At the Stade de France, the Blues will have experienced two very different sensations during the week. First the cold. Talk to Antoine Dupont, bundled up in layers and layers of clothing while participating in training in the snow, Thursday, November 21. Then the satisfaction of a job well done the next day. Dominant in all areas of the game, the French XV largely gained the upper hand over Argentina (37-23).
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By easily taming the undisciplined Pumas, Fabien Galthié's men did not simply sign a prestigious victory in front of their home crowd. They also validated their fall success by adding the word “mastery”.
In the giant bingo played by the members of the French team this fall, it adds to the “exciting” performance against Japan (52-12), and to the “feat” taking on the air of habit against the New Zealanders (30-29). “We had to find a dynamic again, we did it,” welcomed Fabien Galthié after the meeting.
The Blues coach can have a smile. He didn't just get a struggling team back on track during the Six Nations Tournament, but he did it by reinventing himself. And shaking a group that was starting to purr. The era of tenure at all costs for team executives is over, regardless of their performance. The time of “premium” players has passed, the Lotois is now banking on the form of the moment, even if it means doing without Gaël Fickou, Grégory Alldritt or Charles Ollivon in turn during the month.
The Toulonnais, first captain of Galthié in 2020, apparently did not experience this downgrade too badly. On Friday, the third row celebrated his return to the starting XV by tackling at all costs and advancing with each strike, until obtaining the title of man of the match. “I had a great time, everyone had a great timesavored Charles Ollivon. It's good to realize that you are strong and that you can have confidence in what you do. »
A puzzle and a new star
Also back in the foreground, winger Gabin Villière (33e minute) multiplied the restarts in his lane and notably marked the second achievement of the Blues, after that, in force, of Thibaud Flament (9e).
A final penalty try before half-time and the outcome of the match was no longer in much doubt, despite a slight revolt from the visitors in the second act.
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