2023-08-05 12:18:31
The Blues are traveling to Scotland this Saturday August 5 to play the first preparation match of a series of four before the World Cup in France. A series of matches where there will be places to take before August 21, and the announcement of the list of 33 who will play the World Cup at home
Published on: 05/08/2023 – 12:18
3 mn
Eighty minutes to convince. The XV of France launches its preparation for the World Cup against Scotland, Saturday in Edinburgh, with a largely overhauled team where there will be chances to seize for the World Cup (September 8-October 28). Fabien Galthié speaks of the announcement, scheduled for August 21, of the list of 33 who will play the World Cup (the group currently has 42 players) as a ” non-event “, not sure that his men see the deadline with the same eye.
With three neophytes in the starting XV, the Blues advance partly masked, but, just over a month before the start of the World Cup, with a gala poster against the All Blacks, Fabien Galthié’s men in are in the final stages of adjustment.
Before the announcement of the list of 33 players summoned for the competition, on August 21, there are therefore a few places left to take, especially since, for this first test, the main executives have been left to rest. Exit Damian Penaud, Charles Ollivon or Gaël Fickou. Make way for Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Pierre Boudehent and Emilien Gailleton.
Scotland will field ‘the best team possible’
The Blues had already faced Scotland twice in 2019 to prepare for the Japanese World Cup. With a mixed record since the men of Jacques Brunel, future quarter-finalists, had won in Nice (32-3) before tripping over the carpet at Murrayfield (17-14) a week later.
The Scots have, in any case, displayed their ambitions. A week after doing the job against Italy (25-13) with a hybrid team, Gregor Townsend recalled the cavalry. ” We will field the best team possible over the next two weeks “Warned Scottish coach Gregor Townsend. ” There is no bigger challenge, at the moment, than playing against France: they are one of the best teams in the world, they are the host country of the World Cup and full of confidence “, he added.
A busy program before the World Cup
With Antoine Dupont, Grégory Alldritt or Romain Ntamack, the Bleus de Galthié remain on two consecutive successes at Murrayfield, 22-15 in November 2020 then 36-17 in February 2022. But, without their stars, and with the back Brice Dulin in the role of captain, the XV of France is wary of a team that ” been a lot of problems for four years », as Arthur Vincent reminds us. The only one who beat the Blues at home under the Galthié era.
While waiting for the famous list of 33, the Blues will continue with a second confrontation against XV du Chardon in Saint-Etienne on August 12, before challenging Fiji on the 19th. The preparation will be concluded with a fourth match, a record for the XV of France before a World Cup, against Australia on the 27th.
(With AFP)
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