France’s rugby golden generation has conquered Europe, but can they finally overcome the southern giants and claim a first World Cup in 2027?
Whenever anyone talks about a so-called ‘Golden Generation’ in sport, there’s always a sense of urgency about what they can achieve. Any praise of their talent is usually caveated by whether they can make hay while the sun shines. The glare of that spotlight has shifted over the years from England’s football team with stars like Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard to South Africa’s cricket side with match winners such as AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn. Both of those teams fell short, their best players retiring with countless what-ifs and undoubtedly a sense of regret about what might have been.
France step into the spotlight
Now, in 2025, the spotlight rests firmly on the French rugby team. With the next World Cup just two years away, the question is whether they can finally deliver Down Under and win rugby’s greatest prize for the first time in their history.
Odds and expectations for 2027
The outright winner odds for the 2027 Rugby World Cup currently price Les Bleus at 4/1 to go all the way. Only South Africa at 11/4 and New Zealand at 7/2 are shorter, underlining that Fabien Galthié’s men are widely expected to be among the frontrunners for the Webb Ellis Cup. Of course, there are still two years to go before the opening game in Perth, and much can change from injuries and retirements to coaching upheavals and dips in form. That’s why keeping an eye on the latest pro rugby tips today and throughout the build-up to the eleventh edition of the Rugby World Cup will give you a clearer picture of how things might unfold in Australia. Beyond match predictions, you’ll find insight into player form, tactical trends and a sharper understanding of the latest odds, helping to explain why a side are favourites.
To that end, the odds right now are not based on sentiment alone. They reflect the depth of talent France can call on, a group of players who have redefined what it means to wear the blue jersey.
Why this squad is different
This label of a golden generation is not handed out lightly, and when you scan through France’s squad, it is easy to see why it has stuck. Antoine Dupont has redefined the scrum-half role, blending vision, pace and leadership in a way that few number nines in history can match. Alongside him, Romain Ntamack brings a calm authority at fly-half, steering the backline with intelligence beyond his years.
In the forwards, Grégory Alldritt embodies the modern No.8 with relentless work rate and a knack for momentum-shifting carries, while Cameron Woki and Charles Ollivon add athleticism and guile in equal measure. Behind them, Damian Penaud is a winger who can turn half-chances into highlight reels, already one of the most prolific finishers in Test rugby. Put together, this is a squad with stars across the park, not just potential but players already feared by their rivals.
Success in Europe but not the world
At this point, you might argue that the above golden generation have already delivered, and yes, that is true after they won the 2025 Six Nations. It was an emphatic campaign for Galthié’s side as their 30 tries across five fixtures broke England’s Six Nations record of 29, set 24 years earlier. Crucially, this wasn’t their only international success, as they also claimed the 2022 Six Nations and a Grand Slam, their first in 12 years.
You could conclude that this golden generation have nothing left to prove, given they are delivering silverware regularly. Yet that isn’t quite true as they have conquered Europe, not the world. Their golden opportunity to do so came at home in 2023 when they hosted the World Cup. The signs looked ominous for the rest of the competing nations after they opened with a blistering 27–13 win over the All Blacks at the Stade de France. Topping their group with four wins from four, Les Bleus had momentum, belief and match winners. Then came South Africa in the quarter-final.
South Africa: France’s World Cup nemesis
That night in Paris is remembered as one of the greatest games ever played at a World Cup. It was high-octane and end-to-end as the lead changed hands repeatedly, but it finished with the streetwise Springboks winning by a single point. It was the second time South Africa had ended France’s hopes in the knockout stages, following their famous 1995 semi-final win in rain-soaked Durban. Just as then, the Boks, who would also go on to win the tournament, found a way to dig deeper when it mattered most. Think back to Cheslin Kolbe’s desperate charge-down of Thomas Ramos’ conversion in the 23rd minute with the scores tied at 12–12, a rare, even improbable intervention but one that underlined South Africa’s refusal to lose.
The last step to immortality
Looking ahead, the question is whether this French golden generation has the hunger and desire to finally overcome the southern hemisphere’s kings of rugby. They have shown brilliance in putting their European rivals to the sword, but to take the last steps to immortality and lift a maiden World Cup, they must topple the brutes who lie south of the equator. So far, they have been unable to do it.
