2023-09-15 17:39:54
It was difficult to find a former player better placed than Rodrigo Capo Ortega to analyze the match between the XV of France and Uruguay, won timidly by the Blues this Thursday in Lille (27-12). Because the native of Montevideo, legend of Castres Olympique, where he played more than 400 matches between 2002 and 2020, knows both teams perfectly. A few hours after the meeting, he cast his benevolent gaze on this astonishing result, between pride for Los Teros and serenity for the Blues.
What did you think of the match?
RODRIGO CAPO ORTEGA. First of all, I am very happy, very proud of the Uruguayans. They had a very good start to the World Cup, they were realistic, they managed to score points each time they arrived in the French camp. The majority of the match, they were in their camp, dominated by the French, that’s for sure, but they put in a great performance. They showed that they were there to achieve a good result. Concerning the French, they underestimated Uruguay a little. And in this sport, when you underestimate, when you don’t respect your opponent, you pay dearly.
Uruguay’s defensive solidarity hurt France…
The collective is our DNA. Every time I talk about this team, I say that it’s the collective that comes first. Everyone has their role and everyone gives their best and the guys don’t wait for a teammate to do the work for them. There are a few veterans, who manage to bring their experience, and the new ones, who bring freshness and desire. And everyone is united.
What was surprising was the offensive percussion of the Uruguayans, right?
Even I was impressed on that front. Seeing the evolution of Uruguayan rugby at three-quarter level is fantastic, because that hasn’t been our strength in recent years. Now, they manage to be more and more efficient and we manage to materialize it. But we were not rewarded, particularly for the canceled test, which should have been validated. The obstruction has no impact on the action, the defender is too far from the action.
Is France’s performance worrying for the rest of the competition?
I see it more as something positive. It will allow players to question themselves and understand that in this sport, and more particularly in the World Cup, you have to be 100% every time, otherwise you may regret it.
The team had been largely reshuffled for this match. Doesn’t this narrow victory show the limits of the Blues’ squad depth?
We can’t judge players on a single match, even if they didn’t perform as well as they were supposed to. We must not forget that these players performed well in preparation against Scotland and Fiji, they have a lot of quality. So they missed out on a match, it’s a shame for them because they had the opportunity to show themselves, but it’s not a disaster. The important thing is to question yourself and start from scratch again for the match against Namibia. But France remains one of the favorites for this World Cup.
Coming back to Uruguay, how do you see the rest of the competition after this successful first?
The Uruguayans started really well. I was with the players this morning, they are super happy with their level of play, they feel confident. And above all they felt good physically, in terms of impacts, in terms of endurance. They are confident, they know that against Italy (Wednesday September 20), it will be very hard. But if they can put their game together, they are capable of competing against the Italians.
Is there any disappointment with yesterday’s result?
No. The only thing is the try which is refused and the yellow card from Romain Taofifenua which deserved a red card. When I see the rules, he touches his opponent’s face with his shoulder, that deserves a red, even if it’s not on purpose. It’s a shame because with the try and the red card, it could have been different. But they are still proud of the match, of having competed with France, which is a world superpower. We are a country that continues to grow and tries to get closer to the professional level.
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