Africa was an anomaly and it wouldn't be a surprise at all if the Boks bounce back and beat New Zealand in Cape Town.

The Wallabies were three minutes away from beating the All Blacks in Dunedin after conceding 54 points to them in 50 minutes in the previous game.

Their next Bledisloe Cup encounter in Brisbane next month will almost certainly go to the wire.

There isn't a massive gulf between these teams.

It is just that the nature of rugby has changed - teams can score tries quickly and games can blow out to not necessarily reflect the respective abilities of the two teams involved.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Such lopsided games are more prone to happen if the All Blacks are involved as if they click on the night and it coincides with their opponent being well off, the result can be extraordinary due to New Zealand's skill level and attacking prowess.

Then there is England - more than capable of beating the All Blacks, as are Ireland and watch how close France, Scotland and Wales get this November.

Test football is not dying at all and even if it were, taking a World Cup to France wouldn't save it.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from All Blacks

Premium
All Blacks

All Blacks vs France: Where the second test can be won

11 Jul 02:51 AM
All Blacks

All Blacks wing stocks take another hit as Caleb Clarke scratched from second test

11 Jul 02:34 AM
All Blacks

'Bringing that impact off the bench': McKenzie on battle for No 10 jersey

11 Jul 12:21 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from All Blacks

Premium
All Blacks vs France: Where the second test can be won

All Blacks vs France: Where the second test can be won

11 Jul 02:51 AM

Ardie Savea assumes the captaincy, and one of the most anticipated AB debuts awaits.

All Blacks wing stocks take another hit as Caleb Clarke scratched from second test

All Blacks wing stocks take another hit as Caleb Clarke scratched from second test

11 Jul 02:34 AM
'Bringing that impact off the bench': McKenzie on battle for No 10 jersey

'Bringing that impact off the bench': McKenzie on battle for No 10 jersey

11 Jul 12:21 AM
Premium
Gregor Paul: The message Scott Robertson sent with squad selection

Gregor Paul: The message Scott Robertson sent with squad selection

10 Jul 06:01 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP