Will the Blues be brooding on the pitch or in the locker room on September 8, 2023?

The answer will depend on the result of their first match in the World Cup against the formidable All Blacks, who they will face at the Stade de France.

A huge initial shock for the Blues who will then meet in group matches Uruguay, Italy and Namibia, much less terrifying opponents.

To qualify for the quarter-finals, the Blues must finish first or second in Pool A. A goal well within their reach given their results over the past two years, France having not lost a single match since July 17 2021. A series of 13 victories, with no defeats in 2022, which notably allowed them to win the Grand Slam in the Six Nations Tournament last year.

✅😍 10 matches, 𝟏𝟎 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬!


The Blues end 2022 unbeaten! #XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV pic.twitter.com/qmJYzxDTQM

– France Rugby (@FranceRugby) November 20, 2022

New Zealand are among the long list of teams beaten by the Blues over the past 18 months.

The XV of France clearly dominated the All Blacks (40-25) at the Stade de France in November 2021. A very important success for the French, who were able to both put an end to a series of 14 defeats against New Zealand and fill up with confidence for the opening match of the World Cup in this same venue.

This reunion in Dionysian land will launch a competition in which the Blues will endorse the status of favorites.

Led by coach Fabien Galthié since the last World Cup in Japan which saw the French lose in the quarter-finals against the Welsh (19-20), French rugby players are now showing great consistency.

They were able to dominate opponents with very different profiles and were able to come back to the score when they were behind to win on the wire, for example against Australia in November (30-29).

France has once again become a "major nation of rugby"

The Blues rely on a young and talented group in which shine high quality elements, starting with scrum half Antoine Dupont, voted best player in the world in 2021 and best player of the 2022 Six Nations Tournament. French management has been able to involve a large number of players to prepare for this competition and there is no shortage of options for each position, thus being able to compensate for the injury packages that will punctuate the next eight months.

During the autumn tour which saw the Blues defeat Australia, South Africa and Japan, this management chose to trust the same players, only making changes due to injuries or suspensions.

And he should adopt the same strategy during the 2023 edition of the Six Nations Tournament, which will start for France on February 5 with a duel against Italy.

New Year = New #GuinnessSixNations!

#Welcome2023 #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/lQPBRALtj3

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 1, 2023

But the task promises to be more complicated for the Blues this year due to the difficult calendar of the Six Nations Tournament, which provides for a trip to Ireland, currently first ahead of France in the World Rugby world rankings, then to England, where France hasn't won since 2005 in the Tournament.

The Blues do not lack ambition, however, as coach Fabien Galthié reminded us this week at a press conference.

"For this Six Nations Tournament, we will try to repeat what we managed to do last year," he said, insisting that France, once again a "major rugby nation" , has a status to assume.

A coveted Webb Ellis Trophy since 1987

These two away games will be very interesting tests for Fabien Galthié, who will see if his players are capable of displaying the same level of performance on the field of major world rugby teams.

They will then have four matches left during the summer, including two against Scotland, to prepare for the 2023 edition of the World Cup.

If they want to succeed in shining on their land, the French players will have to be able to manage the pressure linked to the organization of this event at home.

They know how much the French public has dreamed of the Webb Ellis trophy since 1987, the year of the first edition of the Rugby World Cup.

An expectation all the stronger as the Blues are among the favorite teams to win the tenth edition.

French manager Raphael Ibañez will be able to remind players of the importance of starting this competition in the best possible conditions.

In 2007, he was captain of the XV of France which lost to Argentina at the Stade de France (12-17), in the opening match of the World Cup.

A disappointment that did not prevent the French from qualifying for the quarter-finals and achieving a feat against the All Blacks.

They were then beaten by England and finally finished fourth in the edition.

The objective of the French team is of course to do better this time and to become the second nation in the northern hemisphere, after England in 2003, to win a Rugby World Cup.

With a major advantage, that of playing this competition at home, in front of supporters who have also become very ambitious.

20 teams for a title

The 2023 World Cup, which will take place from September 8 to October 28 in ten French cities, will see 20 selections divided into four groups competing for the world title.

France 24 offers you, between now and the kick-off of this major sporting event, a series of articles on the teams in the running.

With a publication the "XV" of each month.

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