EWhat if we finally looked towards 2027? The XV of France begins its autumn tour this Saturday against Japan, and what accompanies this first meeting in November is the idea of a page being turned, of a new chapter, of a story to be written in the rising sun.
Three hundred and ninety-one days separate Antoine Dupont and his comrades from the trauma of a World Cup that ended too quickly. Since this disastrous quarter-final, the Blues have given the feeling of sailing between two waters without being able to completely shed the weight of their regrets during the Six Nations Tournament. And then, to accentuate this impression of an endless hangover, there was this tour in Argentina with a rejuvenated group where the gloominess was added to the spleen and disenchantment.
A form of drift
There had to be an end to this tricolor “zapoï” and the double affair of Mendoza had its merit: it forced Galthié and his staff to take a closer look at the state of their project, to recognize a form of drift in the management of people, a loss of clarity in the designated objectives.
Like opening the windows of a room laden with miasma, the Blues' living environment has been redefined, and what is undoubtedly more important, the cards have been reshuffled. The line between “Premium players” and contenders was partly erased during this first gathering. The wind of competition has once again blown in Marcoussis.
Captains during Galthié's first mandate, Charles Ollivon, Anthony Jelonch were sent home, Jonathan Danty was not called up and the ever-present Gaël Fickou was, perhaps temporarily, installed on the substitutes' bench. “The French team is not Koh Lanta,” assured Fabien Galthié who, for four years, always protected his relays. He did not renounce the credo of his first mandate but he modulated the rules. None of these leaders are eliminated but there is no longer any immunity totem. The performance imperative will once again become the same for everyone. “We can talk about a France group which starts on an expanded base of 42 players,” admitted the Blues coach.
“Living together”
When he met the players at the CNR last week, he shared with them for the first time a road map towards the World Cup in Australia. “It’s in three years, with very few matches, 32 including the three this fall. The ambition of these four weeks is to win a cape, two capes, three capes and three victories, but it is also to live together and look forward to three years to come. »
This Saturday evening, at kick-off, there will only be thirteen players left in the quarter-final against the Springboks (7 among the starters and 6 among the substitutes). Among the new developments, we are of course curious to see if Tevita Tatafu, the right pillar of Bayonne, will quickly find his feet at the international level and resolve the question of succession in the short or medium term from Uini Atonio. We will also be attentive to the way in which the Yoram Moefana – Émilien Gailleton association will function at the center. On paper, the duo of these two punchers seems attractive. It is undoubtedly suited to the speed-focused rugby that Eddie Jones' Brave Blossoms will offer. But will it be renewed even if it succeeds next week?
Dupont is back
It is not certain that this Japanese team, clearly beaten by the All Blacks (64-19) two weeks ago, will provide Galthié with all the answers he expects before challenging Scott Robertson's men. And when you have set yourself the goal of achieving flawless performance, there is little room for experimentation.
Because there was Mendoza in July, because the proposed playing patterns, like player management, were not always clear last winter, it is important for Galthié and his staff to encourage a new momentum during these three November meetings.
The good news is that Antoine Dupont is back. Having left to live his Olympic adventure with the French Sevens team, the Toulouse scrum half will have been spared from this kind of discomfort which has accompanied the French XV since January. His aura has grown, as has his knowledge as a player. Who else but him to bring back the light and guide the steps of the Blues towards 2027?
