The day France almost displayed champagne rugby

On this day 15 years ago, France secured their spot in the 1995 World Cup with a 36-12 victory over Ireland, but coach Pierre Berbizier wasn’t entirely satisfied with their performance, claiming “we are capable of playing champagne rugby, but we are still trying to get the cork out.”

Unfortunately for him, the champagne remained firmly in the bottle in the semifinal of the tournament, as the heavens opened up to set the scene for one fo the most memorable World Cup matches against hosts and eventual champions South Africa.

Thierry Lacroix kicked 26 points in the quarterfinal and closed out the tournament as the leading points scorer, with 112 points.

Source: TJS Sports