Kumamoto (Japan) (AFP)

Three games in ten days: at rest forced since September 21, the XV of France begins Wednesday at 4:45 pm (9:45 French) against the United States, the first of three meetings that will send him to the quarterfinals of the Cup of the world.

The victory against Argentina opening in Tokyo (23-21) seems far away. Since then, the Blues have set sail some 1,000 kilometers further south, on Kyushu Island, for a series of two games in four days, since after the Americans in Fukuoka they will challenge the Tongans Sunday in Kumamoto.

Then come on October 12 in Yokohama, next to Tokyo, the English. A condensed program that "worries" the coach Jacques Brunel.

"The pool and the schedule make the context difficult for us - maybe we have the team that has the least easy schedule: three matches in ten days against uncomfortable opponents. Now, there is + more than +, "adds the Gersois, who asks himself:" how are we going to get out of this series if we are qualified? "

This is indeed the goal, after opening the door of the quarter against the Pumas. The calculation is simple, before finding the XV of the Rose: two victories (with an offensive bonus point), and the Blues will qualify if Argentina does not beat England, Saturday.

- "Humility" -

The "three-ten" begin Wednesday against the United States, Fordist country, organizing principle of work implemented in the early twentieth century by Henry Ford, founder of the eponymous automobile brand.

Against the "Eagles", stifled by the English in opening (45-7), the Blues will have to be productive to match their victory, imperative, a point of offensive bonus highly recommended.

Let's stop the production line: it is going a little fast for the coach and Yoann Huget. "We can not have a lack of humility by saying that we will take the five points.It must have ambition, but first build the game in the first half," so tempers the winger .

The more or less recent past of the XV of France is in fact marked by victories torn from forceps or defamatory defamation against lower teams on paper. Maxime Médard could thus remind his teammates the example of the 2011 World Cup, where the Blues had stumbled - ultimately without consequences - in chickens against ... Tonga (19-14).

- "Heavy past" -

No need, according to Huget, who thinks this vintage 2019 safe from any risk of complacency. After losing to a penalty, missed by Argentina's Emiliano Boffelli, losing a crucial opening match, having experienced so much disillusionment in recent years and watching, on TV, surprises created last week by Uruguay face in Fiji and Japan against Ireland.

"I do not think, sincerely (a risk of decompression exists) with all the matches that have put us on the alert, Japan, Uruguay ... I hope the team realized that there No small teams, we have a heavy past, there is a little less than a year, we lost against Fiji ", 21-14 in November 2018, says the winger.

The Toulousain is one of only three players to keep his place in the starting XV, with center Gaël Fickou and Arthur Iturria, repositioned from second to third line.

Brunel justified this broad reshuffle by the proximity of the meeting with Tonga, for which he kept his forces alive or on the bench. Including Guilhem Guirado, replaced in his role as captain by N.8 Louis Picamoles, who will discover it in blue.

With the idea that these luxury replacements keep a maximum of influx for the meetings against Tonga then to England. For that, to "hairdressers" to play, rid of the typhoon threat, making easy the first of these three works of Hercules.

© 2019 AFP