the Marseille fervor, the Blues so uncomfortable… What we liked and disliked in the defeat of the XV of France against Ireland

For their first post-World Cup match, the Blues were largely dominated (17-38) by the XV du Trèfle, Friday evening, in Marseille, at the opening of the Six Nations Tournament.

It’s an impression that we had forgotten. Such an impotent XV of France goes back a long, long way. A beaten French XV, on the other hand, is unfortunately a continuation of the last quarter-final of the World Cup. If it is too early to say that these after-effects have not completely healed, it is however not anticipated to affirm that the partners of Grégory Alldritt have already compromised their chances of victory in the Tournament of six nations 2024 after their defeat, Friday February 2, against a conquering Ireland.

We liked:

Sweet home velodrome

Nothing better, to heal the wounds of a romantic disappointment born from an unfinished World Cup, than to reconnect with the warmth of Marseille. Not resentful, the public at the Vélodrome welcomed the gang to Galthié with open arms and full throats. Pyrotechnic show for the entry of the gladiators, Marseillaise to give goosebumps, support despite everything when the blue boat was sinking… The Phocaean city lived up to its reputation. Tired of war, she still let the songs to the glory of the XV of Clover filter through as the match progressed. But the Vélodrome will have responded.

Irish perpetual renewal

Although we know they are aging, this is only visible on their passports. The Irish have this ability, in barely perceptible touches, to always know how to evolve a game that appears monolithic at first glance. But these micro-adjustments make it almost impossible for the opponent to adapt, regularly overwhelmed by the precision of the sequences of the green men, winners of the battles for possession (56 %) and mauls (100 % won, compared to only 87 % for the Blues). Not always lyrical, but discouragingly effective. And if further proof was needed that in Ireland, the system always takes precedence over individualities, it is that we very quickly forgot the absence of the young retiree Johnny Sexton.

Resilience in the absence of brilliance

It’s almost a mirage. How did the Blues manage to stay, during almost the entire match, in contact with a team that dominated them in almost all areas of the game? ? By hanging on, by exploiting the rare Irish errors as much as possible, by sending Damian Penaud, yet invisible, two lengths from Serge Blanco’s try record (38), by relying on a solid scrum and the only one capable of making thwart Ireland. In short, courage and sweat. But, against Ireland, that is obviously not enough and the end of the match was a reminder of that. Cruelly.

We didn’t like

Willemse, you have to bend down

Did Paul Willemse skip the squat sessions with the Blues? ? Otherwise, how can we explain his tackles without bending his legs, which saw him violently hit the Irish neck? ? He had undoubtedly imagined many scenarios for his return to the XV of France. But definitely not this one. Absent from the World Cup, Paul Willemse took advantage of notable defections (Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou) in the second row to rejoin the group. He abandoned this one after 32 minutes of play. Two yellow cards – the second finally transformed into red by the bunker – and then leaves. Twice, for high tackles. If the initial mistake was excusable, repeating the same gesture a few minutes later shows stubbornness. His teammates, already in trouble before his final expulsion, didn’t need that.

Neither reaction nor reactivity

On the back foot, the Blues initially seemed apathetic. A lethargic state that would not last, we thought. Alas, this impression lasted, stretched out until the moment the evidence appeared : the XV of France simply had no solution. While, in recent years, the men of Galthié shone with their ability to adapt and innovate, this time they found themselves completely helpless. Hesitation in the guidance of the game, late support, realism in the locker room (Thomas Ramos could have brought his team back to 4 points from the restart), nothing seemed to work. Disorganized, the French alignment lost four balls in touch. And above all, the Tricolores lost 13 balls, compared to 7 for Ireland. What was one of the blue’s strengths suddenly became a weakness. As if all the progress patiently built over the last few years, all the confidence stored up, had suddenly been shattered.