All Blacks nice Justin Marshall has doubled down on his criticism of France from earlier within the yr, gleefully firing again at “keyboard warriors” after Les Bleus’ fourth-straight defeat, this time to 14-man South Africa in Paris.
Talking on The Good, The Dangerous & The Rugby podcast, the 81-Check All Black mentioned France’s current struggles had been “karma” for disrespecting the worldwide rugby calendar by sending a second-string squad to New Zealand earlier this yr.
“Can I please, for the keyboard warriors, the Frenchies on the market who love me a lot, significantly within the center a part of the yr, simply say that you simply reap what you sow,” Marshall mentioned.
“You ship a B group out to New Zealand, and sure, it was a B group as a result of it was nothing just like the group that you simply put out on the weekend. The superstars had been all again. You misplaced three Check matches there, now you’ve misplaced the fourth on the bounce, and also you’re plummeting down the world rankings.”
France’s 38-25 defeat to the Springboks got here regardless of holding a numerical benefit for a lot of the match, extending a shedding streak that started with their July sequence in New Zealand. Marshall mentioned the results had been now clear.
Damian McKenzie of New Zealand fees ahead through the Check Match between New Zealand All Blacks and France at FMG Stadium Waikato on July 19, 2025 in Hamilton, New Zealand. (Picture by Phil Walter/Getty Pictures)
“In December, the World Cup draw comes out. As a substitute of you having the ability to be one or two on this planet and get the decide of the swimming pools, you may end up in a pool of dying that you simply don’t need to be in,” he mentioned.
“At your peril, do you not respect the worldwide rugby window as a result of it impacts your world rating.”
France at the moment sit fifth on this planet rankings. Their five-point lead over Australia, in seventh, ought to be ample to see them take a high six rating into the draw for the 2027 World Cup.
Marshall’s remarks adopted his robust feedback again in July, when he accused French rugby of placing the Prime 14 forward of the nationwide group. He argued the French Rugby Federation’s participant welfare coverage, which caps workloads at round 2000 minutes per season, results in the Check facet being undermanned through the July window and was an indication of “disrespect”.
“For a really lengthy time period, the French have been disrespecting the worldwide window,” Marshall mentioned earlier within the yr.
“They don’t seem to be bringing their greatest gamers on excursions, which isn’t respectful for our nation as a result of we need to see their greatest gamers taking part in right here.
“They overemphasise their membership scenario over there, and the gamers play too many minutes. They are saying: ‘Gamers have simply performed a last, we’ve performed too many minutes’. Certain, however that’s as a result of you’ve got your window for all the calendar yr out of kilter.
“You’re disrespecting the window that everyone else buys into. All people else on this planet doesn’t ship B groups out; they ship their high gamers on their excursions.”
