Paris (AFP)

South Africa, New Zealand, England or Wales as a hen, what next?

The XV of France will know Monday (12:30 pm) the way to go to win a first world title at home in 2023, during the draw for the Rugby World Cup in Paris.

At the Palais Brongniart, in the heart of the capital, the stake will go beyond the oval ball and the predictions on the likely opponent in the quarterfinals, or even the final winner.

At a time when France must overcome a health and economic crisis and where the news is so heavy, Captain Charles Ollivon will take the measure of the immense challenge offered to his team in three years (September 8 - October 21, 2023) .

First, because President Emmanuel Macron will be present, and because innocent hands have something to intimidate.

Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin will be able to talk to him about winning the most beautiful of trophies, dancer Alice Renavand and chef Guy Savoy of stars and architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte of attention to detail.

- Adjusted in one year -

With the photographer Yann-Arthus Bertrand and the creator Christian Louboutin to complete the set of "ambassadors of France abroad" in charge of the printing, the tone, already set during a campaign clip full of humor in 2017, remains the same: France must shine with all its talents, in its diversity, at all levels.

Since the arrival of Fabien Galthié and Raphaël Ibanez, the XV tricolor has heard this message and changed dimension.

Apart from the March setback in Scotland (28-17), the only real failure of the year, the sad performances that had marked the previous terms seem to have vanished.

Deprived of little by England of the Tournament of the six nations as of the Autumn Cup, the young French team won (7 matches out of 9) and especially regaled.

The desire to install a young generation until 2023, with Romain Ntamack (21) and Antoine Dupont (24) at the helm, paid off with prestigious success over England (24-17).

And until December, when French reservists totally new to this level came close to inflicting a lesson in humility to the XV de la Rose in Twickenham (22-19 after extra time).

- What reunion?

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The certainties are there, the only thing missing is the road map.

Even if the nine host cities (Saint-Denis, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes, Nice, Saint-Etienne) will have to wait until the end of February to find out their posters, and that the opponents of hats 4 and 5 are still far from being known, with the qualifications stretching out until November 2022.

Placed in hat 2 because of their ranking on January 1, 2020 (7th), while they have since risen to 4th place, the Blues will however know the identity of their opponents in hats 1 and 3.

The worst draw would undoubtedly be to fall on New Zealand, which they have not beaten since 2009 - 14 losses since - and on Argentina.

The Pumas, who beat the Blues at the opening of their previous World Cup at home in 2007, took another step up by beating the All Blacks for the first time in November (25-15).

Inheriting South African world champions and Fijian racing cars would be another tricky draw, but perhaps less than a British double trap with England and Scotland that the Blues know by heart to face them every year in the Tournament.

Wales, struggling since Wayne Pivac took over from Warren Gatland, and Italy, which has not been advancing for years, are certainly the best fate.

But Galthié perhaps prefers a big entry challenge, a configuration that smiled on him for his debut ...

Hats for the draw

Hat 1: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Wales

Hat 2: Ireland, Australia, France, Japan

Hat 3: Scotland, Argentina, Fiji, Italy

Hat 4 (not yet qualified): Oceania 1, Europe 1, Americas 1, Asia / Pacific 1

Hat 5 (not yet qualified): Africa 1, Europe 2, Americas 2, winner of the repechage tournament

© 2020 AFP