Everything was not perfect for Bleuets, whose game was not yet fully established. But the five points were collected against Spain. The build-up must now continue this Thursday against the Baby Blacks.
A drop goal conversion on a try after an hour of play was enough to surprise. “Frustration took over the game a little bit.explained, afterwards, the author of these two points, Hugo Reus. The Spanish were quite tired and we were quite frustrated not to be able to get our game going. We wanted to get into rhythm, we wanted to continue scoring and that’s why I tried to convert it into a drop goal.” Because, yes, these French were far superior to these valiant and tenacious Spanish novices, already happy to be there.
But Sébastien Calvet’s flock have not always succeeded in showing this difference in level. Too much desire to play and keep the ball alive resulted in numerous dropped balls and a good number of turnovers suffered. Yet, “The counter-rucks were not targeted, but we saw that there was space so we took advantage of it”admitted the Spanish winger Julien Burguillos. Words that will not really please Hugo Reus…
If Geoffrey Malaterre, the first of the French delegation to present himself to the journalists, saw the glass as half full, it was the opposite of his fly-half and captain, dissatisfied after this meeting. “Everyone wanted to play their part, as Benoît Baby might say. We weren’t really connected, we didn’t work for each other. Maybe this good blow in the back of the head without really any consequences behind can’t hurt us, we know we’re expected and this match shows us that we have to stay humble, because if we don’t continue to work well in training, we won’t go all the way. “analyzed the Rochelais.
Not scared of the Blacks
After Spain as an appetizer, the Bleuets will challenge an opponent of a completely different caliber: the Baby Blacks, on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Last year, also in the second group match, Hugo Reus and the Bleuets dominated the players from Oceania (35-14). “I think they will be vengefulcontinued the captain. It’s a very promising new generation that won the U20 Rugby Championship. They’re not used to losing, so they’re not going to want to do it a second year in a row. We’re going to have to be ready because they will be!”
Challenging the players in the fern jersey and experiencing the haka for the first time in a career will be highlights for the new players. Several of them confided their excitement, and refuted apprehension. The Tricolores will have to rely on the class of Hugo Reus, the activity of Fabien Brau-Boirie and Joé Quere Karaba or the power in closed scrum of the first line to defeat the New Zealanders far from being sovereign against to the Welsh, however weak, when they entered the fray.
The rest of the program? “We’re going to make a good comeback from what happened in this match against Spain and move up a gear, because that’s not how we can hope to seek a fourth title.”, finished the captain. Remember last summer…
