Edinburgh (AFP)

The postponement of the match against Ireland on Saturday precipitates the end of the winter campaign of the XV of France, full of promise but which ends in fishtail after the defeat in Scotland (28-17) Sunday.

. "Very want to replay" but ... not before July

Just before boarding the return plane, Monday morning, coach Fabien Galthié had launched: "We very, very want to replay". On landing, the decision was made: France-Ireland, scheduled for Saturday, at the Stade de France was postponed to a later date. This match would have allowed the XV of France to settle, at least in part, the defeat of Edinburgh where the players of Galthié failed in combat and in discipline, to cash their first defeat.

Beyond the specific cases (unavailability of Dupont, Ntamack and Chat, upcoming suspension of Haouas), the meeting with the Irish would have allowed to see the reaction capacity of the new XV of France, six days after a bitter defeat .

Unable to find a date in the overloaded calendar, France-Ireland should be rescheduled in the fall. It will therefore be necessary to wait for the two test matches planned for Argentina in ... July to see the Blues again.

. Learn to manage emotions

The two test matches planned for Argentina in July, then the autumn meetings (Ireland therefore, before the traditional November tests against Australia and South Africa) should allow the XV of France to address the gaps that have emerged in Scotland.

Three matches, three wins and one game found. The Blues went to Murrayfield with the status of favorites. Maybe a little too much. "It is true that we have the feeling that the team, unlike the match against England or Wales, lacked 10% in the engagement, intensity in all that was collision, engagement , preemption of the balloon ... Maybe not even 10%. The Scots took us by the throat, "explained Galthié.

The concert of praise and the found support of his supporters would be mounted at the head of these young Blues? "It's a team under construction, which is young. After the liabilities of previous years, they have become almost heroes, examples ... It's impossible to remain impervious to praise, to the environment. we took the bus, there was a human tide that accompanied us to the stadium. It is possible that all these elements, which we had rather well mastered until then, have disturbed us unconsciously. , support, it is possible that, perhaps, that put us a little negative pressure whereas our strength, it was rather to play without expecting anything, to challenge adversaries who were superior to us ", a- he added.

. A defense for Haouas

Beyond the mental or technical problem, the XV of France is confronted with the management of the Mohamed Haouas case, excluded in the first period in Edinburgh for a punch on the third Scottish line Jamie Ritchie. The pillar of Montpellier, which incurs a heavy suspension, was defended by the staff who went up to the front to defend it: "I wanted to stay cold and take the time to view the images well to find an explanation for this gesture "There is no chance. We found some pretty telling images, which I transferred to the commissioner. It is in his hands to decide the fate of the player for the Scotland team," said the manager Raphaël Ibanez, without explaining what gesture he was aiming for.

Pictures show the hand of the Scottish N. 8 Hening in contact with the eye area of ​​Haouas just before the fatal punch.

"It is a gesture that deserves a red card," said Ibanez.

"If + Momo + falls at that time, it stops there," added coach Fabien Galthié, citing the lack of experience of his men.

© 2020 AFP