The fortress faltered. But at the end, like at the beginning of December in the final of the Autumn Cup, and as since 2007, the English remained masters in their stronghold against the French. Long dominated by the Blues, the XV de la Rose won on Saturday, March 13, after a disputed “crunch” (23-20), after overturning the match in the last minutes. Under fire from critics since the start of the Six Nations Tournament for his many conceded penalties, second row Maro Itoje allowed the English to win, on a test scored three minutes from the siren.
For the XV of France, who had not played for nearly a month, contamination with Covid-19 requires, the defeat leaves “A bitter taste in the mouth”, expressed Fabien Galthié. That of a long mastered part where, by “Lack of lucidity”, freshness or discipline, the teammates of captain Charles Ollivon fail to maintain their lead until the end of the match.
However, the Blues immediately showed that they wanted to close the chapter “contamination” which has kept them away from the field for a month. And in their own way, through play. If the English had concocted a “Anti-Dupont plan”, to prevent the French spearhead from leading the game, the Blues had ants in their legs. And on an incursion by the ghost Virimi Vakatawa, an ingenious kick from Teddy Thomas and a volley ball for himself by Antoine Dupont, the French scrum-half scored the first try of the game from the first minute of play. a rapid English reaction, the Blues continued in this vein.
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Despite the Covid-19, the Blues have not lost their “flair”
Asked about the digestion of “The Covid episode” by his partners, Captain Charles Ollivon had displayed his optimism on Friday. “The atmosphere, the trust… everything is intact. The dynamics are the same as before, nothing has changed. “ To see Julien Marchand progressing fifteen meters after scratching a ball, or Matthieu Jalibert embarking on a perilous recovery, alone against the English pack at the end of the first period, we had to prove him right.
One of the symptoms of Covid being the loss of smell, it could have seemed normal for the Blues to struggle to find their “French flair”. Or to feel the Rose coming. But as usual for a year now, Charles Ollivon’s teammates continued their inspired forays into the opposing camp. The first period “Pleasant to play, with a lot of play, rhythm, testing”, as analyzed by third row Dylan Cretin, saw the Blues bend the English on several occasions.
On a combination in touch, where Julien Marchand lobe all the alignment to find Gaël Fickou, Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert sowed discord in the disorganized English defense. After a series of lures, a jump pass from the opening half gave Damian Penaud the second French try, in the corner. A test which bears the signature of Laurent Labit, coach of the back lines. “It’s a combination worked out in training, admitted Dylan Crétin. It’s always nice to score on something worked. “
France regains the advantage after a superb combination concluded by Damian Penaud! Matthieu Jalibert transforms … https://t.co/78eMWOtGsN
“We lost the thread of the match”
Dominators in the first act, the Blues could even have made the mark worse. “If we repeat the match, we have the opportunity to build the game differently, especially with a very good ball carried at the very end of the first half, rewound Fabien Galthié after the meeting. We get penalized, but we have to get into the in-goal. It’s a shame, but obviously, with if… ” Some other ammunition was lost on the way by his troops, enough to feed the regrets of a team that has been growing steadily for a year, but far from having reached the heights of world rugby it is targeting.
Because the second period did not reserve for the Blues a fate similar to the first. If the immense enclosure of Twickenham has never vibrated, absence of public obliges, the pressure of the English was felt. And the French, jostled, have “A little lost the thread of the match”, admitted opening half Matthieu Jalibert. “Our launches, indiscipline… mistakes that cannot be forgiven at this level, and that’s a shame, because we felt like we could do something big. ” But the XV de la Rose awaited the Blues.
“We knew that France would make a strong start at the start of the game. They hadn’t played for a long time, and were coming to Twickenham, smiled England coach Eddie Jones after the match. But I’m proud of the way my players responded. “ If the pace dropped in the second half, Owen Farrell’s teammates have something to do with it. “The second half was more choppy, with static phases, breaks, but I don’t think we let ourselves fall asleep”, said Dylan Cretin.
Approaching the rupture on several occasions, the Blues retreated in defense, to keep the four points of a hard won advance (16-20, until the 77e minute). And ended up paying the bill, after a multiplication of “Small mistakes” and of “Lack of lucidity”, acknowledged the French captain Charles Ollivon: “We were under pressure for the last ten minutes. “
No Grand Slam for the Blues
If they stuck their tongue out a little, been “Too penalized, and given free balloons allowing the English to advance”, as Fabien Galthié noted, the Blues refused to put their defeat on the lack of rhythm. Since the start of the season, especially in the Top 14, the vast majority of teams hit by Covid-19 have slackened past the 60e minute of their encounters. And the Blues, including twelve players were infected, in turn struggled to complete the meeting.
Cruel ! Maro Itoje gives the English advantage in the last five minutes! Thanks to Owen’s transformation… https://t.co/6FdvA6aapQ
On the retreat, the France team broke with an action from Maro Itoje three minutes from time. A try, initially refused by the referee for a French hand interposed between the ball and the grass, allowed the English to avoid plunging into the crisis. Celebrating this year the 150 years of Rugby Football Union (RFU), their federation, the XV de la Rose could not afford a third defeat in four meetings in the Six Nations Tournament.
Their victory on the wire deprives the French team of any hope of a first Grand Slam in the tournament since 2010. If they keep ” [leur] destiny in the hands ” In preparation for victory in the Tournament, before hosting Wales and Scotland, Charles Ollivon’s partners once again narrowly failed to unlock Fortress Twickenham. Since 2007, France no longer manages to impose itself on English soil. And for the Blues, frustration dominates: “Losing like that a match that we know we have in our hands, that we can win, it’s never easy to accept, voiced Dylan Cretin. We missed the last three minutes to win, but the tournament is not over yet. ” In a week, the Welsh can dream of the Grand Slam at the Stade de France.
Wales sweeps Italy in quest for Grand Slam
Wales, in full rebirth, swept Italy (48-7) on Saturday in Rome and can aim for the Grand Slam next week against France on the final day of the Six Nations Tournament.
Unable to defend without making mistakes and sanctioned with a yellow card from the 6e minute (for its captain Luca Bigi, guilty of not having respected the ten meters on a penalty), Italy took the water as soon as the anthems ended. Josh Adams (7e), Taulupe Faletau (13e) and Ken Owens twice (20e, 29e) quickly secured the offensive bonus point.
Not easy, against these organized Welsh, to exist for the Italians and their scrum half, Stephen Varney, born in Wales, whose 19 years did not weigh heavily in view of the experience of the XV of Thistle . The second half will at least have allowed the Nazionale to save the honor, on a nice corner try from Monty Ioane (49e) followed by a transformation of Paolo Garbisi.
But not really enough to avoid the humiliation against Welsh remained in the match despite the victory already in the pocket. George North (43e) then Callum Sheedy (60e), entered the opening instead of Dan Biggar, and the inevitable Louis Rees-Zammit (fourth try in the Tournament, 64e) thus added three tries – the last two taking advantage of a new numerical superiority, while the Italians were again reduced to fourteen (too high elbow of Marco Riccioni, 57e).
Italy, beaten for the thirty-first time in a row in this tournament still too big for it (187 points and 26 tries conceded in four games), has not even managed to offer the semblance of resistance seen in its previous exits. She will go to Scotland next week to try to avoid a sixth consecutive wooden spoon.
