Tokyo (AFP)
As a tinkering: the XV of France will start the World Cup on Saturday against Argentina, with a pair of centers and a third unpublished line and an opener, Romain Ntamack, which has started only one of three preparation matches.
Coach Jacques Brunel decided Thursday, for the most important game in four years, to change his tune again.
He was partly forced by the thigh of Wesley Fofana, one of his attack leaders, who without his injury against Italy, August 30 during the last preparation match (47-19), would have started facing the Pumas. "We thought he could come back and there was this complication so we could not consider putting it there," said Brunel, who reportedly linked Clermont to Gaël Fickou.
The Parisian will finally form the duo in the middle of the field with Virimi Vakatawa, rather than with Sofiane Guitoune, aligned in Scotland on August 24 (14-17) after the last minute package, already for a problem with a thigh, Fofana.
Admittedly, in Edinburgh, Fickou and Guitoune started for the only time together. But Brunel initially did not select Vakatawa in his larger group for the World Cup and only recalled him after Geoffrey Doumayrou's suspension in mid-August.
And he had given him his chance, in preparation, only for twenty minutes, during the closing game against the Italians.
"Virimi has shown, since his arrival in Japan, a lot of presence and qualities during training and opposition (against the Yamaha Jubilo, Friday), which led us to start it," said Brunel.
- Ntamack "has the qualities" -
The coach was also a little behind for the strategic opener position: exit Camille Lopez (30), who had started two of three preparation matches.
As in the last three matches of the Six Nations, place in Ntamack, ten years less and holder only in the last. Where, in addition to being attractive in the animation, he was precise in the practice of penalties (5/6). While Lopez had missed the target half the time against Scotland, August 17 (32-3).
"He showed that this role (scorer) does not scare him, he trains regularly club and has a convincing success rate," said Brunel about Ntamack, much more used to playing center with the stadium Toulousain the past season.
"He played half (opening) with us many times, showed that he was able to have a very good level on this position, even if he does not play in a club." He did most of his young career opening, he has the qualities for the physical and technical, "replied the coach.
- Complementary 3rd line but unpublished -
Ntamack, son of the former versatile international rear Emile Ntamack, will form the hinge with his partner in the club, Antoine Dupont. Which should be supplemented during the match by Maxime Machenaud (30) rather than by Baptiste Serin (25), substitute during the preparation matches, missed by the Racingman because of an injury.
The choice, according to Brunel, of "the experience", as for Louis Picamoles (33 years), third substitute line rather than Yacouba Camara.
The third line, which consists of a "scraper" (Wenceslas Lauret), a fairly powerful ball carrier (Grégory Alldritt) and a "jumper-runner" (Charles Ollivon), is considered complementary by Brunel.
But she has no common experience. "This is not a problem," said Ollivon, who will start when he was initially a substitute in the expanded group announced on 18 June. And saw his last two years ruined by a big shoulder injury.
As for the opener and the pair of centers, the only convincing answer will be brought Saturday, on the field, in a match already hot for qualification in the quarterfinals.
© 2019 AFP