2023-10-06 23:40:43
Defeat forbidden? Obviously. But who could really imagine the Blues packing their bags after this last group match against Italy, and thus swallowing all their great promises after so much hope aroused? It was certainly appropriate to respect the opponent before the meeting and to maintain a semblance of suspense by embellishing the reputation of the Transalpines, but once the time for the confrontation came, the XV of France applied itself this Friday, October 6 to Lyon to do the job as in their previous outing against Namibia: with determination and seriousness. And from then on, beyond the agreed speeches, the evidence from the field became clear: the Italians did not weigh very heavily against the Blues who were in complete control, 60-7 at the finish, a victory without the slightest discussion – the broadest of the Galthié era facing this adversary.
A smoothly conducted affair, without any hesitation, with a first attempt straight away in less than two minutes by an irresistible Damian Penaud. The tone was set, and the Blues would quickly drive the point home, earning themselves the offensive bonus point with three other tries in the first half, signed Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Thomas Ramos and Damian Penaud again, his 35th with the Blues, three tries from Serge Blanco’s record.
Discipline and realism
On the Italian side, a slight moment of revolt only to be noted, with a flattened ball after an endless series of “pick and go”, but finally refused after video analysis, for a tackle too high on Maxime Lucu. The Italians therefore returned to the locker room with zero points: 31-0, which means that the transalpine threat no longer frightened anyone. “We wanted to bring discipline and realism from the outset”, Maxime Lucu would later comment. Mission perfectly accomplished.
In the second half, the Blues could very quickly afford to rotate the squad without letting up their effort. The festival continued, with four productions from Matthieu Jalibert, Peato Mauvaka, and a double from Yoram Moefana increasing the bill. The Italians managed to save their honor at the end of the match, but after their terrible defeat against the New Zealanders (96-17), this new disappointment confirms the weakness of a XV which claimed much more.
The Lucu-Jalibert hinge is up to the task
Beyond the spectacle, the Blues can be satisfied with high-level individual performances. Maxime Lucu did not tremble in the face of the challenge, a metronomic distributor of balls and an impeccable cog in the machine, true to himself. The big tricolor cars hit the gas again without any hiccups. Grégory Alldritt, absent against Namibia, regaining his usual return to action, Jonathan Danty replaying the enterprising line-breaker and the disruptive defender. Anthony Jelonch cutting through his opponents with pleasing solidity. That these three are gaining momentum is more than good news as we complete this first phase of the competition. Special mention, finally, to Matthieu Jalibert, truly inspired, bleeding, and also skillful on his feet. “We lasted 80 minutes at high intensity and that bodes well for next week”said the flyhalf after the match.
The Blues therefore left no stone unturned in this matter, even increasing their confidence. He could gain a few more points during next week, depending on the medical and sporting decisions which will inform the rest of the competition for Antoine Dupont. In the quarter-final, for a predictable shock against South Africa, would it be better with the “best player in the world”? Without a doubt. But the observation is comforting: the Blues are not completely helpless without their Toulouse playing master.
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