During the France – Australia match at the Stade de France, close to 3,000 seats were still empty at kick-off. A puzzling sight, but one whose causes appear to have nothing to do with any lack of interest from supporters: transport disruption and cancelled coaches are behind it, according to Rugbyrama.

According to the online outlet, the unusual number of empty seats at the start of the game is explained by several factors beyond the organisers’ control. First, major disruption on the RER lines, particularly at Châtelet station, delayed a large number of supporters. Some passengers were stuck in the carriages for more than an hour, according to accounts gathered.

On top of that, several coaches chartered by tour operators did not set off for the Stade de France, citing the bad weather. That last-minute climbdown deprived the stadium of a far from negligible share of its initial capacity.

As the first half wore on, those delays were partly made up: many spectators simply had not got in yet, and the stands gradually filled. According to our colleagues, in the end only around 500 spectators were genuinely missing, and there was no deep disaffection, but rather logistical and weather-related mishaps. So, contrary to what some may have thought, those gaps were not down to a lack of interest in the match, but stemmed above all from a transport and organisation problem.