'He takes people for idiots' - Fabien Galthie slammed on French TV

Fabien Galthie has been slammed on French television after a press conference given this week in which he addressed France's exit from the Rugby World Cup.

Former France internationals Cédric Heymans and Richard Dourthe voiced strong criticism on Canal+ against the content of the mid-week press conference delivered by Galthie, 24 days after France's Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss to the Boks.

It was Galthie's first public appearance since the defeat and Heymans and Dourthe expressed frustration at what they perceived as a lack of comprehensive analysis regarding Les Bleus' shortcomings in the tournament.

The pair, known for their outspoken takes, highlighted the absence of detailed insights into the reasons behind the team's World Cup failure, saying Galthie was 'eaten' by Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus.

"This episode shouldn't make us laugh," said Dourthe. "I think Fabien Galthié takes people for idiots. Everyone loves him, it's perfect but they elude all the points that really interest us: why did we lose?

"Why were there so many injured? He smokes everyone with his data and I don't think that's what it means, respecting people who like rugby.

France's head coach Fabien Galthie (R) and France's scrum-half Antoine Dupont address media as they attend a team announcement press conference at the Cite du Livre in Aix-en-Provence, southern France on September 19, 2023, two days before the match France vs Namibia as part of the Rugby World Cup 2023 France. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)

"Those who don't follow rugby appreciate Fabien Galthié, because he has a good image, he knows how to speak, he is a professor of English philosophy… There are results that we cannot take away but in the end we did everything possible to be world champion. At the end we are as good as Fiji, Wales and we are a little better than Romania, Japan or Scotland."

Heymans also delivered a few shots into the solar plexus of Galthie, who up until now has had a relatively easy ride in the French press.

"He doesn't talk about subjects that raise questions," said Heymans. "I don't want to say that he is smoking us but it's like the Raymond Devos sketch, "Speak to say nothing".

"It's not harsh but why don't we have any questioning? The result is that we lose in the quarter-final by one point. We have no feedback on its management.

"Is there any questioning of his planning? What is the conclusion then if he does not spare himself from questioning himself since he does not want to change anything? When we lose a quarter-final by one point, by five points or ten points, it's not the same, because it means that we are overwhelmed. One point, we can talk about strategy, the bench, replacement. About how to manage your half-time. We don't know that."

Dourthe concluded with a particularly brutal assessment of Gatlhie's strategic failure.

"Strategically and tactically, he was eaten by Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber because they planned everything that happened. They brought in Kwagga Smith, Handré Pollard to either manage the match or slow down the game... And that's what happened, we got eaten!"