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Laporte: Too many foreigners

Oct 20 2007

Laporte: Too many foreigners

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By Agencies

Bernard Laporte, left, and team manager Jo Maso, right, are worried about French rugby's future [AFP]
Bernard Laporte, outgoing French rugby coach, has blamed an influx of foreign players into the local leagues for a lack of quality and experience in the France first XV.

Laporte, speaking the day after his side lost the World Cup third-place play-off 34-10 to Argentina, called for French club sides to focus more on nurturing homegrown talent.

"We have to look after the French players and the young players," said Laporte, who is standing down after eight years as national coach.

"Today there is an imbalance between the French players and the foreigners who play in certain positions.

"When you look at the hooker position of some clubs, there is an Argentine and a Romanian," the coach explained.

"At certain positions, we are missing French players. I don't want to be against the clubs and it is with the clubs that we have to define certain policies.

"It you take for example Lionel Beauxis, he didn't play in the championship final for his club but he was still picked to play for France. But if he doesn't play these big matches, he doesn't progress."

"We have too many foreign players in our league. It is good to welcome them but we will suffer in the long run."

Jo Maso,
French team manager

Laporte's comments were echoed by Jo Maso, his right-hand man and French team manager, who lamented the lack of depth the French have in certain positions.

"We have some good props but they are not used at their clubs," Maso said.

"The big teams call on the Argentines, the Romanians or the Georgians. Before, we used to go to the Basque country to find them.

"We have too many foreign players in our league. It is good to welcome them but we will suffer in the long run.

"We have to ask serious questions."

Laporte, who was holding his final press conference as coach before starting a new job as a junior sports minister in the government on Monday, was looking forward to his new post.

"Yesterday we had our last debriefing. The handing out of jerseys. I told them that it is beautiful to play for the France team and to appreciate it," he said.

"I can't wait to start this new mission which will give me the chance to work with the youth."