France building depth for an empire to rival that of the Boks

Quality in depth has always been the key to sustained success at the highest level of international rugby.

Who could forget Pieter Hendriks stepping in for the injured Chester Williams and scoring a decisive try against Australia in the opening match of the 1995 World Cup?

Sixteen years later, Stephen Donald slotted the title-winning penalty in the 2011 World Cup final, after three frontline All Blacks flyhalves cried off with various ailments.

More recently, Bok boss Rassie Erasmus and other leading coaches have layered their squads with multiple options in an attempt to navigate the demanding Test schedule.

At a glance, the 2026 season promises to be the most challenging yet, with the Boks playing against the All Blacks four times over August and September, and with the final phase of the inaugural Nations Championship staged over four consecutive weekends in November.

While Erasmus and others often talk about building a squad to peak at the World Cup, large groups of players are certainly needed to win marquee series and major tournaments in the intervening seasons.

Erasmus used 50 players last season, while 35 were used in the Rugby Championship – and the Boks went on to successfully defend their title.

Last month, the coach suggested that 40 or more players may be needed to survive the Greatest Rivalry Series against the All Blacks, which will include three Tests in SA as well as a fourth in far-flung Baltimore, US.

These are eye-catching figures – and yet the Boks have trailed the likes of France for players used over the past 12 months.

France coach Fabien Galthié has been widely criticised for his player management strategies, but as recent results suggest, there is a method behind the madness.

France developing while winning

The 2026 Six Nations will be staged over six weeks – as opposed to seven in previous seasons – and coaches will need to manage their squads carefully in order to maintain a high level of performance.

Italy edged Scotland in the first round before pushing Ireland close in the second, but at this stage of their evolution, they don’t boast the depth of France or England, and their leading players may struggle to maintain their intensity levels when facing Les Bleus in Lille this Sunday.

By contrast, France – who currently lead the Six Nations table with two bonus-point wins after two rounds – appear well placed to perform in their third consecutive fixture.

The rugby community was up in arms after Galthié picked a largely young and inexperienced side to tour New Zealand last season, and more than a few eyebrows were raised after he omitted star players such as Gregory Alldritt, Damian Penaud and Gael Fickou from his initial Six Nations squad this past month.

Fast forward to the present, where the gamble appears to be paying off.

A young France side has hammered Ireland and Wales over the first two rounds, and in doing so has strengthened the team’s chances of claiming a second consecutive Six Nations title.

Looking back, Galthié used 66 players over the course of the 2025 Test season.

Whereas the Boks were universally praised for winning while developing – SA finished the season with a win record of 12 from 14 – France were criticised for a lack of balance.

Galthié invested heavily in youth in 2025, with a whopping 78% of the squad aged 29 or younger. The French coach wasn’t afraid to blood youngsters, with 24 of the 66 (36%) aged 25 or younger.

The explosive winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey (22) is already a household name, but others who represented the France Under-20 side at recent editions of the World Rugby Junior World Championship have been fast-tracked.

Utility forwards such as Oscar Jegou and Hugo Aradou (both 22), loose forward Lenni Nouchi (22), scrumhalf Baptiste Jauneau (22), centre Nicolas Depoortere (23) and winger Théo Attissogbe (21) were all part of the France side that won the U20 title in 2023, and have featured regularly for the senior side in recent months.

Meanwhile, two graduates from last year’s France U20 side, namely centres Kalvin Gourgues and Fabien Brau-Boirie, have also made the step up.

Different approaches to development

It’s hard to say whether Galthié will take a predominantly young squad to the 2027 World Cup.

Even with senior players Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos, Charles Ollivon and others in the mix, the current France team is on the young side, and short on experience.

That may have something to do with their high-tempo approach. While France are renowned for their powerful set piece and pinpoint kicking game, they have set new standards for ball-in-hand metrics in recent seasons.

Bordeaux-Bégles won the Champions Cup last season on the back of a relentless approach, while France have laid down an early marker in the 2026 Six Nations, scoring 90 points and 13 tries over two matches.

Experience is essential to winning major tournaments, and as the Boks have shown in the past two World Cup editions, older as well as younger stars have key roles to play.

Erasmus has promised to address the balance between youth and experience in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup, and has already brought through a new wave of youngsters – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, to name a few – in recent seasons.

SA won the Junior World Championship in Italy last year, and the stars from that setup look set to graduate to the Test stage, if not in the next two seasons, then in the next four-year cycle – and it’s worth noting that Erasmus will continue to coach the side until 2031.

Hooker (2023) and Zachary Porthen (2023 and 2024) have already made the step up, while Erasmus previously invited recent U20 graduates such as Cheswill Jooste, Jurenzo Julius, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Henco van Wyk, Haashim Pead, Nico Steyn, Batho Hlekani, Reinhardt Ludwig, JF van Heerden and Ethan Bester to train with the senior squad.

Promising hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele would have made his Test debut last November if not for an untimely injury, and Stormers star Paul de Villiers (who led the Junior Boks in 2023) could well get his chance later this year.

Strengthening SA’s pipeline

There has been a concerted effort by Erasmus and SA Rugby to strengthen the nation’s junior structures in recent seasons, as well as the pathway between amateur and professional rugby.

The Junior Bok side is expected to build on their 2025 success in the coming months, and one need only look at the quality of the nation’s schoolboy players to see why SA won’t want for raw talent in future.

Markus Muller, the centre who scored 36 tries for Paarl Gym last season, is currently on tour with the SA U20s in Georgia, as they prepare for the U20 Rugby Championship and the Junior World Championship later this year. Kai Pratt, Ethan Adams and Zekhethelo Siyaya impressed for their respective schools last season, and are also part of the Junior Bok squad.

While France are building something special and may go on to finish among the top Test teams this season, there’s evidence to suggest that the ever-improving Boks could grow even stronger in the years to come. DM