Rare are the defeats of the XV of Clover in Dublin. Yet this is what the Welsh inflicted on this team at the opening of the Six Nations Tournament last weekend. A false step which could seem surprising for a team which we have often seen sticking to the rear of England and France, which it faces on Saturday April 2 in Toulouse. It is not so. The fall may seem heavy for this regular on the podiums, yet it is above all the logical continuation of the last difficult months punctuated by immense disappointment and a major reshuffle. “Ireland is a team in reconstruction that lacks collective benchmarks“, analyzes Marie Sempéré, consultant France Télévisions.
“The Irish did not qualify for the last World Cup where they were beaten by the Scots.”
Marie Sempéré, former international at XV and 7 and consultant for France Télévisionsat franceinfo: sports
This non-qualification for the World Cup is a real blow and a big setback for a group that had settled in the European Top 3 for the past ten years. “They made the Grand Slam in 2013, they won the Six Nations in 2015, recalls Marie Sempéré. In 2014, they released the Blacks from the World Cup in France. It was a team that was going through a prosperous period. Here is a new beginning. Old ones have been pushed out a bit, iconic ones like captain Ciara Griffin or Claire Moloy have stopped because they had given themselves the last challenge of going to the World Cup.
Symbol of this new cycle, captain Nichola Fryday and her 22 selections. “Against the Welsh the most experienced player was at fullback, she had 23 caps.”, supports the former international. By way of comparison, the captain of the XV of France, Gaëlle Hermet – far from being the most capped – will celebrate her 41st selection on Saturday.
Les Bleues, who start out as big favorites, must still be wary of a team that has nothing to lose. “The staff has no pressure, they are not in a hurry. Their objective is the next World Cup. The Irish will want to bounce back, they have nothing to lose in this match. We will have to get away with it. beware, it’s a team that doesn’t give up, the fighting spirit Irish style is not a myth, they are painful”she continues. “The Irish women are very similar to the boys in the engagement, they attack the line hard, are aggressive in the ruck phases”adds Thomas Darracq, sports manager of the XV of France.
To meet the Irish physical challenge and adapt to more British than Toulouse weather, the staff of Les Bleues has chosen to densify its first line. The will is twofold: to tap into a weakness noted during the first match of the Tournament and to open the spaces to offer a victory and especially a less messy content than against Italy. “In the second period, their package of forwards really suffered, in the scrum, on the balls carried. Against the Welsh, they got very tired in defense, even if they missed few tackles.”
Second encouraging point for the Blues, the Irish game philosophy, which leaves the initiative to the opponent, should allow them to put their device in place more easily, according to Marie Sempéré. “The Irish are first concentrating on the fundamentals, including defense, which will allow Les Bleues to put in place their game based on conquest and conservation. On the Bleues side, we will still seek more fluidity than against Italy.”
An ambition confirmed by Thomas Darracq: “Today, we want to have our balloons, to alternate in conditions that promise to be difficult. We have all the tools to be able to compete and get a result.” And with manner.