Saturday March 11, the French rugby team faces England for the 4th day of the 6 Nations.
England – France or France – England is a true classic of world rugby. Rivals for years, the meeting scheduled for Saturday March 11 for the 4th day of the 6 Nations Tournament promises to be decisive for both teams, but why is this unique meeting called the “Crunch”?
The literal translation of this term is “crack” or “crunch” if you prefer meaning “a decisive moment”. The exact origin of the word is quite unknown, including to rugby specialists. The exact date the phrase was first used is not officially known. According to some people, the term was used as early as 1906, on the sidelines of the first France-England (8-35), played at the Parc des Princes. For others, the expression only appeared in 1981, in the columns of The Irish Time, an Irish daily newspaper. Historians indicate that after having been enemies during certain conflicts, the two nations buried the hatchet but that this rivalry moved to the rugby pitches.
