Inside the journey which took France from global laughing stock to World Cup contenders

It is mid-June and global club rugby’s most opulent event kicks off north of Paris. The Top 14 final, between the titans of Toulouse and La Rochelle, is a sold-out circus. The streets of the French capital, situated hundreds of kilometres away from either of the two competing sides, are awash with the rouge et noir of Toulouse, and the jaune et noir of La Rochelle – as well as the accompanying bands and airhorns – amid the evening sunshine.