"Poaching is going into the woods at night and coming back with something to garnish a pot. " According to vintage author Roald Dahl, who has a place with his name in Cardiff, poachers prey on all kinds of game, but in his region, they mainly hunt pheasant. In the matter, pheasant hay, but on Saturday February 22nd the stuffing turkeys were Welsh. By winning in the pot filled to the brim at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium (27-23), the XV de France signed their third victory in a row in the Six Nations Tournament. And the first outside for the squad of Fabien Galthié, ten years after the last French victory in the Welsh capital.
The Blues knew it: to become the first team to drop the defending champions in their boiling cave in three years, they would have to resist everything. " We are going to Cardiff to be respected! We're going to Cardiff to show who we are ”, had tanned Fabien Galthié Thursday. And the spectators of the Millennium Stadium saw. At the end of this "Maturity test", the French had a bright smile. Of those who have succeeded. And for once kept the distance.
"We knew that we were able to maintain the intensity, and go and have fun with them for 80 minutes", savored the French coach. For observers, as for the Welsh, it was new. While the Blues mastered the art of losing in the second half, their opponents had the statistics for them. And the certainty of having won more than half of the last seven home games where they were taken on break. Until this Saturday.
Beat the Welsh at their own game, in melee
Because once again, the XV of France started with a storm. And Anthony Bouthier took advantage of the first real blue offensive to take the Welsh defense backwards and go off to register his first try in the jersey struck by the rooster. A few minutes after a test rightly refused to the winger of circumstances, Gaël Fickou, for a forward, Paul Willemse concretized the French domination, bringing the advance of his own to eleven points to ten minutes of the break.
Worn by Cardiff stadium, supporters of the Six Nations did not intend to abdicate. And after having put pressure on the referee this week about the scrum, it is on this technical part of the meeting that the experienced men in red tried to trap the young Blues. In vain, like the last ten minutes, where after having chained several scrums in their five meters, the Blues have reversed the trend. Carried by the shattering entrance of the replacement pillar – "Finisher", insists Galthié, who only talks this year about "Holders and finishers" – Demba Bamba, Charles Ollivon's teammates have recovered the ball. "On this scrum, everyone's performance is essential, greeted the French captain. We didn't back down when they took melee on melee, and we even took the upper hand. We felt it inside. "
Beaten at their own game, the Welsh have attacked the authority, regretting after the match that the referee did not choose to inflict a penalty try on the French after a series of scrums collapsed a few meters from their line. "We have seen it, maybe on this decision, they are wrong", blew coach Wayne Pivac. Last year, on a similar situation, the lot had favored the Welsh, who had had a narrow success in Paris. Without dwelling on the decision, a few minutes later to grant a limited try to Dan Biggar. Having lost the ball before flattening, the Welsh opener pulled it together to score. And spoke a lot to the referee, helped by the pressure of 73,931 spectators, to win his case.
Decisive test after interception
A way for the holders of the title to disregard the twenty minutes during which they played fifteen against fourteen, after the yellow cards of Grégory Alldritt (at the end of the first period) and Mohamed Haouas (at the end of the second). Without ever managing to split the French breastplate. “When we saw their look a bit lost at the end of the first half, when they pounded on our line and we came out at fourteen without taking a point, it gave us extra energy " revealed Romain Ntamack.
Perfect for the foot, the Toulouse opening half also signed the test of victory for the French, intercepting a Welsh attacking ball as the red waves were incessantly returning to the French defenders. And going off on their own, after fifty meters of racing, to score and knock out the Welsh, who returned a few minutes earlier to a point of the Blues. "At the time, it's all or nothing. Either there is a test for us or it is for them, so I try. There are still Welsh people behind, so if it’s not there, there’s a try for them ”, smiled the Toulousain. A test after a "Offensive defense" who made French defense coach Shaun Edwards happy, who made it his credo.
"We were in a weak time, it puts our head above water, it pushes them a little more. it hurts them and gives us extra energy to hold up to 80e minute. " If the French have a hard time taking a step back, and savor the moment, even if they keep "The idea of a Grand Slam in the back of my mind", to believe Teddy Thomas – the only one who conceded to think about it. They can also make their words of Roald Dahl. " Poaching is an art. A great poacher is a great artist. " There were fifteen on Saturday and the game was Welsh.
