- The XV of France will enter the Galthié era on Sunday against England
- A phase that should lead the Blues to their World Cup in 2023
- Among the rising stars expected, there are three opening halves: Ntamack, Jalibert and Carbonel. A new traffic jam at number 10.
Booba is not very rugby, more like MMA. And when he sang "only numbers 10 in my team" in the early 2000s, it was mainly in reference to football. But the very recent French rugby environment encourages us, even forces us, to assimilate its punchline to the XV of France. Because in case you missed it, after years of hassle at the opening, our coach will have to face a tough choice at the opening in the coming weeks, months and years to come. A rich problem that we have rarely had in this country where the 9 has often vampirized the game, and which the immense Titou Lamaison is looking forward to.
“We will finally be able to debate on such and such and such, weigh the pros and cons on players who, despite their young age, have the legitimacy to fight for this position. Better, I would say that these 10 are also scorers. There are 10s with a sense of responsibility and strategist. The future seems promised to the trio of openers summoned by Fabien Galthié on the sidelines of the preparation of the Tournament: Romain Ntamack, Matthieu Jalibert and Louis Carbonel, but Lamaison quotes others. Belleau, Plisson "who finds himself a second youth", Lopez "not yet at the retirement home" and even Thomas Ramos, whose staff does not seem to be a fan. “He has a game of passing, taking initiative and speed. In style, it responds to what the staff expects. "
Decision-making on the 10th and "succession plan"
But let's leave the question of the incumbent at the opening to our future counter discussions and ask ourselves that of the reasons for the appearance of this reservoir of numbers 10, the result of long-term work in the categories of young people. "Our objective was to build the best training in the world," explains DTN Didier Retière. In football and handball, we get there, there is no reason for rugby to lag behind. ” To achieve this, it was necessary to develop coordination between the federation and the clubs and develop new tools. For example :
- What Retière calls the succession plan. “The objective is to know where we are in terms of the reservoir for each position over the coming years. It is thanks to this tool that we were able to have the first alerts five or six years ago on front line positions. "
- Internships. The young openers of the XV of France followed, two years ago, a training course exclusively adapted to the position of 10. "The training course of two years ago, it was" to help the decision-making of game leaders ". When to play, how long, how to get out of your camp, when to take the interval… ”
Internship titles almost as barbaric as your worst corporate training, with the only difference that it seems to have worked for Ntamack, Carbonel and Jalibert. David Darricarrère, former coach of the rear of the U20 of the XV of France, equates the trio to the qualities mentioned above. “These boys are able to respect all of the game plans, but also to take relevant initiatives and decisions. »Non-exhaustive list of talents to which we can add the impermeability to the pressure of Toulousain, the game with the instinct of Toulonnais and the explosiveness of Bordeaux. And with, for all three, one goal to achieve according to Darricarrère: "to become the future big bosses of the team." They have the character ”.
Have the three play together? Possible but not immediate
Three bosses for 15 thieves, pass again. Three 10s for a single position is a different story. Beyond the promises of beautiful games and titles that accompany the generation double world champion of U20, the future of the XV of France will be that of a big problem of the rich: can we associate these three phenomena together and if so, How? 'Or' What ? We delivered our little thrill tactical diagram to the former blueberries rear coach (Carbonel 10, Ntamack 12 and Jalibert 15). The verdict is encouraging.
"The idea was a bit like that. Knowing that at the start, they have a number on the back and that when the game asks for it, one ends up 10, the other 12 and the other 15. If Jalib 'had not been injured and that we would have had the opportunity, we would have played all three. Because there are so many possible combinations with these three players who also accumulate superpowers, whether it be the kicking game, the pass or the organization, that it even makes the game smoother. " to scatter several 10s at the four corners of the field either for Titou Lamaison, who reluctantly cites the coexistence Ford-Farrell in England, before calming our ardor.
“[The three together on the field] This is a bit premature question, I am waiting to see what will be the framework of play. A few months ago, we were stammering our rugby, we must not forget. Suffice to say that starting to make combinations with young people who have not yet proven at the highest level, we are not there yet. Facing England from the start can allow us to see where we will start in the coming weeks and months. The question is, we have three nuggets, why not make them play together? But this is hypothetical, on the horizon of three years I would say. "
Retière thinks no less and urges humility. As talented as it is, the success of this new generation of 10, he says, is not yet guaranteed. His future is even still fragile like the health of a Jalibert. "[He] was injured twice ... a foreigner in a club can quickly arrive and take the place, some may take longer to take off than others. Without forgetting, therefore, all the other guys capable of playing at the opening. Fabien Galthié's first list for Sunday crunch reminds us how tough the competition is. Of the three nuggets, only Ntamack appears to be an indisputable holder. Jalibert is on the bench and Carbonel is absent from the list. One number 10 in the team.
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- Fabien Galthié
- England
- 6 Nations
- XV of France