Rugby: the XV of France begins the Galthié era by triumphing over the English

Text by: Pierre Fesnien Follow

For the first match of the new coach Fabien Galthié who takes over the reins of the team after ten years of sawtooth, the French have largely stood up to the vice-champions of the English world, who had yet promised them hell, in s imposing 24-17 in the first game of the Six Nations Tournament.

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The last time, we had left the XV of France full of regrets in Japan after giving up a place in the semi-final of the World Cup against Wales (20-19) in a match that the Blues seemed to master before the expulsion of Vahaamahina. Since the end of October, coach Jacques Brunel has given way to Fabien Galtier, and this “Crunch” at home at the Stade de France, seemed to be very timely to make a clean sweep of the past and forget the previous disappointments. The Blues did not disappoint.

Eddie Jones had however warned that the French players were going to be put to the test: " They have never been confronted with the intensity and the physical brutality with which we are going to play Sunday ", released the English coach. It must be said that at the start, the experience of the international level seemed largely to weigh in favor of the English. Thirteen holders had less than 20 selections in Blue against only four on the side of XV de la Rose. A risk-taking assumed by Fabien Galthié who wishes to breathe new life into French rugby by relying on a generation of young players twice world champions under 20 in 2018 and 2019.

French demonstration in the first period

This new project of enticing game could however have seemed presumptuous vis-a-vis the vice-champions of the world in title, but it is however well the bet of Galthié which paid in a first period when the English received a lesson of rugby and returned in the locker room at 17-0, after a penalty from Romain Ntamack and two tries from Vincent Rattez and the new three-color captain Charles Ollivon.

Therefore, difficult to imagine our best enemies remain spectators and not react, and it is certainly at this time that this new XV of France was the most interesting. Upon returning from the locker room, the English put enormous pressure on the French defense which was able to resist for five good minutes the continuous assault of the men of Eddie Jones without ever yielding to the image of the third tricolor center line Grégory Aldritt , author of a capital performance and elected man of the match.

The French will nevertheless end up giving in on a try by Jonny May in the 58th minute of play. The English winger will double the bet at 65th minute by slaloming through a strangely apathetic French defense. Meanwhile, Charles Ollivon had also registered his second try but at 24-14, the old demons hovered again over the heads of the Blues and the fear of a return to the edge of the XV of the Rose did not that add a little more suspense to the last 15 minutes of play.

Les Bleus now among the favorites of the Tournament

A few months ago, the French might have lost this match but not this XV of France there who seems to have gained confidence and serenity like Anthony Bouthier who prevented George Kruis from flattening in extremis at the 75th minute. it was not enough to reverse the trend, but the English still managed to get a penalty transformed by Owen Farrell in the 80th to seal the score at 24-17.

The renewal of the XV of France hoped for with the arrival on the job of Fabien Galthié starts in any case under the best auspices. Starting the tournament by winning the "Crunch" with style, two years after the last victory of the Blues against the English can inspire optimism and now, France is looking like a credible pretender for the final victory. The real test will be against another favorite of the Tournament, Wales, but before that we will have to go and win against Italy on February 9th.

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