Oita (Japan) (AFP)

A red that is very expensive: the XV of France lost in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, Sunday in Oita (South of Japan) against Wales (20-19), while leading up to to the stupid red card collected by Sébastien Vahaamahina, thirty minutes from the end.

We will probably talk again in France about this final exclusion, in the same way that the Welsh people still trample, eight years later, the red card received in the 18th minute by their captain Sam Warburton in the semifinals of the World Cup. 2011 won by the Blues (9-8).

Eight years later, it is in the 49th minute that Vahaamahina, though one of the executives of this team, lost his nerves. The Blues, in front (19-10), had then formed a balloon worn instead of taking the penalty .... And the New Caledonian has given a violent blow to the third line Welsh Aaaron Wainwright, who ensoler in the maul.

Video Arbitration, logical sanction: 25 minutes later, the XV of France, still ahead (19-13), gave way permanently after a melee in introduction in front of their line, carried away. The name of the savior Welsh is called Ross Moriarty (75), who seized the ball fouled by the Tricolores, who will not see him again or almost in the last five minutes.

Thus stops the course of the Blues in World Cup before the semi-finals for the second consecutive time. So, before that, they had failed before that stage only twice, in 1991 and 2015.

- Retreat, up to 2023 -

This statistic is a real step back on the international scene. France is four years old to get back on track by the next edition, which it will organize in 2023.

With a new staff, led by Fabien Galthié, whose bet to make him come this summer to save the furniture after a disturbing six Nations tournament, taken by the president of the Federation Bernard Laporte, was largely missed.

Even though the XV of France has saved appearances by avoiding a first road exit before the quarter-finals.

It is cruel for the Blues, who collapsed at the final whistle, that their journey stops after this match, probably the best they have delivered in the last four years. And certainly the most successful of the four products in Japan.

The tri-color score was played in two stages, separated by Vahaamahina's red card. A first playful, during which they took the lead (19-10) playing just tactically playing often foot but attacking the hand as soon as the opportunity arose.

They were rewarded by three tries, including two superb, with races in the right tempo and after-contact passes: not the first, scored by ... Vahaamahina (5) while collecting the ball flush with a group but the second and third.

Charles Ollivon thus concluded between the posts after a breakthrough Virimi Vakatawa, relayed by Romain Ntamack and Antoine Dupont (8), before Vakatawa, one of the best Blues in attack, is sprawled in the goal, served by Penaud after a perfect fixation of Ntamack (32, 19-10).

- 5 forgotten points at the foot -

After the red card, where they have long resisted Welsh uninspired, "scratching" here a penalty in their 22 meters (66), finding there a good touch to back the Welsh (Medard, 61).

But they also missed the boat by losing, already, the ball on a scrum in their favor 10 meters from the Welsh line, ten minutes from the end.

They can also feed regrets at fifteen against fifteen: in the first period, they did not concretize two test situations, and let return in the meeting the XV of the Poireau: the captain Guilhem Guirado lost in contact a balloon, of which grabbed ... Wainwright for a zero-pass try (12th, 12-7).

© 2019 AFP