France have gone into lockdown ahead of the 8 November showdown against the Springboks in Paris.
France have gone into lockdown ahead of the 8 November showdown against the Springboks in Paris.
According to Le Figaro and Le Parisien, Fabien Galthié’s side suspect the Boks could be watching their every move.
The France coach has dramatically limited media access to training at their Marcoussis base this week – an unusual step for a team known for its open sessions.
Reporters were told they could only watch the first 15 minutes of practice, rather than the usual full session, amid fears that the nearby SA U20 squad could provide intel to Rassie Erasmus and his world champion Springboks.
The suspicion stems from the U20s’ presence in France ahead of their own fixture against Les Bleuets. Sources suggest Galthié and his staff were determined to keep tactical details under wraps, given the proximity of both South African teams.
It’s not the first time the Boks have been accused of pushing the limits in the name of preparation.
In a column for The Telegraph earlier this year, Warren Gatland claimed that Erasmus’ team had somehow obtained the British & Irish Lions’ play calls during their 2021 tour of South Africa, forcing the visitors to train indoors to avoid being filmed.
Erasmus denied the allegations at the time and countered that Wales had once photographed the Boks’ team plans after a hotel evacuation.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by the world champions this week, but the French remain wary of the meticulous detail that has defined Erasmus’ reign.
In fact, the Chasing the Sun documentary famously showed Bok assistant coach Felix Jones decoding France’s ruck calls from publicly available footage during the 2023 World Cup.
Next Saturday’s Test in Paris will mark the first meeting between the sides since that fiery 2023 World Cup quarter-final.
