At the Stade de France,
The World Cup was on the lawn before the match, Saturday night at the Stade de France, supervised by Léa Seydoux and former All Black Jerome Kaino.
But by winning their duel against the New Zealanders (40-25), the Blues only won the Dave-Gallaher trophy, put into play at each meeting between the two selections.
There are many reasons to ignite after this historic success by its magnitude.
We know it's hard, but we must nevertheless remain cautious, less than two years before the World Cup at home which will begin with a reunion with the teammates of Sam Whitelock, still in Saint-Denis.
Here's why.
Blacks carbos
“If you take South Africa, Australia and us, we're running out of steam.
The report is drawn up by Ian Foster, the New Zealand coach, after the second loss in a row of his team, already dominated a week earlier in Ireland (29-20).
Of course, Foster preaches for his parish and dons the armor in prospect of the poison arrows reserved for him by the media in his country.
But impossible to prove him completely wrong.
Locked since their departure from the fold at the end of August, in a health bubble much more hermetic than that of the Blues in the spring, the Blacks appeared short of form and ideas at the Stade de France.
Usually imperial in the money-time, this time they sank at the end of the match, after having believed to reverse the direction of the meeting until the stroke of genius of Romain Ntamack at the hour of play.
This missed meeting was their 15th game since the beginning of July, for a selection which is undoubtedly not the best in the history of the triple world champions.
Forced to play again and again to bail out finances battered by the Covid-19 epidemic, the Tout Noirs (who played in white this time), deprived of the precious Beauden Barrett at the opening and Anton Lienert-Brown in the center, simply proved they were human.
The stars were aligned
Quadruple winner of the Blacks during his glorious career, Fabien Pelous delivered his recipe a few days ago: "To beat them, they have to be a little worse in the future, that the referee has some favorable decisions, that you , you have the "home" anyway. “Everything was there this Saturday, with a goal scorer in weightlessness as Melvyn Jaminet finished with 20 points at 100% success.
Speaking of success, it did not flee the French, far from it.
"There are times in the match when it could have turned in their favor," admitted Jonathan Danty who, before delivering a dantesque game, had started from the start with a kick "not really necessary", his own admission.
But the back Jordie Barrett, yet quiet, completely messed up his clearance, to offer a touch five meters from his line to the Blues, which will bring the first try of Mauvaka (3rd), and will launch France on the rails of success.
What is it, sometimes ...
The score is wide, but we still freaked out
Three tries between the 47th and the 60th minute.
The New Zealanders, authors of a canon start to the second period, came back from 24-6 to 27-25 and we would not necessarily have bet our Twingo on the blue chances at that time.
"We can build on this match, we were also scared, it could have changed, but we knew how to stay cold", will recognize also Antoine Dupont, who should soon have two statues in his likeness, on the squares of Ernest-Wallon and the Stade de France.
Freedom, victory, brotherhood 🇫🇷
Bravo the team 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/eVD6purJMT
- Antoine Dupont (@ Dupont9A) November 20, 2021
The French were able to demonstrate a realism which is usually rather the mark of the Blacks, until this interception of Damian Penaud to fold the game.
"On a snatched ball we score a try, we score three points after a forward ..." also compiles Melvyn Jaminet.
Drafts against Argentina (29-20) then Georgia (41-15) the previous weekends, the Blues were able to raise the tone for their big meeting of the fall.
The challenge now consists of "trying to keep the same level all the time", as Fabien Galthié and Antoine Dupont have slipped, seated side by side in front of the media, in a small number of duettists which recalled the best hours of Chevallier. and Laspallès.
We still haven't won anything (and we're not going to laugh at the next Tournament)
France is playing well, it is exciting, its reservoir, with a few positions (2nd line, wingers) seems inexhaustible ... But we come back to the starting point to remind that to this day, the France team has not yet won the VI Nations Tournament under Galthié's mandate, started after the 2019 World Cup. The 2022 edition seems the right opportunity to repair this "oversight", since England and Ireland, the two biggest competitors of the northern hemisphere, will move to Saint-Denis.
But it will be necessary to be wary (as usual) of the friends of Owen Farrell, who have just beaten Australia and the South African world champions this fall, and of the players of the Clover, suffocating executioners of the All Blacks last Saturday. .
Not to mention that getting around Scotland and Wales shouldn't be just a healthy walk.
In short, the road is straight but the slope is steep, to plagiarize a former Prime Minister.
Even if, despite all the precautions taken before, the XV of France will undoubtedly have more than a beautiful head of outsider in 2023 for its World Cup.
"It is not this result that makes us a candidate [for the world title], it is our ambition and that of the players," said Fabien Galthié after the show of force against the Blacks.
This result is a consequence.
And a huge promise.
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Fabien Galthie
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XV of France
Sport
Rugby
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