A sporting deviation

I am not the world's greatest athlete.  I never really enjoyed playing football on frozen pitches at school, watching as the school superstar dribbled the ball past me.  So it was somewhat of a surprise to find myself roped into becoming a rugby coach for the local children's rugby team.  My son had decided he wanted to play rugby, and as I was going to have to take him every week, I thought I might as well make myself useful.  I attended a training course and learnt to talk the talk, and walk the walk.  I have always preferred watching rugby to watching football so it was not too hard.

One result of my volunteering is that I am mercilessly ribbed every time there is an international tournament.  The French people, like their symbol the cockerel, like to crow loudly.  During these sessions I remain non-committal and wait to see what happens at the actual game.  Unfortunately the premature English team exit from the last World cup was a significant low point.  I am not completely innocent though as my son and I sport English jerseys whenever possible.  I also play on my Irish and Welsh ancestry to ensure that I have three chances of supporting the winning side.  So I was most pleased this weekend when Scotland beat the French team, even I cannot claim any Scottish blood.  The Scottish victory was particularly faced with the over confidence of the French before the game.  Now even if the French beat England this weekend, and I hope they do not, England has won the six nations.   However the French will do all they can to win, since beating England would be compensation for them, and for some would even be better than winning the six nations.

One thing I find interesting in all this is the nationalities of the different coaches.  The best performing sides have Southern hemisphere coaches, while Italy and France both have French coaches.  I am not proud of this; England's dismal performance in the World cup was under an English coach.  Is there, as the All Black's coach suggested, something wrong in Northern hemisphere rugby?

Personally I find the French style of aggressive contact rugby, concentrating on big, heavy players problematic.  During the last World cup both Australia and New Zealand combined speed and strength.  Both these nations play a lot of touch rugby, to develop speed and agility.  Touch rugby is not popular in France and my local team scoffs at any suggestion we play it.  Watching a big New Zealand forward break through the French defence and score a try seemed to suggest that working on speed and agility is just as important as impact.

There is another problem however and that is the popularity of foreign players in national leagues.  Racing Metro recently recruited Dan Carter, the All Blacks fly half star, with an annual salary of £1.3 million.  Dan Carter, at 34, is not a young man and this move is clearly financial, the problem is that he takes the place that could be used by a young French player.  This situation is not rare in France.  Some years ago Grenoble rugby club shook things up, firing French players and bringing in Southern hemisphere players.  This means that young players do not get the opportunity to play high-level rugby.  This in turn damages the International side who has to choose from a smaller pool of experienced players, and keeps bringing out players like Mathieu Bastareaud who isn't getting any younger.  In the Southern hemisphere league sides play national players providing a strong talent base for their international sides.   There is little opportunity or financial incentive for European players to play in the Southern hemisphere and push out local players.

In my humble opinion European rugby needs to take a leaf out of the Southern hemispheres book.  Train all-rounders who can combine speed, power and fitness, and give priority to local players coming up through rugby schools.

President Hollande attacked at the Salon d'Agriculture

Poor old President Hollande he cannot seem to do anything right.  This week he visited the 'Salon d'Agriculture'.  Traditionally the Presidential visit has big symbolic implications showing support for the powerful farming lobby.  President Chirac was a master at wooing the farmers.  He spent hours comfortably shaking dirt encrusted hands, admiring the livestock and seemed completely at ease with this world away from the ornate Elysée Palace.  President Sarkozy was much less comfortable when his turn came.  His visits were rapid, and awkward photo-shoots with livestock did not help his already low popularity.
However President Hollande has managed to outdo his predecessor.  He was greeted by booing farmers, some of whom shouted out 'resign'.  He looked small, nervous and out of his element as his ministers and bodyguards tried to push through the angry crowds.  The farmers, like many in France today, are not happy.  The supermarket chains are using their monopoly power to reduce the price they pay for farm produce, and thereby squeezing farmers profit margins.  At the same time government taxes on employers remain high, as for every other sector in the French economy.  Farms, in this country so proud of its "terroir", are going out of business and some farmers have even committed suicide.  The government, and more particularly President Hollande, are being accused of doing nothing.
To be fair there is a law going through Parliament concerning pricing in supermarkets, but we do not know the details and nobody is convinced it will change things.  President Hollande has also promised to reduce government taxes on employers, but here again we lack details.  There is, however, another problem that governments, and not just in France, can do little about.  This is the problem of consumer demand, consumers want cheap food.  If French people really supported their farmers they would be prepared to pay that bit extra for good quality, local food.  In reality everybody wants a good deal and we do not really care if it comes from Spain and is sprayed with pesticides, as long as the price is right.  If government legislates to put food prices up they will commit political suicide.
What can poor old President Holland do?