Attractive and even more so against the Japanese who were quickly overwhelmed, the Tricolores, authors of eight tries, got off to a perfect start to the autumn break. Now it’s time for the All Blacks!
Considering the last tour in Argentina and the scent of sulfur that was exhaled, the Blues apparently had something to make up for on Saturday evening. In fact, however, there were only three of them, at the start of this France-Japan, to have competed last July in the Mendoza test whose continuation caused so much discussion, in our latitudes: Léo Barré, Emilien Gailleton and Jean-Baptiste Gros.
Also read:
XV of France – The fact of the match: the corridors like boulevards
Nevertheless aware that they were defending in this first match of the autumn tour, against an opponent coming off a sixty-point spanking against the New Zealand reservists, the honor and reputation of a great rugby country, Antoine Dupont and his teammates bravely fulfilled their mission: authors of eight essaysaggressive as hell, sharp in their races and very often inspired with ball in hand, the Tricolores dismissed the Brave Blossom with the back of their sleeve and gave this new international season, with a few strokes of the kidneys and as many flashes, some finery less heartbreaking than those who sealed the vault of the previous one…
Meafou, a giant in a schoolyard
At the Stade de France, the Galthié gang quickly took the score with a try flattened by Louis Bielle-Biarrey: the latter, well shifted to the wing by a long pass from Thomas Ramos, scored in his usual style, either after having outpaced the entire opposing defense. In the process, Emilien Gailleton imitated his former partner from the French under-20 team and, recovering another decisive pass from Ramos, this time distilled at the foot, the Palois scored the first try of his international career.
We will spare you the rest, my lords, as this meeting was in reality a demonstration of force on one side and a long complaint, on the other. The fact is that in rugby, holy mother, we may have all the good will in the world, an individual technique that is not far from perfect and the audacity which characterized, for example, the Japanese hooker Mamoru Harada when he attempted a free kick. 'deb' on the fastest French player opposite (Louis Bielle-Biarrey), we cannot survive with dignity in a fight where we generally lose ten kilos on each position. And on Saturday evening, we felt very bad for these unfortunate Japanese when Manny Meafou shook his guests' squash like a giant would have done in a schoolyard, making everyone understand at this stage, two-thirds full, that France and Japan do not currently play the same sport or rugby, Polynesian genetics are often more lethal than any other…
In a few hours, there will obviously be nothing left of this France – Japan that is too easy to extract any valid lesson from it, except the omnipotence of Thomas Ramos at the opening or the new offensive appetite of the Tricolores. At the time of turning our back on Saint-Denis, we will just hope from this French team, freewheeling against the fourteenth nation in the world, that it raises its tone a little more against the unstoppable All Blacks , since they set foot in the northern hemisphere…
