Marcoussis (France) (AFP)
The XV of France attacked this week in Marcoussis (Essonne) his physical preparation that will allow him to bridge his athletic backwardness on the world's best nations by the World Cup. But a preparation that gives pride to rugby, to get closer to the conditions of the match.
No more endless sessions of land work, where the Blues sweated for weeks without seeing, or almost, a rugby ball. As before the World-2015, on "Wattbike" (resistance bikes), remained in the memories of followers and players.
The left pillar Jefferson Poirot was not, since it should compete in Japan (20 September-2 November) its first World Cup. But he had "never experienced so much rugby in physical preparation". "Often, for three weeks, we only do + + lines (round trips), pfff ...", adds the Bordelais.
As during the (no) regretted pre-season 2017-2018 physical preparation, where Guy Novès's internationals worked physically in their club but away from their teammates, "with the ban on rugby", according to Poirot .
- Giroud as conductor -
Do not believe, however, that the Blues are running smoothly and play at the "baballe" at the National Rugby Center.
On the busiest days (like this Friday), the mornings begin at around 8am and end around 1:30 pm and are punctuated by several intense sessions. A final training, at moderate pace and to work the game plan, begins around 16h.
But even if the goal is physical, the ball is present during the majority of training.
It will be systematically as the preparation progresses, since the goal, ultimately, is "to touch the + expected + athletic only in the rugby sessions," says Poirot.
Under the leadership of Thibault Giroud, who has just arrived as head of the physical preparation in the luggage of the new consultant (and future coach) Fabien Galthié, the Blues must make up for their athletic backwardness on the best nations (New Zealand, South Africa). South, England, Ireland, Wales).
Mainly in terms of speed of movement, replacement, acceleration and repetition of tasks (tackles, races, rucks etc.), at high intensity and for 80 minutes.
- Speed and mobility -
And to be able to compete in competition, it is therefore appropriate to "recreate the conditions of matches in training," said Giroud in an interview appeared in L'Equipe Thursday.
"The big challenge will be to physically advance the players on all the situations that we find in matches according to their physiological specificities and the position of each," Giroud said, for whom "the physical preparation must be at the service of rugby ".
And the game that management wants to offer, based on speed and mobility.
The staff wants and each player moves, from here to the World Cup, on average 18 km / h without ball - the minimum required is 15 for the players of the front five, heavier. And at a speed of 3 meters per second, the standards of the highest international level.
To achieve this goal, the sessions are very rhythmic. And to acquire the ability to repeat efforts under high intensity, short and calibrated recovery times, Galthie enjoining for example players to go cool off at the pace.
"It's very interesting because we're going to develop abilities under fatigue, which is the most like a match, and today we train at a speed much higher than a match and under conditions of higher fatigue. ", says Poirot.
It will take at least one less, and the first preparation match (August 17 against Scotland), or more than two (start of the World Cup on September 21 against Argentina), to see if this innovative preparation will produce the expected effects.
© 2019 AFP