If the Blues so easily took the measure of Japan this Saturday at the Stade de France, they owe it above all to their great ability to touch the outside, whether with the hand or the foot.
From the outset, the Japanese tactics appeared quite clearly on the pitch at the Stade de France: the Japanese had shown the firm intention of cutting off the exteriors of the French XV by going up collectively in defense. But from the outset, or almost, the Blues have found a solution to this opposing strategy.
Put in the advance by the percussions of Emmanuel Meafou and others, Antoine Dupont and his partners quickly managed to overwhelm the visitors by repeatedly touching the corridors, which had become real boulevards: a first jump from the captain to the right for Théo Attissogbe , a second of his alter ego at the hinge on the left for Louis Bielle-Biarrey and now the path to the goal opened up for the Bordeaux winger after a pressure game (4th). Six minutes later, in the wake of Grégory Alldritt then Théo Attissogbe, again, Thomas Ramos again touched the outside, using his foot, to offer, on a plateau, his first international try to Emilien Gailleton.
Lesson in realism
The pattern repeated itself twice before half-time: on a recovery ball, Emilien Gailleton again shifted Louis Bielle-Biarrey who, with his foot, provided a new opportunity, converted by Alexandre Roumat (19th); eight minutes later, Thomas Ramos, again, produced a marvelous kick pass for “LBB” and offered a golden opportunity to the winger who, after a clever passing game with Yoram Moefana, scored his double. We had not yet reached the half-hour mark and, clearly, the Japanese tactics had shown their limits in the face of the physical domination of the Blues and their technical mastery. Regularly put in good conditions, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Théo Attissogbe were able to gain many meters (118 and 48 meters), Peato Mauvaka, a lover of wide open spaces, brilliantly replacing them at times.
By taking the open sea route, Fabien Galthié's troops offered a lesson in realism : although they were below 50% of ball possession (44%), their very efficient use of the ball allowed them to beat the points record against Japan in an official match, erasing from the shelves the mark of the 2023 World Cup (51-29).
France
