France’s coach, Fabien Galthie, expressed his deep disappointment after the national team’s four-year plan to secure its first World Cup triumph came to an end with a one-point loss to the Springboks in the quarter-finals.
Galthie’s primary thoughts after the 29-28 defeat were with the passionate fans who had consistently supported the team throughout the campaign, along with the players and their families. Despite the outcome, he stated that he had no regrets regarding the team’s approach.
Galthie told reporters, “No regrets, none. The players have a right to lose a match like this. I thought we did everything to optimize our potential, and we dealt with a few incidents as well. For four years, we wrote a beautiful picture for French rugby. The players can be proud, coaches can be proud.”
One of the challenges the French team faced was captain Antoine Dupont’s fractured eye socket, which he suffered during France’s third pool game against Namibia. Dupont made a remarkable return to the field after missing the final pool game, but he expressed his belief that the team had encountered unfavorable decisions from New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe.
Dupont commented, “It’s hard to talk about things at the moment, but there were a few clear things that should have been blown that weren’t blown. I don’t want to be a bad loser and complain about the refereeing, but I’m not sure it was up to the mark tonight. This doesn’t take anything away from the South Africans, who beat us in the fight tonight, they played really well.”
While Galthie did not criticize the officiating, he acknowledged a key moment in the match: South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth’s fumbled interception attempt when the French were pressing for a second early try.
“I understand the players’ frustrations, I really do, but I won’t criticize the refereeing,” Galthie stated. “We congratulate South Africa and hope they continue with success in the tournament. We have to be brave tonight as we have been for the last four years.”
Galthie, under contract until after the next World Cup in 2027, affirmed his commitment to continuing as the coach. He emphasized that the French team would soon be playing in the Six Nations and that the experiences of the current tournament marked another chapter in the story of the French team.
