in Scotland, the Blues want to forget the bites of the Thistle

Be careful, dangerous meeting. Winner of its first two meetings in the 2022 edition of the Six Nations Tournament, the XV of France arrives in Scotland, Saturday February 26, with the status of the only team still in a position to be able to claim the Grand Slam. But beware of the swerve. “To trivialize Scotland would be a big mistake, alerts the coach of the tricolor forwards, William Servat. We know very well that it is the team against which we have the least results. »

The days when Tournament nations traveled to Edinburgh with the aim of fixing their point difference are over. For the past few years, the XV du Chardon has been stinging again. Fabien Galthié’s squad is well placed to find out. In 2020, his young Blues had landed crowned with two inaugural victories to open a new era. The sound and fury of Murrayfield, the Scottish stadium, had showered their grand slam ambitions (17-28 defeat).

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Rebelote last year where, at home, in a game that had been rescheduled due to “the Covid-19 episode of the XV of France” (sixteen contaminations among the management and the players), the Blues had been overthrown in extremis by Scotland for not having been able to be satisfied with a narrow victory (defeat 23-27).

From there to make Chardon the black beast of the Blues Galthié version? Paul Willemse refuses. “We know that we lost twice against them [dans le Tournoi], but, each time, it was on small errors, a lack of experience. It was fouls without pressure, insists the second line of the XV of France. We have since beaten great teams, but it will be a good match to show our progress over the past two years. »

“We have reached a milestone”

In the Scottish cool of late February, the Blues can expect tough opposition. In a tournament that has regained the advantage of playing at home – after a year and a half of empty enclosures, pandemic obliges – the Murrayfield stadium should play its role of “16and man “.

After having crunched the XV of the Rose at the start of the Tournament – ​​and thus chained two victories against the English for the first time since 1984-1985 –, the Scots intend to continue their journey in these Six Nations. Despite a narrow defeat to Wales on matchday two, Stuart Hogg and his teammates were done with complexes.

In 2020, the Scottish captain had seen the victory against the Blues as “an opportunity to establish ourselves as a nation”. Two years later, he and his family assume the ambition of winning the continental competition. “Against France, it’s win or bury your ambitions [de victoire finale]exposes the third line Sam Skinner. We must forget our Welsh disappointment, to move forward. »

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Since a success, in 2018, against England, ending ten years of scarcity, we feel that this Scotland is capable of winning against any opponent. “We lived like a team in progress, but still unable to win these intense matchesrelates the Scottish third line Hamish Watson about this match. Since then, we have taken a step forward, we have managed to take control of supposedly stronger opponents, our confidence has increased. »

The Blues want to avoid being caught again by the emotional wave linked to the very special atmosphere of Murrayfield. “We know what to expect. We have more experience”notes Gaël Fickou, the captain of the blue defense, who recalls that“Two years ago, we were surprised, we were a little too young. We were taken even before arriving at the stadium, with the bus slowed down by the crowd, the chants… ”

Facing the nation that has the fewest licensees in the competition – less than 50,000, France has five times more –, but which has patiently rebuilt its rugby at the highest level, after years of flirting with the wooden spoon. (“rewarding” the nation that loses all its matches in the Tournament), the Blues are warned. “These Scots are in a physical shape that makes them formidable. They show a lot of character, observes William Servat. We are therefore preparing for a big confrontation. » To dare to claim the title in the Tournament, avoiding the Scottish pitfall is a necessity.

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