Atmosphere, record… Why did the Stade de France become a real cauldron during France-Argentina

And the Stade de France announcer, as proud as if he embodied the immensity of the crowd, shouted at the end of the match to announce the number of the day: “Ladies and gentlemen, you had 193,260 spectators during this tour, it’s a new record!” The coach gave a smile late at night at a press conference: “On a presque (he emphasizes the word) filled the Stadium. We are now waiting for the hearings.”he rejoiced.

These, which fell this Saturday morning, confirm the public's clear attachment to “his” XV of France. According to Médiamétrie, the France-Argentina match (37-23 victory) the day before excited 6.68 million supporters, or 34.8% of the public aged 4 and over. It echoes the 7.3 million viewers who followed the duel against the All Blacks, an already very high audience. TF1, the new rugby broadcaster, can rub its hands.

Speakers as stadium drivers

The public asks for more. You had to see the enthusiasm of the stands – as much out of passion as to fight against the freezing cold – who kept up the pace as the Blues escaped by the score. Marseillaises every quarter of an hour, screams at each acceleration, Chimène's eyes on each action of Dupont… The French team has its 23^e man, who played the game to the fullest in the Blues' 31 home victories over the last 35 matches.

In truth, he had been galvanized the half hour before the hostilities by a duo of speakers transformed into stadium drivers. We can rejoice in this collective communion or deplore the sheep-like side of things. Still, in the midst of this deluge of sound and light, the pre-match recitation is now a spectacle in itself.