You can follow this meeting live on the France 24 website.
The second-line French Thibaut Flament has something to see life in pink: since his first selection with the XV of France a year ago against Argentina, he has never known defeat.
In ten matches, he has won ten victories, just missing a meeting against Italy in February because of the Covid-19.
And he will start on Saturday, November 12, against South Africa, the reigning world champion.
10 games in Blue, 10 wins for Thibaud Flament 💯 pic.twitter.com/DWt98fnKPb
— World Rugby FR 🇫🇷 (@WorldRugby_FR) November 7, 2022
The prize list of this talented player marries the course of the Blues who signed, on Saturday, a historic record of 11 consecutive victories by beating Australia at the Stade de France.
A success, achieved on the wire (30-29), which allowed them to prepare in the best conditions for their confrontation against South Africa, the only team in the world Top 10 that the Blues have not beaten in the 12 last months.
Thibaut Flament and his teammates know that the numbers are not in their favour, the last seven duels having turned to the advantage of the formidable South Africans.
The Blues have not beaten them for 13 years.
They almost succeeded in their last face-to-face, in November 2018, but a try scored by hooker Bongi Mbonambi during stoppage time allowed the Springboks to narrowly win (26-29).
And none of the 23 French players selected for Saturday's match therefore has a victory against the Springboks in his record.
🔜 Next step: the @Springboks at the @orangevelodrome, 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶 𝗮̀ 𝟮𝟭𝗵𝟬𝟬 🇫🇷🇿🇦
📣🔥 See you in Marseille!
🔵⚪️#FRAAFS #XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV pic.twitter.com/sAQOdfqZ3K
– France Rugby (@FranceRugby) November 10, 2022
The next opponent of the Blues is all the more frightening as the South Africans, beaten last weekend by Ireland in Dublin (19-16), intend to recall their supremacy and calm the ardor of the French, at one year of the World Cup organized in France.
"It's a very important match for the South Africans. They know they represent a big scalp that France wants to add to its collection", explains Dylan Jack, journalist for the South African magazine SA Rugby.
A new opponent profile for the Blues
The Springboks want to strike a blow at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, an enclosure in which they will start the next World Cup, on September 10, 2023, against Scotland.
"We have the feeling that the best teams in the world are finding a way to annihilate the Springbok system of play. Beating France in France, especially with the very strong French pack, would restore the reputation of the South African forwards. South," said Dylan Jack.
Their physical hardness is known, and feared, on all terrains on the planet.
South Africans love the fight and roughness.
They have particularly rough players in their ranks like second-row Eben Etzebeth.
His altercation with Australian pillar Allan Alaalatoa last September shows that this player is a formidable warrior.
😤 Eben Etzebeth reminded the world how absolutely frightening he is with this stand off with Allan Alaalatoa.
#AUSvRSA #RugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/wlAPoVrNtR
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 4, 2022
The aggressiveness and the physical dimension of this team are of particular interest to the French management who want to see the Blues come up against it.
"We must continue to build and grow. And South Africa presents a team profile that we have not yet faced", explained this week in a press conference Laurent Labit, coach in charge of the tricolor attack.
The Blues will have to be able to respond physically to their opponents, especially in scrum and touch.
And for that, they will unfortunately not be able to count on the power of their second line of South African origin Paul Willemse, forced to give up this autumn tour due to a muscle injury.
Cheslin Kolbe Wisp
The back lines of the Boks are also full of qualities and the three-quarters of South Africa, criticized after the defeat in Ireland, also intend to shine with their speed, their technique and the precision of their footwork, on the lawn of the Olympic Marseille.
"Three quarters will want to be more clinical than against Ireland. They had a lot of attacking chances, especially in the first half, but they were wasted or very well defended," analyzes Dylan Jack.
The eyes of the spectators will be focused in particular on the winger Cheslin Kolbe, who wears the colors of RC Toulon in club.
He joined it in 2021 after four brilliant seasons at Stade Toulousain, with which he was champion of France and Europe.
And this very explosive player, diminished by several injuries in recent months, could well gratify the public at the Stade Vélodrome with his dazzling ball in hand.
@CheslinKolbe
&
@lakafia
pic.twitter.com/KGKz4WmXHn
- RCT - RC Toulon (@RCTofficiel) October 28, 2022
Cheslin Kolbe will have to succeed in taking a French defense well in place on which the Blues rely to chain the good performances.
The French three-quarters will closely monitor this will-o'-the-wisp and his teammates from the back lines.
This will be the mission of the tricolor winger Damian Penaud, who scored last week against Australia a decisive try a few minutes from the end of the match.
He is the only French survivor of the France team which started in 2018 against South Africa.
And he hopes, after four defeats against the Springboks, this time to be able to enjoy a success so awaited by the whole of French rugby.
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