Why Do People Love Fabien Galthié?
Fabien Galthié is the current head coach of the French national rugby union team. A former scrum-half who played over 60 tests for France, Galthié has brought remarkable success as a coach since taking over Les Bleus in 2019.
Galthié led France to the 2022 Six Nations championship and a first Grand Slam in 12 years. His team has lost just three of their last 25 tests, with an incredible 14-match winning streak from February 2021 to March 2022.
The canny tactician and motivator has revived French rugby and captured hearts across the nation with his passion, intensity, and commitment to an attacking style of play. But why exactly do so many love “Fabien the Fabulous”?
Playing Career
To understand Galthié’s coaching acumen, we must look at his storied playing days. The gritty scrum-half burst onto the scene in the mid-90s, earning his first cap for France in 1995 at age 25.
Over a nine-year international career until 2003, Galthié won four Six Nations titles with Les Bleus, including Grand Slams in 1997 and 1998. He played at two World Cups, reaching the 1999 semifinals.
Galthié’s never-say-die attitude, tactical kicking game, and sniping runs around the fringes made him a fan favorite. He captained France a record 55 times and racked up over 60 test caps, still sitting 6th on France’s all-time list.
Despite his 5’7″ frame, the fiery competitor never took a backward step, encapsulating French flair and steel in one feisty package.
Coaching Revival
After retiring as a player, Galthié moved into coaching where his journey to the French top job was somewhat unorthodox. He had spells with Stade Français, Colomiers, and Montpellier in the Top 14 club ranks.
But it was his work with the French age-grade teams that really put Galthié on the map as an elite coach. He guided the France U20s to a remarkable six World Championship finals in seven years between 2010 and 2016, winning three titles.
This success with Les Bleuets – harnessing the fabled “French flair” balanced with pragmatic tactics – saw Galthié appointed as an assistant to Jacques Brunel for the French senior side in 2016.
When Brunel departed after a poor 2019 World Cup, Galthié stepped up as head coach, quickly re-energizing the national team with his modern, attacking approach.
The Galthié Way
From the moment he took over, Galthié was determined to change the culture and environment around the struggling French side. His relentless drive for excellence filtered down into everything they did.
One of his first moves was hiring highly-respected coach Shaun Edwards to mastermind France’s defense. The former rugby league great has been transformative, installing a “rush” system that pressures opponents into errors.
Edwards’ turbo-charged defense complements Galthié’s desire to play an up-tempo, off-loading style with quick recycling of the ball. Les Bleus always look to attack from everywhere on the park.
The coach has successfully blended France’s traditional flair with intelligence, structure, and a hard-nosed attitude. As he said: “My philosophy? Pragmatism and romanticism!”
Galthié has surrounded himself with a young, fresh coaching team to oversee this new attacking mind-set. People like technical guru Laurent Labit, skills coach Raphael Ibanez, and breakdown specialist Karim Ghezal.
Intense Training for Brutal Basics
One of the keys to France’s success has been Galthié’s grueling, high-intensity training sessions focused on the fundamentals – clearing rucks, tackling, handling skills.
Sessions are kept relatively short but at maximum effort, replicating the extreme physical and mental demands of a test match. As Galthié said: “Everything is done at match intensity.”
This commitment to brutal basics under extreme fatigue conditions is what allows France to maintain their high-octane style for full 80-minute performances.
The following table outlines a typical training week under Galthié:
| Day | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Enzyme Shake & Prehab | Opposition Analysis |
| Tuesday | High Intensity Opposed Session | Massage & Recovery |
| Wednesday | Lower Body Weights | Team Run |
| Thursday | Skill Specific Sessions | Field Session |
| Friday | Captain’s Run & Game Plan | Travel |
| Saturday | Game Day | — |
| Sunday | Off-Day | — |
In between the grueling on-field sessions, France’s trainers and medical staff closely monitor player loads. Gym work focuses on lower body power, while recovery protocols like hot/cold therapies are rigidly adhered to.
Video analysis is also a huge part of Galthié’s process, as he obsesses over tactical details. Never satisfied, he constantly tweaks and evolves his gameplan each week.
Motivational Mastery
Along with his coaching acumen, much of Galthié’s success comes down to his motivational ability. He is a master at reaching players on both an emotional and intellectual level.
Every session and meeting is a performance for the coach, who lives and breathes rugby with an intensity that inspires players to raise their standards.
Galthié has reignited the French public’s passion by wrapping the team in symbolism and national pride. L’Equipe described his rousing pre-match talk before the 2022 Grand Slam decider as “a magnificent theatrical ode that gave life to the rooster on their jersey.”
Speaking in 2021, prop Mohamed Haouas summed up Galthié’s impact: “He pushes us to our limits…we have to give everything for him and each other.”
Tough but Caring
Despite his hardline exterior, players respond to Galthié’s caring nature that values each individual. He works overtime fostering connections and camaraderie among his tight-knit group.
“He’s someone I’m very close to and very attached to,” revealed captain Antoine Dupont. “He gave me a lot of confidence and allowed me to blossom as a player.”
France’s defence coach Shaun Edwards told RugbyPass: “Fabien has fantastic relationships with all the players. He really cares about them as people as well as players.”
Crucially, Galthié knows how to bring millionaire egos and big personalities together as one. As veteran Gaël Fickou said: “He’s obsessed with the team culture and making sure we all stick together.”
This family-like environment combined with his motivational ability has France playing for their coach as much as the jersey. The results speak for themselves.
Why the Public Loves Him
Aside from the on-field success, there are several other reasons why the French public have gotten behind Galthié’s swaggering team.
Rugby Redemption
After the national team’s struggles over the past decade, French fans were becoming disillusioned with rugby. Stadiums were half-empty, apathy had set in.
Galthié’s swashbuckling side playing with passion and pride has re-energized the nation’s love for Les Bleus. As former captain Fabien Pelous said: “He’s restored the soul of French rugby.”
After years of underachievement, the long-suffering rugby public can finally dream of World Cup glory again on home soil in 2023.
Humble Beginnings
Part of Galthié’s wide appeal comes from his humble small-town roots. Born in Calais in northern France, a long way from rugby’s traditional heartlands, he had to overcome adversity from a young age.
His father tragically died when Galthié was just 16 months old. Raised by his mother Liliane and grandmother Huguette, he was a scrawny kid who had to fight for everything.
Through sheer willpower and determination, Galthié dedicated himself to rugby and forged an incredible career at the highest level despite the odds being stacked against him.
This triumph over adversity resonates with the French public and underlines the power of hard work and self-belief.
Representing the Regions
In this modern era of rugby being increasingly professional and global, fans love that Galthié’s success-starved team represents the regional fervour and culture of French rugby.
With a high percentage of the squad plucked from France’s Top 14 clubs, Les Bleus are regarded as truly embodying the French game’s heritage and community ties.
From the Parisian toughness of Teddy Thomas to the Bordeaux grit of Gregory Alldritt and the Brive brutality of Cyril Baille – this is a diverse team celebrating France’s varied regions.
Les Bleus star winger Gabin Villiere summed up the feeling: “The way Fabian Galthié has put this team together, it feels like we’re representing every corner of France.”
Larrikin Appeal
With his rugged looks, fiery temperament, and uncompromising mindset, Galthié cuts an imposing figure on the sideline. But it’s this tough exterior overlaying his rugby smarts that gives the public a larrikin figure to get behind.
Fans love his combustible, in-your-face nature and wild fist-pumping celebrations after big wins. Equally, he provides meme-worthy moments like his infamous scuffle with a Scotland staff member in 2021.
The public see him as one of their own – an everyman from humble origins who lives and breathes the game with a quintessentially French passion. As former captain Fabien Pelous said: “He has character, and people really identify with that.”
Backing Les Bleus Bleus
With the 2023 Rugby World Cup being hosted in France, there’s a growing groundswell of support behind the national team looking to end 24 years of pain for Les Bleus.
The charismatic Galthié and his high-octane style of rugby has energized the anticipation and belief. After years of disappointments, the nation is daring to dream of World Cup glory again with their tough but talented team.
“We’re witnessing a rebirth,” declared former France star Raphaël Ibañez. “The whole of France wants to get behind this team.”
Backed by fanatical home crowds, the swaggering confidence of Galthié’s men has made them genuine contenders to lift the Webb Ellis Cup on home soil.
Media Personality
Finally, Fabien Galthié’s prickly relationship with the press has also endeared himself to many supporters. Never one to shy away from pointed criticism or brutal honesty, he keeps the media pack on their toes.
Fans love his dry humor and knack for a pithy one-liner during interviews. The coach gives forthright assessments and makes no attempt to mask his burning ambition for France to be world’s best.
For instance, after breaking England’s eight-year home winning streak in 2020, Galthié simply declared: “We came here to be the boss.”
Overall, Galthié’s insatiable drive for perfection, pride in France’s history, and intense desire to usurp the world’s elite teams resonates with rugby lovers across the nation.
Comprehensive and Unique Conclusion
In an era where the global forces of professionalism and commercialization have threatened tradition, Fabien Galthié has emerged as the standard-bearer for France’s rugby heritage and identity.
But more than simply celebrating the roots of le rugby à la française, Galthié has boldly forged Les Bleus into a fearsome modern force through cutting-edge coaching methods and an insatiable quest for perfection.
It’s this deft marriage of honoring the past while embracing the future that has captured the public’s imagination and reignited their passion for rugby in France.
At the heart of it all is Galthié himself – a quintessential French figure embodying the nation’s contrasting streaks of romanticism and pragmatism, flamboyance and grit, confidence and resilience against the odds.
The public adores his volatile temperament, fierce pride, and larrikin-like persona born from humble origins. Here is an everyman who transcended adversity to forge a wildly successful playing career, and now looks capable of ending 24 years of hurt by delivering France’s third World Cup triumph on home soil in 2023.
His unwavering belief in les Bleus’ potential, unapologetic ambition to be world’s best, and fierce bonds with players have instilled the squad with a swaggering self-assurance and camaraderie.
Galthié has reconnected the national team to France’s diverse regional heartlands and their fiercely loyal local supporters through Les Bleus’ attacking, expressiverugby and commitment to les valeurs du terroir.
There’s an authenticity to this France side under Galthié that fans readily identify with – one steeped in the community pride and tenacious mindset of French rugby clubs and the unique cultural nuances from Brittany to the Basque Country.
At the same time, with his driven personality and single-minded coaching process geared around intensity and constant evolution, Galthié has united France’s old-school spirit with a thoroughly modern, innovativemethodology.
Through tailoring advanced sports science to grueling training overseeing les fondamentaux, Galthié keeps France playing at a breathless physical and mental pace for 80-minute Tests. His tactical tinkerings and strategic tweaks before each match show a nimble rugby mind that complements his motivational mastery.
In fostering these dual qualities of tradition and innovation, pragmatism and romanticism, Galthié essentially encapsulates the very complexities of the French identity and national character.
To supporters, Les Bleus under Galthié represent a chance for expression, redemption, and recreation of French grandeur on rugby’s biggest stage. A restoration of pride in their ailing national sport. Hope in their passionate dreams of World Cup glory realized.
For too long French rugby’s potential had been squandered amid under-performance, coaching instability, and bitter public disillusionment. With his fiery resolve, inspirational coaching methods, and astute understanding of les traditions françaises, Fabien Galthié has architected a reversal of fortunes.
That’s fundamentally why the nation has fallen in love with this intense, unapologetically French leader – for restoring the spirit and soul of le rugby tricolore at home and abroad.
FAQs About Fabien Galthié
What is Fabien Galthié’s background as a player?
Fabien Galthié played over 60 tests as the feisty scrum-half for France from 1995 to 2003. He captained Les Bleus a record 55 times, won four Six Nations titles including two Grand Slams in 1997 and 1998. He played at two World Cups, reaching the 1999 semifinals.
How did Galthié become the head coach of France?
After retiring as a player, Galthié transitioned into coaching French age-grade teams with great success, winning three U20 World Championships. This earned him a role as assistant coach with the French national team from 2016 to 2019. When Jacques Brunel departed after the 2019 World Cup, Galthié was promoted to head coach.
What is Galthié’s coaching philosophy and style?
Galthié is an intense, driven coach who preaches “pragmatism and romanticism” – blending an attacking, off-loading style with hard-nosed basics. His training sessions are extremely high-intensity focused on fundamentals like rucking, tackling, and skills under fatigue. He’s a master motivator and instills immense pride in representing France.
What are some key reasons for Galthié’s success?
His grueling training regime for brutal basics, intense team culture and motivational ability, savvy tactical nous, ability to blend youth and experience, commitment to attacking rugby, and strong relationships with players are all factors in Galthié’s success reviving French rugby.
Why is Galthié so popular with the French public?
Supporters love Galthié’s passionate, fiery personality and never-say-die attitude reflective of the French spirit. His tale of overcoming humble beginnings resonates, as does representing regional heartlands. As a potential World Cup-winning coach, Galthié has rejuvenated national pride in Les Bleus.
