Fukuoka (Japan) (AFP)

With in his luggage the five points of the improved victory against the United States (33-9), in Fukuoka, the XV of France turns to his next World Cup match against Tonga, from Sunday in Kumamoto (south from Japan). Where he will learn from Wednesday's game.

The Blues are warned. Players in the South Pacific should offer them as much trouble as the Americans, who only scored three runs per hour (12-9), before three savage tries.

With nine points after this success came to confirm the one against Argentina (23-21), they took a step further towards the quarter-finals. The ticket could be in the pocket in case of victory Sunday if, the day before, Argentina (6 pts) does not beat England (10 pts).

"We'll wait until Saturday, it will be decisive anyway because if we take the feet in the carpet, we know that it will be very complicated," said Jefferson Poirot. For, then, will present the English (October 12), when the Pumas will face the Americans.

It will also be difficult to follow a second match in four days. Only five holders against the Argentineans were put completely at rest on Wednesday (Penaud, Vakatawa, Dupont, Lauret and Ollivon), while others, replacements, played almost forty minutes, like the entire first line, including Poirot , who did not expect to play so much.

Not to mention the inevitable physical glitches, which concern four players, including at least two expected holders Sunday, Yoann Huget and Sebastien Vahaamahina.

- "Play as if it was raining" -

Once these cases are settled, the coach will formalize Thursday, during the day, the team that will challenge Tonga with only two training in the legs (Friday and Saturday, the Blues are resting Thursday) and always the same humidity as that known to Fukuoka (50%, 32 degrees).

Sticky in her hands, she was partly responsible for their countless lost balloons (18) and their first rather amorphous period (12-6 at half-time), marked by only two lightning strikes (6th, Huget and 24th, Raka) , on two inspirations at the foot of Camille Lopez.

"You're suffocating, you feel like you're choking, you could not put so much rhythm on it," explained the center Sofiane Guitoune.

Back Thomas Ramos agrees, but nuance: "We went to Valencia (Spain) and Monaco (during preparation) to prepare for that, it's been three weeks that we are here, we are prepared. has moisture, yes the ball slips, but it's not the thing to remember. "

The Blues have not been able to adapt to these conditions, abusing the game by hand while they should have continued to favor the foot, initial choice that is paying.

"It's not raining, but it's as if there were falling torrents of water, so you have to play as if it was raining, you have to work in that direction, that is to say, to occupy better areas of the field, we have four days to make further progress "agrees Huget.

- Indiscipline and bench -

Huget and his partners will also have to solve their problem of indiscipline: sanctioned already fifteen times against the Argentines, they were distributed on the same bases at the half-time (8 penalties), before setting the target in the second period (2) .

Notably by putting his hand on the ball in the last quarter of an hour, where they took advantage of the contribution of the bench to get out of a bad situation, by two tests registered coup by one by Fickou (67th) and Baptiste Serin (70e).

Serin, a preponderant entrant, as the substitutes had been to the Pumas. "Every time they bring us gas and it gives us in the game" greets Huget, including congratulating the first line (Poirot-Guirado-Slimani), who has set the melee range. And participated in the collective effort on the last test, entered by Poirot (79th), at the conclusion of a penetrating group.

The pillar, too, praises the work of the incumbents, who "began to undermine" the Americans. "It seems that it is the contribution of the bench but in fact it is the construction of the match," he adds. It will be even better to build on Sunday.

© 2019 AFP