• The XV of France challenges this Saturday (9 p.m.) the Pumas at the Stade de France for the first test match of the fall.

  • For the first time, Matthieu Jalibert and Romain Ntamack, will play together on the pitch at the position of opener and center.

  • This association has many advantages according to specialists.

    Decryption.

We have it too!

At last.

French supporters can shout it from the rooftops.

England and New Zealand may start to tremble for the 2023 World Cup. That's it, we have our own pair of 10s (Jalibert-Ntamack), and they are about to roll on. that of the XV de la Rose (Ford-Farrell) and the All Blacks (Mo'unga-Barrett).

Two years after his appointment at the head of the Blues, Fabien Galthié decided to take the plunge.

The two training openers will for the first time start together against Argentina this Saturday (9 p.m.) for the first test match of the autumn tour of the XV of France.

🇫🇷🇦🇷 𝑹𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒛-𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒔 Saturday at @StadeFrance against Argentina - @lospumas!

👊 #XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV @autumnnations



🎟️👉 https://t.co/lI089m9B31 pic.twitter.com/E8csQOfQtP

- France Rugby (@FranceRugby) November 4, 2021

Until now, the Bordeaux and Toulouse have hardly ever worn the tricolor jersey side by side on the field.

It's limited to eight minutes of play, to be precise.

It was February 20, 2020, when France won against Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

Matthieu Jalibert entered at the back, before succeeding in a second time Romain Ntamack at the opening.

This option has also often been mentioned since the emergence of the two men at the highest level.

But the UBB player, not a fan of the position, has never done anything transcendent to try to shake up the hierarchy (Bouthier then Dulin and now Jaminet).

Finally, it is the second option with Jalibert in 10 and Ntamack in 12 which will emerge against the Pumas.

A more adaptable Ntamack

“We have had this association in mind for a little while,” says Laurent Labit, in charge of the attack on the XV of France. We want to see what it can give. Even if (the centers) Virimi (Vakatawa) and Arthur (Vincent) were there, we would have worked the same way over these two weeks. " It was time ! Even the sworn enemies of French rugby, Christophe Urios and Ugo Mola, coaches of the two players, each regretted not seeing them evolve together in recent months. It must be said, in defense of the tricolor staff, that the Bordeaux player was perhaps not necessarily at the level during the first year of the Galthié era and that then, it was necessary to do with the injury of the Toulousain there is one year old. And it is only for some time that we speak of a real (false?) Competition.

"We always want, or rather the media always want, to have a number 1 and a number 2. But for me, there is above all a real complementarity between them", explains the experienced François Trinh-Duc.

Matthieu Jalibert, the striker full of French Flair to make the Queen of England wriggle with jealousy, vs the pragmatic Ntamack, an excellent defender and still very stable emotionally.

The latter also has the ability to "adapt a very high level player" adds the three-quarter center of the Blues, Jonathan Danty.

Emile's son sometimes plays number 12 with Stade Toulousain and, better yet, he held the same position during the world champion title of the France Under-20 team in 2018, then shifted to make the place to Louis Carbonel, now left behind by his rivals in the shallot race.

OUR XV DE FRANCE DOSSIER

Any bonus formula?

The new captain of the Blues, Antoine Dupont, still wishes to recall that the “differences between them are not fundamental and that they have quite similar profiles, very focused on the offensive, very players.

So what can this association be used for, which makes all the supporters of the XV of France salivate?

Trinh-Duc, partner of Jalibert in the club, highlights a greater capacity for adaptation: "It is an additional solution for the staff and above all, it can allow to adapt according to the opponent, the weather conditions. .

I repeat, they are complementary, and depending on the match or even the course of the match, the staff have this chance with them to be able to adjust.

"

Offensively and defensively, "the contribution is obvious"

Labit praises the presence of an additional leader: “In our offensive animation, we always play with two identified playmakers, in priority the 10 and the 15 at home. In the idea that Romain (Ntamack) would be 12, we would therefore have the 10, the 12 and even the 15. That makes the task easier for the 10, who is sure to find one of these two players in our game. , the contribution is obvious. Defensively, the same: Gaël Fickou is in the middle with them, he is our defense chief but Romain, whether he is 10 or 12, is a very good defender. This complementarity allows us to have more base on our defensive trio. "

Danty, finally, underlines the possible contribution of the duo in the game of the foot and the communication.

“Romain has a great vision of the game given his position and his training at the opening, and he has a very interesting kicking game to relieve the opening half.

It is also interesting for the forwards who will have three voices (Dupont, Jalibert and Ntamack) to hear on the field to find their way around.

"

This is a good extra step, too, to perfect the adaptation of the new 50/22 rule as quickly as possible (the attacking team keeps the throw when it finds a touch in the opposing 22 meters from its own half of the field) , while the Blues evolve without three-quarter center capable expert of the tatane blow since Damien Traille.

Don't lose one along the way

Finally, aligning the Jalibert-Ntamack pair helps to spare egos.

Leaving either side of the team could be bad for the loser, as both men are above the rest at their posts.

As François Trinh-Duc judiciously reminds us, “a title cannot be won at 15 but with 30-35 very high level players capable of maintaining the level of the team regardless of who is absent”.

We should not therefore lose one along the way.

Bad times for the “old guys” of the XV of France before Argentina via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/unfdOvlYdg

- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) November 4, 2021

In addition, stroke of luck, "these two have gotten along pretty well since the start of the preparation," says François Cros.

Ntamack, who made it clear in the club that he saw himself as an exclusive opening half, did not stop when the French staff handed him the chasuble of the first center, also removing the responsibility of stopping.

“I'm not in their head but there is no animosity between them, ensures the third row of the Stade Toulousain, they collaborate well.

You know, this France group is pretty healthy.

There are no ego issues.

The goal is to win something together.

"And with Matthieu Jalibert and Romain Ntamack on the ground, that can help.

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