WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – The Blues start well by beating Qatar (37-19)

After the big disappointment with an elimination in the quarter-finals during the Olympic Games at home last summer, the French team was keen to get the machine back on track. The mission was successful with a satisfactory start against Qatar (37-19). Although they controlled the entire match, Guillaume Gille's players, led by a very good Rémi Desbonnet (9 saves), can still thank the very weak Qataris collectively and individually. The Blues will have to step up their game against Kuwait on Thursday (6 p.m.) and confirm against Austria on Saturday (6 p.m.).

Everything started well for the Blues. After a first goal from Benoît Kounkoud, the French team never gave up the advantage in the score. Quickly, Rémi Desbonnet, elected player of the match, warmed up and made a series of saves against Qatari shots that could be described as “easy”. To launch this World Cup, in the face of absent adversity, each French player wanted to go for their goal and Guillaume Gille's players showed some excess individualism and therefore haste.

But, without forcing, the goals came one after the other thanks to many technical errors and passive defense from Qatar. The scoreboard has several times displayed a score from singles to doubles: 12-6 (19th), 14-7 (23rd) and 16-8 (29th). Aymeric Minne, with three goals at the break, was the top French scorer and passed the 100 goal mark with the Blues. The French team finally ended the first period with a large lead (18-10).

Returning from the break, the Blues, who had been World Champions in 2015 against this Qatari team, began to purr and multiply errors. Facing a weaker team, concentration can sometimes slip away and the first minutes of the second act were proof of this with several missed offensives and missed shots against the best Qatari player of the evening, Anadin Sulijakovic.

But, after a timeout from Gillaume Gille (43rd), the Blues got back on track and took advantage of the opponent's 17 ball losses to string together goals with renewed efficiency and more collective seriousness. Thibaud Briet (7/9), Aymeric Minne (5/6) and Dika Mem (4/5) made a strong impression and were even able to be saved physically by the coach. The French team therefore successfully entered the competition against Qatar (37-19) with a big score (+17).