Paris (AFP)
After having heroically resisted the English tide, France intends to speak out on its offensive lightning against Italy for the second match of the Six Nations Tournament Sunday (4:00 p.m.), amid the gusts of wind announced at the Stade de France.
It is a double storm promised to the spectators. Meteorological, with forecast gusts up to 100 km / h. Sports, too, with a XV of France anxious to create an offensive fireworks display to transform the promise of victory against the English (24-17).
Against the vice world champions, the XV of France relied on a heroic defense. This time, he is expected on his ability to impose his game to get the offensive bonus and imitate the Welsh, mercilessly against Italy last Saturday (42-0).
But faced with (or with) such a wind and against the Italians who are given priority in combat, the Blues will have to call on their ingenuity, and especially their ability to adapt. In particular, it will be necessary to alternate between hand play (facing the wind) and foot occupation.
Without forgetting that the role of the scorers will be singularly complicated against the posts, a week after the faultless success by Romain Ntamack at the Crunch.
- From outsider to favorite -
But even in delicate conditions, defeating Italy seems to be a formality: the Squadra Azzura has not won in competition since 2015, has always lost to France since 2013 and has never won a match at Stade de France .
All the conditions therefore seem to be met for a convincing performance, on condition that any relaxation worthy of the XV of France over time is avoided.
Also, Fabien Galthié underlined that the group "worked to prepare for this change of status", from outsider to favorite.
"The objective is to be sincerely satisfied with the final whistle," explains the coach soberly, while adding, more ambitious: "We want to be able to compete with the best very quickly and raise our standards. "
Before rubbing shoulders with the best (Welsh and Irish) to start dreaming of a Tournament, or even a Grand Slam, Italy remains to be ruled out.
However, last year, the France of Jacques Brunel had suffered to win 25-14 in Rome, with a salutary rescue then a test at the end of the match of the winger Damian Penaud. Sunday, in the absence of the latter, injured in the calf, only four players present last year will be there: Dupont, Ntamack, Paul Willemse and Grégory Alldritt.
Italy too has changed, under the orders of its new coach, the South African Franco Smith, and the new captain, the hooker Luca Bigi. Only five members of the Squadra Azzura from March 2019 will be present in the wind of Saint-Denis (Hayward, Morisi, Allan, Steyn, Pollidri).
Exit the "centenarians" Sergio Parisse (142 selections), number 8 who seemed eternal, or the hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini (104 selections).
- Fresh breeze -
But if the Smith train has remained on the platform for the moment, the TGV Galthié wants to continue to "win quickly", well pulled by its Dupont locomotive.
"It's the engine, both of their attack and of the pack, and we know that France is strong when it has a good number 9 to drive it," warns Smith, who also dreads the "good finishers" French.
Reference to wingers Teddy Thomas and Vincent Rattez, author of the first try against the English, and to the experienced center Gaël Fickou (25 years, 52 selections), accompanied by the young first Arthur Vincent (20 years, 1 selection), who will celebrate his first tenure to replace Virimi Vakatawa, forced to forfeit.
But before sniffing the air of the open sea, the French will have to concentrate on the fight, in the wake of the captain and third line Charles Ollivon, and his tireless "fighters" Alldritt and Bernard Le Roux. And as the match could be confined to a fight in the small perimeter, Fabien Galthié placed six forwards - and only two three quarters - on the substitutes' bench. To stay the course in the storm.
© 2020 AFP