2023-10-11 01:14:46
These are words which, if they were still needed, should give Fabien Galthié and his staff material to fuel their pre-match motivational speeches between now and the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup, this Sunday, against South Africa in Saint-Denis.
At a press conference this Tuesday, the director of South African rugby, Rassie Erasmus, never shy of a little dig, this time pointed out the behavior of French players: “What the French do well is that when there is a high tackle situation, they show it to the referee. I think they fake it sometimes, which is smart. In certain situations, the referee will use video, and this is where the French are smart. »
“This is an unjustified statement”
What exactly was he referring to? Hard to say. Perhaps to this shock of Simone Ferrari on Maxime Lucu, during the France-Italy match (60-7), which led to the cancellation of a try by the Azzurri and a penalty in favor of France. But certainly not to Jonathan Danty, who was the victim of a frightening headbutt from Pieter-Steph Du Toit, in November 2022, during the victory of the XV of France in Marseille against the Springboks (30-26). The South African third row was sent off for this ugly gesture.
Asked about Rassie Erasmus’ accusations, Thibaud Flament expressed his surprise this Tuesday: “I find that it is an unjustified statement. I have no answer to give. It’s not something you prepare for or try to do. I don’t think that characterizes our game.”
Rassie Erasmus also praised the physical commitment of the Blues. “They don’t use tricks in scrums or mauls, they’re just physical, and that’s the kind of team you respect and want to play against. » On this side, the compliments will be shared.
He finally returned to last year’s match in Marseille. “It was a fantastic experience. I was sitting with the substitutes. When we see Pieter-Steph Du Toit’s red card… Among all the matches we lost, it’s one of those I’m most proud of, because of the attitude of the players in the locker room after the match, already learning the lessons of it all. I really liked this match. I respect the French public a lot, it was an incredible experience. Sometimes we don’t even understand if they’re singing or whistling or doing something else, but it gives a terrible atmosphere and we feel that people are really into the match. They put pressure on us, on their own players, from whom they expect a lot, and on the referee. The public galvanizes everyone. »
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