EDITORIAL
The course of the XV of France in World Cup stopped Sunday in the quarterfinals of the World Cup against Wales (20-19), with big regrets. Because they stupidly evolved outnumbered for 30 minutes, but not only.
"Somehow it's a failure." France coach Jacques Brunel did not go around the bush. Our editorialist, Virginia Phulpin, either.
The Rugby World Cup is over for France. The Blues beat on the wire by Wales 20-19 yesterday in the quarterfinals. For you, there is no more French than this elimination.
So french. There is the cock, the wand, and that kind of defeat in our genes. It's like that. The XV of France yesterday played its best match of the world cup. Finally, we saw a team and the game. If we had said that at the beginning, that the Blues would be so close to the last square of the World Cup, we would have signed immediately, given the slump from which we were leaving . But no, inevitably, after this quarter-final, we still manage to leave with remorse and regret. Because we do not know how to do things differently. This team gave us a splendid first half, they pounded the Welsh defense. I almost had to pinch myself to believe in 12-0. How these rough Blues for years managed to pass the Welsh, one of the top three teams in the world, for nice stooges? 19-10 at half-time, the XV of France should have even led more widely. But it must be written somewhere that one must suffer by watching this team, that one can never be sure of anything.
The turning point of the match is Sebastien Vahaamina's nudge?
That too is very French. Vahaamina made us a Zidane 2006. And again, no one had insulted his family. The player was doing a high level match. And in a split second, it makes everything fall. An elbow in the head of an opponent, seriously? You have to learn how to handle the pressure. Result, red card. His world cup is over, but that of France too. Yes, it reminds us of memories. This happiness that flies away. Head, elbow, madness.
>> ANALYSIS - The XV of France "made an average world cup, but with a lot of talent on this last match"
But once again, the Blues reacted in French. They found the meaning of the word solidarity, and they fought to the end. We always make the worst and the best live together ... It could not be a totally French defeat if the test of Wales at the end of the match was not so questionable. Was there before Welsh or not? The referee says no, all French a little chauvinist says yes and it's a scandal to grant it.
Yes, we did the trick of everything that is special about the Blues, in this quarterfinal. A defeat, yes, but a team that may have found a soul. In 4 years, the world cup will take place in France. It may be necessary to be a little less french. We are no longer at a paradox.