"It's a Lovely Fantasy" - Thierry Dusautoir backs idea for British & Irish Lions tour in France

Dusautoir believes that French rugby has plenty to offer the world's most iconic touring side, and would love to see a warm-up game held in the home of Les Bleus at the very least.

Genting - Fly-half question by RUCK Rugby

The 2025 British & Irish Lions will break new ground before their Summer tour of Australia, as they take on Argentina in a standalone fixture in the Northern Hemisphere. Dublin's Aviva Stadium has been selected to host the battle with Los Pumas, and Dusautoir believes that an exhibition Test against France needs to be on the cards for the future tours.

The former France captain spoke to Genting Casino, and expressed his desire to one day see the Lions in his home country.

"I was recently talking about the Lions with a friend of mine, a former player too. One thing that you can regret, that you never play in a team like this. You never have the opportunity as a French player to play in a team like this, because for me it's something great, something very special.

"Talking from the French point of view, we maybe don't understand or appreciate how important it is, because we have no clue about what it represents for you, for South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. It would have been great to play in a game like this. The players would be really happy to be able to play a game like this. Imagine if the Lions started maybe having one game in France before a tour.

"A tour would be wonderful! Unfortunately, it's not the reality. It's a lovely fantasy. Maybe one day!"

There has been plenty of speculation in the lead up to the 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour, as to whether head coach Andy Farrell will look over to France when selecting his players. There is an assortment of English players making waves in the Top 14, yet the likes of Jack Willis, Henry Arundell and Owen Farrell are ineligible to represent their country due to the RFU's strict legislation.

Andy Farrell could well call upon Racing 92 to bring in his own son for the Lions, or perhaps electric England-capped wing Arundell. The Stade Toulousain squad currently bolsters the likes of Jack Willis and Scotland fullback Blair Kinghorn, whilst former England wing Jack Nowell is enjoying life with Stade Rochelais. Dusatouir understands the principle behind keeping the England players in the Premiership, but also backs the RFU to one day open the doors to the French market.

"I understand the wish to try to keep the player in the Premiership, but the best club championship in the world is not in England anymore. It's the Top 14. So I understand that the player wants to be in that place playing against the best.

"They're earning good money, but I can't understand why the RFU doesn't pick them. They are a maximum of two hours away. It is not like they are in Australia, for example. I could understand that. It’s a pity for the English team, maybe they're going to think about changing the rules. They should."

"Jack Willis is incredible. What he's doing in Toulouse is something great. He had the captaincy a few games ago. So, he has had a huge impact. And I think that he would really help this young English team, in terms of confidence. You have Jack Nowell, who's doing well. He flourished over there, he's really happy over there, as is Kyle Sinckler in Toulon."

Whilst former England captain Owen Farrell's time in France can not be held with the same success as the likes of Willis or Nowell, Dusautoir believes that it would be a 'mistake' to label the fly half as a flop. There's no denying that Racing 92 are in the midst of a tough time, with an assortment of off-screen issues and departure speculations impacting the Parisian's form this season.

"That’s a mistake for me. I disagree with that because people don't understand how hard it is to change the club. Firstly, because you have a different culture and it’s not easy immediately to fit in with the culture of the country and the club.

"He has also gone to a club which is missing a lot of leadership. Racing is having problems with or without Owen Farrell. Maybe he hasn’t had the impact that he could have, but maybe the context of the team, or the club, doesn't help him to feel comfortable and to do what he knows.

"Unfortunately for him, he’s also been injured. So maybe he's going to reset and to lose all this pressure, the negative pressure to start just enjoying and living the experience. But I think that they are quite hard on him."