Galthie holds key for France
A weary and wounded Fabien Galthie arrived back in France yesterday, plastered and bandaged and prepared to be metaphorically wrapped in cotton wool until the Grand Slam match against Ireland on Saturday week.
France are two teams depending on the presence or absence of Galthie: the rudderless shambles who failed to impress against Italy and almost lost to Wales; or potential world beaters who defeated England and, but for a dropped pass or two, would have thrashed Scotland by far more than 22-10.
Galthie knows his own importance. His team-mates would heartily endorse it. And coach Bernard Laporte appreciates the situation acutely enough to be a worried man, both for the immediate future and the long term.
'France are a better team when Fabien plays,' Laporte admitted. 'But we have to get to the position where France can still play without him. If not, there is too much pressure on him.
'He is very tired. He has not played many matches after being out for four months with injury. It is a concern. The whole French team are tired and they all face important club matches this weekend.' This club v country conflict is unlikely to affect 34-year-old Galthie, who will probably rest this weekend as Stade Francais continue with their Canadian No.9 Morgan Williams.
The man who scored France's third and final try said: 'I've just finished one match and it's not time to think of another.' Galthie gave the impression of someone being held together by a box of sticking plaster and a trunk full of spirit. He had a bandaged left wrist, the little finger of his right hand was strapped and there were hidden supports on both knees.
It proved quite a day for old relics: Bill McLaren commentated on his last match at Murrayfield; Ron Browne, the lone survivor from The Corries folk duo who gave the world the Flower of Scotland, led the singing of that latter-day anthem; and two old friends laughed and joked their way through a terrific tussle. While Galthie was man of the match, his opposite number and old adversary Bryan Redpath, also a try scorer, was Scotland's best performer by a Royal Mile. But the home side again lacked any penetration behind the scrum. The sight of Scots breaching a defence did not come until a few hundred young spectators broke through stewards at the final whistle.
'Would spectators please refrain from running on to the pitch,' a voice pleaded through the public address system. He might have added: 'You are embarrassing the Scottish three-quarters!'
