The XV of France puts on the warm-up blue for its first match of the Six Nations Tournament against Italy, Sunday February 5.
A return to the field a little more than two months after their victory against Japan (35-17), on November 20, where the Blues concluded a high-flying year 2022 with 13 victories in a row – a record – and a Grand Slam at the Six Nations.
In Rome, Antoine Dupont and his teammates will have to be wary of Italy, which has promised to set “a nice trap” for the Blues.
The match seems, however, unbalanced on paper: the XV of France is world No. 2 and on a series of record victories – still in progress.
Opposite, the transalpine have not beaten the Blues for ten years …
But be careful not to fail because of overconfidence.
The Squadra Azzurra showed clear progress in 2022: they won their first match in the Tournament since 2015 by dominating Wales in Cardiff (22-21), and then they narrowly got the better of Australia ( 28-27) in the fall.
The captain of the Blues did not look down on the first opponent of the Blues in this Tournament, on Saturday at a press conference: "We have all seen their exploits (...). It shows their progress, their dangerousness” "They have new players who perform very well on the pitch, they have an increasingly oiled system. (...) It's a more than dangerous team."
>> To read also: Rugby World Cup 2023: the Blues focused on their quest for a first coronation
'Almost cultural change' of Italy's game
A great architect of this Italian renaissance, the Toulousain Ange Capuozzo knows what to expect, the first XV of France in 2023 with seven of his club teammates, starting with Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack.
"I don't know yet what it's like to face friends because, from memory, I've never been confronted with that," he confided, before adding: "I've already checked the dated for a while.
They are all friends, yes, but I hope that we will set a nice trap for them all the same“.
Italian captain Michele Lamaro spoke on Saturday of the "almost cultural change" that Italy's playing system has undergone, now more focused on attack.
"Compared to a year ago, we have made great strides forward: we have revisited our game system, it is about an almost 'cultural' change in our way of understanding a meeting", explained the third line.
Gone are the days when the Italians, cornered by opponents better than them, "were content to defend and contain the opposing teams", underlined Michele Lamaro.
"Now, as soon as we can, we launch attacks, we try to put our opponents in difficulty and above all we no longer hesitate to counter-attack".
While admitting that Italy were still struggling to manage their end of the match, the captain of the Squaddra Azzura also added: "We have more confidence because we know we are dangerous, and it shows: we are happier to play with the ball".
“Do not make the Six Nations a stage before the World Cup”
The hunt for the Blues is therefore open.
Gone are the days when Italy presented themselves as an expiatory victim and Antoine Dupont's teammates were warned.
"It may be our most important match because we can't lose it, we mustn't have to regret the points at the end," said second row Paul Willemse.
The Toulouse third line, Anthony Jelonch, does not say anything else: "Everyone calls us favorites but we must not belittle this team which is confident. (...) Everyone is really focused on this first match , we know very well that it will be a very tough fight and we are ready to take it up".
For the Blues who have an empire to build before the World Cup in France (September 8-October 28), a great victory against Italy – offensive bonus as a bonus – would ideally launch this 24th edition of the Six Nations Tournament.
This would also allow them to prepare for the difficult trip to Dublin to challenge the XV of Clover, current world No. 1 and successive winner of the All Blacks and South African world champions.
Because it is a major challenge that awaits the Blues seven months before the Rugby World Cup: achieve an impossible double in one year with three trips, to Rome and Dublin then to London.
The icing on the cake, a new clear round would allow them to equal the absolute record of 18 wins in a row, jointly held by the English (October 2015-March 2017) and the New Zealanders (August 2015-November 2016).
And to send a message to planet rugby.
But everything in its time, as Antoine Dupont recalled on Saturday: “The objective is the Tournament (…).
It should not be a stage before the World Cup.
Already, because it is important for us to defend our title but also, because if we look too far, we are not in the present moment and it would be the best way to be wrong.
France-Italy in a few figures
Some 46 matches have been played since 1937 – 43 wins for France and 3 for Italy.
The XV of France remains on a series of 12 consecutive victories against Italy.
The last Italian victory dates back to February 3, 2013 (23-18 in Rome).
The last five matches (five wins for the Blues):
47-19 on August 30, 2019
35-22 on February 9, 2020
36-5 on November 28, 2020
50-10 on February 6, 2021
37-10 on February 6, 2022
With AFP
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