Oita (Japan) (AFP)

They are there: after two weeks without playing and three matches to the taste of unfinished, the Blues enter the final phase of the World Cup Sunday (9:15 French) in Oita (southern Japan), a quarter-final against the Wales, one of their pet peeves.

It is here, on the island of Kyushu, that the adventure begins or ends, without possible return, and the result will depend the face of the World Cup of the XV of France, even if it assured the essential while leaving of the "chicken of death" to avoid a first elimination before the final phase of its history. A challenge seven months ago, at the end of a disturbing Six Nations Tournament.

An elimination, the second in a row before the last four, would thus bring the Tricolores back on the international scene since, until the 2015 edition, they had missed the semi-finals train only once. (1991).

A qualification and they would instead walk in the footsteps of their most glorious predecessors: the semi-finalists of 1995, 2003 and 2007 or even, next weekend, the unfortunate finalists of 1987, 1999 and 2011.

As in New Zealand eight years ago, precisely, stands on his way the XV Leek, then beaten by a hair (9-8) in a locked semi-final.

- Welsh mirror -

A kind of mirror of the Blues. The Welsh are led by the same coach since 2008 (Warren Gatland), when Jacques Brunel is the fourth over the same period in the French, after replacing Guy Novès late 2017.

They accumulate performances for years, including the current one with a Grand Slam in the Tournament, competition that have not won since 2010 the French, who chained disillusionment for years.

And they master on their fingertips their game plan: aggressive defense, control of the foot and intense possession to crack the opponent.

"It is obvious that they are much more confident than us.For their ranking (2nd world, six ranks in front of France, Ed), their regularity for a few seasons, it is undeniable that they are favorites. in the shoes of the underdog, it's logical and normal, but that does not prevent us from believing in our chances, "admits Brunel.

The left pillar Jefferson Poirot prefers, he, use the term "hunter": "In hens we were hunted, today we are hunters.It is something we like, which suits us, we saw in the history of the France team. "

- Station at the air holes -

The history of the Mondial-2019 tells that the XV of France did not manage to keep the wire for 80 minutes during his three group matches, against Argentina (23-21), the United States (33 -9) and Tonga (23-21). And he was able to gauge a fourth time against a world reference, his last match against England was canceled due to the passage of Typhoon Hagibis.

During the three meetings, he proposed beautiful sequences, in the wake of the ghosts Virimi Vakatawa and Charles Ollivon, young shoots Romain Ntamack (20 years old), Antoine Dupont (22 years old) and Damian Penaud (23 years old), the winger still uncertain for Sunday, according to captain Guilhem Guirado, due to pubic inflammation.

But, lack of confidence and certainty for having amended his game plan this summer, with the arrival in reinforcement in the frame of Fabien Galthié, he then lost control of these meetings yet all well embarked.

Poirot acknowledges, "if we have a long empty, we will be in danger" Sunday against the XV Leek, winner of seven of the eight meetings between the two nations since the semi-final of 2011. The last on February 1 ( 24-19), after recovering a disbursement of sixteen points at the break.

Just like this last match, the Welsh have rarely won much against the Blues, which allows them to nurture serious hopes. Starting with Brunel, who relies on his "intuition" to say "there is energy in this team", "inside something very positive". To the Blues, Sunday, to prove that he was well inspired.

© 2019 AFP