2023-10-27 18:07:43
2023 Rugby World Cup in FrancedossierPast the disappointment, the French team, which has rediscovered its conquering spirit under the leadership of Galthié, is already thinking about the Six Nations Tournament.
Did the French XV miss “its” World Cup, the one which, like never before, held out its handles to it? Yes, inevitably. Should we blame him for that? Barely. It’s bad luck, we want to philosophize, when more than one will pillory Ben O’Keeffe, the New Zealand referee of the quarter-final, responsible, according to patriotic vindictiveness, for having triggered the curse of premature elimination – and in doing so, attesting to the threat of a “footballistic” drift in rugby, with an increasingly vindictive public at the first unfavorable rebound. The real culprit remaining in our eyes – the indignation dating from before the opening of the event – World Rugby, the organizing body, shamefully at fault in having mechanically condemned three of the five best teams in the world to early disappearance, due to of a lousy draw for the pools, because it was carried out almost three years in advance (let’s have a compassionate thought for the unfortunate people who spent 500 euros to end up with a semi-final as lame as New Zealand-Argentina) .
Headless chicken
This hummed lament now raises the question of reconstruction, as they say in the aftermath of trauma. Barely two hours after the final whistle of France–South Africa (28-29, for whom, on this weary October 15, had gone to travel into space), there was something lunar – but also, the reflection, poignant – listening to Grégory Alldritt, his face marked by this pain undoubtedly more moral than physical following the fateful defeat. How, in fact, could we not have thought of the chicken which continues to run when its head has just been cut off, while recording the words of the third row from La Rochelle? “We are lucky to have the Tournament [des six nations] in three months. This will help us to digest and move on, by finding this fabulous audience, with whom we would have loved to spend two more days. Especially since this time, our three matches in France will be played in the provinces,” in Marseille, Lille and Lyon, with the Stade de France cleaning up in preparation for the Olympics.
Conquering spirit
Such is the life of the high-level athlete, irrevocably condemned to look ahead. Now it remains to imagine what the Blues will look like the day after. On the ground, there will of course be change. But not necessarily that much either. At least in the short term. Only Uini Atonio and Romain Taofifénua have announced their international retirement. For others, everything remains possible. At least in theory because, if we set the course for 2027, where the eleventh World Cup will take place in Australia, several key elements of the French system will then flirt with the age limit (admittedly variable depending on strategic choices, the endurance, and positions): where will the body and head of Jonathan Danty, Charles Ollivon, Gaël Fickou or Cyril Baille be? They can always tell themselves that at 34 and 35 years old, New Zealanders Aaron Smith and Sam Whitelock are still coveting a new world title; but, within four years, will no less come across brockets whose branches will have grown in the meantime (the Emmanuel Meafou, Sipili Falatea or Emilien Gailleton, already in the antechamber)?
A question which, until further notice, does not affect management. As soon as the Blues were crucified, Fabien Galthié calmly clarified that his contract ran until 2028. Moreover, if he lost the most important match since taking office (the first, also, in a direct elimination) at the end of 2019, the coach maintains a paradoxically positive record, with no one contesting his action on a team to which he was able to restore a conquering spirit, which had vanished for around ten years. However, cleaning will be done around him: exit Laurent Labit, Karim Ghezal or Thibaut Giroud, who are leaving for clubs (this was planned). And will be replaced. Unlike other colleagues: with a deficit in the coffers of around 20 million euros, the FFR is in the red and needs preparation for the World Cup, where a plethora of experts (technical , medical, scientific, etc.), are not those of an average season. Where, from the opening of the Tournament, on February 2, we will know who, France or Ireland, will be crowned champion of resilience.
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