The reigning Olympic champions have not lost their good habits as they leave Katowice, where they had won their three matches in the first phase, for Krakow, some 70 km further east.

They can even now seriously consider continuing their journey further north, in Gdansk, in the quarter-finals: with six points on the clock (Wednesday's success is added to the two acquired in the first round against teams qualified like them, Poland and Slovenia), a victory in the last two matches should except thunderbolt be synonymous with qualification.

They face Iran on Friday and then Spain on Sunday, and the first of these two meetings is obviously the most affordable.

But beyond the balance sheet, the France team made a strong impression.

“We are entering this main round in a good way,” agrees coach Guillaume Gille, who believes that his team is gaining momentum, after having benefited from little preparation: ten days before the start of the competition, punctuated by two friendly matches, after an initial four-day course (December 26-30) devoted to a physical assessment of the troops.

"We did very little handball and these matches (before the final phase) also serve to break in the systems, find confidence, stabilize the organizations. What we need if we want to go far" underlined Gille.

"In the deep end"

Gérard for his part highlighted the difficulty of the first round which the Blues faced to explain the move upmarket of his team.

The players of the France team after their main round match of the World Handball Championship against Montenegro (35-24), in Krakow, Poland, January 18, 2023 © JANEK SKARZYNSKI / AFP

"Unlike other teams, we were immediately in the deep end. We are seriously focused, we continue to progress, to pick up the pace" underlined the goalkeeper, who also placed the cursor a little higher: 15 saves with almost 50% success (45), including three penalties stopped out of four.

"We have a dense group with players who can leave the bench at any time. For the moment, the lights are green but we are still very, very far from the finish line" added the goalkeeper.

Gérard and Gille were once again able to appreciate the depth of the squad: in the absence of Dika Mem, still injured in the abdominals, this time it was Melvyn Richardson who shone (10 goals out of 13 attempts) in the position of right-back, following a less inspired Nedim Remili (2/5) than against the Slovenians on Monday.

"It's also how we compensate for this kind of absence (of Mem) that we see the quality" of the group, underlined Gille.

Asked about his performance, Richardson, son of former "Barjot" Jackson Richardson, kicked in touch: "I will remember the titles more (than these 10 goals). We are only at the beginning, if we reaches the end, then I can tell you that I will remember these 10 goals."

Rotations

Another satisfaction: the hole having been made twenty minutes from the end (23-16), Gille was able to breathe the holders and give playing time to the substitutes.

Frenchman Elohim Prandi (g) against Montenegrin Stevan Vujovic during the main round match between France and Montenegro (35-24), World Handball Championships, in Krakow, Poland, January 18, 2023 © JANEK SKARZYNSKI / AFP

Like Elohim Prandi, who has regained some confidence (2/4) after a complicated start to the World Cup.

"This is where the homogeneity and quality of our team are super important. We will climb from game to game" noted Prandi.

"There is still work" engaged Gille, "in the management of the balloons, our efficiency at times a little irregular, and defensively".

"While we pose a lot of problems in general to the opponent, we sometimes have small air pockets. In the matches that await us it can be expensive" he added.

The Blues still have a few days ahead of them before these cutthroat matches.

© 2023 AFP