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Former France scrum half Fabien Galthie will replace Jacques Brunel as the country's head coach after this year's Rugby World Cup, French Rugby Federation chief Bernard Laporte has said. Galthie played 64 times for France, captaining the side to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2002 and at the 2003 World Cup. He took over as Stade Francais coach in 2004, guiding them to Heineken Cup and Top 14 finals, and has since coached Montpellier and Toulon. "I've named Fabien Galthie as coach," Laporte told French newspaper Berry Republicain. Brunel's contract expires at the end of the World Cup and amateur clubs had voted against the idea of bringing in a foreign coach in a referendum initiated by Laporte earlier this month. His record with the national team has been patchy, including three heavy defeats to New Zealand in France's tour there last summer and a disappointing home loss to Fiji in the 2018 November international series. In two Six Nations campaigns Brunel has seen his side beat England and Scotland but show deep inconsistency to twice finish in fourth place. The Rugby World Cup begins on Sept. 20 in Japan and France begin their campaign a day later against Argentina in Pool C. They also face England, USA and Tonga in the Pool stage.
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