Author of a double, Louis Bielle-Biarrey displays sparkling confidence and remarkable mastery of his position. The 21-year-old winger will approach the New Zealand challenge on a very positive note.
When the news of Damian Penaud's crime fell, on Rugbyrama.fra little over two hours before kick-off, many supporters of the XV of France must have felt a little pang in the heart: without the whimsical winger, the ultimate incarnation of French flair, this first lifting of the autumn tour Wasn't she going to lack a grain of madness that was all the more delicious since we had the right to expect an open encounter?
Replaced position for position by the electric Theo Attissogbe, also the author of a quality performance, the original Briviste above all saw Louis Bielle-Biarrey – again wearing his favorite red helmet – take up his torch with dignity in attack. On each of his balls, the Bordeaux player highlighted himself, showing a top speed today considered a benchmark in the industry. Thomas Ramos and Damian Penaud had not by chance cited his speed when it came to composing their ideal player, during the Midol Oscars ceremony, five days earlier. With 123 meters covered, four crossings, five defenders beaten and a double, his second on the international scene after that scored against Namibia, the original Isérois extended in Blue his excellent start to the season made at club. With an average achievement per match (seven), his performance barometer is in good shape. On the international scene, his statistics rival those of the very best finishers in the world: with eight tries in twelve test matches, he displays a ratio equal to that of his elder (36 in 53), still two steps away from Blanco's record which will soon be his… The former Grenoblois derives measured satisfaction from it: “It's always nice to score even if I'm not obsessed with it. It remains anecdotal. I'm especially happy that we found ourselves well offensively and defensively. It gives a lot of confidence.”
Baptism expected against the Blacks
Beyond his canes, Louis Bielle-Biarrey seems to have expanded his range of high-level winger in recent months. The revelation of the year 2023, the one that made people say “wow” to Fabien Galthié during training, as the boss had expressed before the World Cup, has grown a lot. A year after being stunned by South Africa's volley in the quarter-final of the World Cup, he is showing more mastery over the expectations of the position and he seems to have reached a milestone in defense. Within a few centimeters, he could even have been credited with a brilliant defensive return on Tevita Tatafu. “Baptiste Serin chastised me because I didn’t manage to catch a number 8”laughed afterwards, the person concerned, also the author of eight tackles.
The accuracy of his footwork, regularly used to surprise the Japanese and lead the chase, is, finally, also to be highlighted. If Louis Bielle-Biarrey was so active and inspired, he also owes it to the ability that his team had to easily touch the outside with relatively little possession (44%). In this regard, Thomas Ramos was particularly valuable with golden offerings to his wingers, with his hand and even more so with his foot. “With the new refereeing guidelines, the game is more focused on the offensive, evokes the number 11. We changed our game system a little in attack and defense. We felt pretty good but, once again, we will have to be better next week since it will be a tone above.”
Like his team, “LBB” will also pass a new test of maturity for his big debut against the All Blacks. Spectator of the opening match of the World Cup a year ago, the Girondin will approach his reunion with the stature of a potential starter. For the big occasion, he will probably once again be associated with Damian Penaud on the opposite wing. The tandem has, without a doubt, bright days ahead of it. We don't see, apart from a temporary illness, what could prevent him from piling up the common tenures and the trials in Blue…
