Well, ooh la la, zut alors and sacre bleu! The French are revolting. Or maybe just enough of a Gallic spat has erupted to provide us with comic relief before the business end of this Rugby World Cup tournament.
Under pressure after last weekend's defeat, their coach Marc Lievremont hasapparently upset at least one player and had a testy exchange in a press conference. Rumours of a dressing room split have been denied.
It's hard not to crack up when Frenchmen start taking offence, waving their hands around and puffing out their chests.
And while lazy stereotypes are generally to be avoided, we can make an exception for the French. The most cartoonish stereotypes can't get close to their sheer Frenchiness, especially when they're in rugby mode. Underneath the chicken hats, berets and Napoleonic costumes, you'll find gesticulating cheese-lovers par excellence. And who would want it any other way?
One of the enjoyable things about a tournament like this is getting a glimpse into other cultures. When the French start throwing hissy fits in press conferences, it's all part of the entertainment. I've been waiting for one of Lievremont's critical countrymen to threaten to "fart in his general direction".
Yes, that line was written by an Englishman, but it must always be delivered in a thick French accent.
More seriously, the contrast between Latin nations and others is a compelling part of international rugby. Maybe the French didn't fire last Saturday, but we know how quickly they can turn that around.
French players can conjure space out of nothing and find another gear when it's least expected. It really does seem to be a Latin thing. The Argentine substitute Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino did exactly that against the poor old Scots last weekend.
Less attractively, players from the Latin countries appear more likely to pull out the theatrics in pursuit of a penalty, dropping like they've been shot when brushed by an opponent on a kick chase. Perhaps it has something to do with the influence of soccer in those nations. The "beautiful game" is no such thing when they get started with the histrionics.
Back with rugby stereotypes, though, Samoa has copped some flak for supposedly not playing their "natural" game. Flinging it wide, in other words. I'd say the physicality they've shown is pretty characteristic of the Samoan way and their tactics show a serious intent to foot it with the big boys. While it would be great to see them run South Africa around at Albany tonight, any sort of win will do Samoa's supporters just fine.
And be sure to tune in to the Springboks' post-match press conference. The French can be funny but Peter de Villiers is hilarious.
