Hindered at the start of the game by the Argentinian candles, the Blues had the merit of reversing this pressure with an effective tactical footwork which pushed their opponents to make mistakes.
As they had declared before the meeting, the Pumas “had a plan” to bring down the Blues at the Stade de France. Which was, in truth, not very difficult to fan, which consisted of bombarding the back of the tricolor field with candles between Gabin Villière and Léo Barré, while trying to confine the tricolor attack through their inverted defense. And to be honest, given the lack of skill of the Blues in the aerial duels (7 missed receptions during the first act), the strategy could have worked… “We wanted to prevent them from entering our 22 meters, but we didn't always succeed, lamented coach Felipe Contepomi. The yellow cards cost us dearly.” If the Argentinians made mistakes, it was primarily the consequence of the immense pressure imposed by the Tricolores. Like, for example, this double counter made by Charles Ollivon on the opposing scrum half Bazan Velez, at the origin of the Bielle-Biarrey try (58th)…
Effective hunts
However, beyond this double fact of play, the main aspect of the French pressure resided elsewhere. Very exactly in the way in which the Blues circumvented the threat of the Argentine defense rush, by focusing essentially on their kicking game and effective “hunting”. The penalty try awarded after the fault of flanker Juan-Martin Gonzalez in front of Bielle-Biarrey (34th) is the best illustration of this, since beyond having posed the danger after a brilliant pass at the foot of Ramos, the The situation had previously been resolved by a brilliant kick from Dupont over a ruck, controlled by his opener and executed blindly. A gesture which clearly underlined the Pumas' difficulties in covering their backfield, accentuated by the attempt of this same Bielle-Biarrey, faster than everyone in pursuit of his own kick (58th). Or by the two 50:22 found by Fickou (8th) then Ramos (28th), without forgetting this dismissal of Ramos won by Villière which provided so many opportunities for the Blues to install their now famous “black game” (read opposite). “This strategy was already the one we had already studied in July, said Contepomi about this once again winning dispossession. The difference with this summer is the players: Fickou, Ramos, Dupont, and all the others who did not come in July.” “Premiums” whose qualities fit perfectly with the current style of the Blues, unlike some famous “downgraded”, for example…
France
