For their entry into this fourteenth Under-20 World Championship, this Saturday in Cape Town (South Africa), the Bleuets took a while to shine, winning this opening match against Spain in Cape Town (49- 12) with the offensive bonus and a little panache at the end. Faced with neophytes who were playing their first edition, the young French showed for an hour clumsiness in the running game and above all too many approximations in the rucks and, in general, in the ground game.
However, everything had started very well for the Bleuets, their full-back Axel Desperes scoring the first of their seven tries in the 3rd minute, on a chistera from captain and fly-half Hugo Reus. Despite a series of blunders, the French managed to cross the goal line again, hooker Barnabé Massa planting a double with force (21st, 27th) behind a carried ball, the main offensive weapon of this French team too shaky at the back to achieve anything else.
After two disallowed tries (29th, 36th) and a poorly negotiated ruck, the Bleuets benefited from a penalty try (40th) to lead at the break (28-0), offensive bonus in the key, objective fulfilled. But without any fluidity or continuity.
For their part, the Spanish took advantage of a relaxation of their opponents to score a try, the first in their young history in the World Championship, in the 46th minute by their hooker Diego Gonzalez Blanco, converted by Gonzalo Otamendi. At the hour mark, the score was still 28-7 and this match finally took off. After Fabien Brau-Boirie’s try (60th), the Bleuets added two more (72nd and 75th) to make the score worse.
The Spanish, very defensive, nevertheless found a way to score a second try (78th) by their winger Julien Burguillos, taking advantage of a weak blue time. Next Thursday (4:30 p.m.) live on the L’Équipe channel, this French under-twenty team will face New Zealand, coached by Jono Gibbes, and will therefore have to raise its level of play if it wants to win. In the event of defeat, it will be able to aim for second place to qualify by taking care, however, of its points difference, which was the case Saturday at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town which rang hollow.
