At the Stade de France,
Some Top 14 coaches had to tear their hair out at the final whistle of France-Argentina (37-23) on Friday evening. While the temperatures hovered around 0°C, some players remained quietly in shorts and jerseys, taking the time to do a lap of honor at a slow trot, so as not to play with death either. The job was done, everything was forgotten. After another victory against the Pumas, the Blues concluded the November test matches undefeated.
Three successes in three matches, even if the victory against the All Blacks remains the most striking, it was the objective set by Fabien Galthié, who will be able to let all these beautiful people “rest” for a few weeks before meeting them again to prepare for the VI Nations tournament. With only one small victory in fourteen years, the Blues must reconnect with a glorious past. And there are reasons for hope.
Men lie, not numbers
Fabien Galthié likes data. And, if there is a number that never leaves him, it is 80, like the winning percentage of the Blues during his mandate. “At the end of 2024, there are still 80% victories, which has never happened in French rugby,” commented the Blues coach at a press conference. It's true that there is this quarter-final against South Africa [lors du Mondial, pour remuer le couteau dans la plaie]but it is an experience that helps us move forward. »
So, to maintain this 80% win rate, we will have to win at least four of the five matches during the Six Nations Tournament, which means winning in Ireland or England (or both, it wouldn't be difficult). And who is the only Nation to have beaten the All Blacks during this autumn home tour? Yes, France, absolutely, while the Irish and English fell before the Barrett brothers.
Important returning players
At a press conference after his team's defeat at the Stade de France, Felipe Contepomi, the Pumas coach, praised the abundance of good players in our good old country, after the Pumas faced the Blues three times in a few months. The bottle class distinguished itself (sportingly, even if it was quickly forgotten because of the Auradou-Jégou and Jaminet affairs) this summer in South America, before the big boys finished work on Friday evening.
However, Contepomi did not see everything, because many key players of the tricolors were missing, like the pillar Cyril Baille, even if Reda Wardi and Jean-Baptiste Gros did a huge job to fill in for him. Second row Posolo Tuilagi also missed this fall tour and will not be back for the Tournament, although he could wreak havoc as an impact player.
But it was especially in the back lines that the absences were significant. Even if Thomas Ramos replaced him perfectly, No. 10 Romain Ntamack should regain his starting place next February, just like Damian Penaud, bothered by a lung infection, which deprived him of three international matches. His teammate in Bordeaux, Nicolas Depoortère, injured in the jaw, could also find a place in the starting XV, given that Fickou and Moefana did not shine brightly. That's a lot of people coming to tease the English and Irish.
“There has always been this emulation and this competition,” said Galthié. There was never any comfort for anyone. There is, I think, a healthy emulation and wearing the French team jersey is sacred. Agreeing to wear it also means agreeing to live the great moments as we share them today. It's a lot of fun at the base, but there are also difficult moments, sometimes personal and collective questioning. »
Dupont will return to its best level
After a year of fighting at VII, with an Olympic title on the line, Antoine Dupont found his old friends from the XV during these November test matches. Less clutch, as they say on the other side of the Atlantic, the captain of the Blues is much more watched by his opponents. The Argentines had thus identified the play near the 9, as recognized by coach Felipe Contepomi. And the scrum half was well protected by the Pumas.
The Toulouse also made a few errors, with two forwards, a few minutes apart, while the Blues advanced into the Argentine camp. We have been so accustomed to seeing Dupont dominating, that not seeing him score three tries per match leaves us wanting more. But, as usual, he was quick in his direction of the game, perfect in defense, and it was he who initiated the action leading to the penalty try, with a little kick over the top.
We promise, we will see the best version of Toto during the VI Nations Tournament, when his pivotal colleague in the Rouge et Noir, Romain Ntamack, will be back. That's a certainty.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey, the X factor
In the mixed zone, Reda Wardi, after the victory against the Pumas, praised the talent of “players capable of making the difference individually. With the speed they put in and their game intelligence, it’s easier for us.” We obviously thought of Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The UBB winger was again decisive, as against the All Blacks, and scored his tenth try in fourteen selections, after a kicking game for himself which he concluded thanks to his burst of speed.
The former Grenoblois could even have scored a double, but a shameful gesture from Juan Martin Gonzalez Samso, who voluntarily volleyed the ball forward to prevent the Frenchman from grabbing it, prevented him from doing so. this still caused a yellow card and a penalty try for the Blues. Of the three matches in November, No. 11 was the most prominent. And he could form, with his companions from the UBB, Penaud, Moefana, Depoortère and Buros a complementary and formidable back line in the French team. The best is yet to come.
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