2023-10-06 23:00:56
The French team qualified for the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup by finishing in first place in Group A thanks to its improved victory against Italy 60-7 on Friday in Lyon. The French easily dominated the Italians, scoring eight tries. They are now waiting to know the name of the opponent they will face on October 15 at the Stade de France.
Published on: 10/06/2023 – 11:00 p.m. Modified on: 10/06/2023 – 11:19 p.m.
3 mn
France quietly qualified for the quarter-finals of “its” World Cup by obtaining a fourth victory in a row, Friday in Lyon, against Italy (60-7), thus finishing first in Pool A ahead of New Zealand.
With the feeling of duty accomplished, the XV of France must now wait for Saturday evening and the result of Scotland-Ireland in Group B to know the identity of their opponent in the quarterfinals.
If sporting logic is respected, it should be South Africa, reigning world champion, defeated by Ireland in a difficult match during the group stage, but which has since found itself in Handré Pollard , a reliable scorer that he lacked.
Unless it’s Johnny Sexton’s Ireland or, less likely still, Finn Russell’s Scotland. Qualified, the Blues can return to the bedside of Antoine Dupont, their playing master, who was operated on for a broken jaw, and who will know on Monday whether or not he can play in their quarter-final.
Ramos in shape
Without their captain, they only took two minutes to plunge Italy back under the water from which it hoped to have extricated itself this week after the shipwreck suffered last week against the All Blacks (96-17).
Time for winger Damian Penaud to score the first try of the game, and for his teammates, who had not played for 15 days and the big victory against Namibia (96-0), to apply with the seriousness of a good student, all the scales recited near Aix-en-Provence where they had gone green.
Less prolific than the All Blacks, the Blues nevertheless obtained the offensive bonus point before half-time (38th), when Penaud, again, received a pass at the foot of Matthieu Jalibert and scored his second try of the game, his 35th with the French team, making him the 2nd best French scorer in history, three tries from Serge Blanco’s record (38) on which he is based.
Dupont applauded
The second half only served to confirm that this match, wrongly presented by the Blues as a “real round of 16”, was in reality only a training session with opposition against a very weak Italy, before serious things don’t really start in a week.
Four new tries from Jalibert, Peato Mauvaka and Yoram Moefana twice, allowed Thomas Ramos to once again distinguish himself in the kicking exercise.
Having a very good scorer is essential for France, ideally launched towards its Holy Grail: becoming world champion on October 28 at the Stade de France.
The French public hopes that Antoine Dupont, their providential man, given a standing ovation by the entire OL Stadium when he appeared on the screens at the very end of the match, will be able to help them in this. Response Monday.
With AFP
#France #qualifies #quarterfinals