The third row will start and captain against Uruguay on Thursday, more than six months after his operation on the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee.
Anthony Jelonch succeeded in his bet. Thursday September 14, at the kick-off of France-Uruguay, the second match of the Rugby World Cup, the third row will enter the pitch of the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in the shoes of a starter and captain. An express return, just six months and eight days after his operation on the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee, announced by Fabien Galthié on Tuesday.
On February 26, number six in the back, the French international was seriously injured in a tackle at the end of the line after 25 minutes of play against Scotland (32-21 victory), during the Six Nations Tournament. In the hours that followed, the verdict fell like a blade. “We remember that evening, it was an evening of victory but it was very difficult”, recalled the coach on Tuesday at a press conference. Everyone then predicts a package for the main event of 2023: the World Cup.
“Determined and convinced that he will succeed”
Everyone except him. “At no time can I imagine not being recovered”he assured in the columns of The Teamtwo weeks after his operation carried out on March 6, in Toulouse. “I felt a player determined and convinced that he will succeed. In these cases, the mentality is of great importance. He has a strong desire to fight. He will succeed in overcoming this ordeal and apply for the ‘French team“, predicted, at the end of March, Jean Bouilhou, the forward coach of Stade Toulouse, his club since 2021, at a press conference.
“At the beginning, I had doubts but I always had this World Cup in my sightshe admitted. I worked very hard for six months, I gave myself every chance. It’s a huge source of pride for me to come back as captain.”
Anthony Jelonch did not skimp on the work sessions to recover his physical resources as quickly as possible. He spent the first seven post-operative weeks in Toulouse, five in Montpellier with Bruno Boussagol, the health manager of the French XV, four others in the facilities of the Stade Toulouse before spending a month, in July, at the European Rehabilitation Center of the sportsman from Capbreton (Landes). “It helped me a lot to change my environment each time. I didn’t get into a routine”details the international with 25 selections.
“Coming from a world where the mind took up a lot of space”
“It’s easy to say now, but very quickly we felt that he would be back with us. There were strong signals”, smiles Fabien Galthié. In May, when he received the press at his home in Montgesty, in the Lot, the coach was already impressed by the speed of his rehabilitation: “As they are exceptional players, they have an extraordinary recovery capacity and they are already ahead. The surgeon does not understand what is happening with Anthony Jelonch.” “I come from a world where the mind took up a lot of space. Since I was little, I’ve been from the countryside, that helps too”believes the person concerned to explain his rapid return to the game.
He returned to the France group on August 14, in Capbreton, in an almost symbolic handover with his teammate from Stade Toulouse, opener Romain Ntamack, whose withdrawal… due to a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee was announced the same day. A day earlier than the date he announced in The Teamtwo weeks after playing billiards: “I will be ready to resume on August 15!”
However, the preparation of the French team had started without him a month and a half earlier, on July 2 in Monaco. Absent from the initial list of 42 players, his return had always been planned by the French staff. Proof of the preponderant place he has occupied since the start of Fabien Galthié’s mandate in 2019.
“What a hurry, it’s Thursday evening”
Before the arrival of the former scrum half at the head of the Blues, Anthony Jelonch had two selections, honored during the 2017 autumn tour against New Zealand (18-38) and South Africa ( 17-18). Since then, the third row has been one of the first names on the match sheet by Fabien Galthié when he is available, as evidenced by his 19 starts in 23 selections under his direction (25 caps in total).
He notably earned his stripes during the 2021 summer tour. The Blues came out of the three test matches against Australia with two defeats (23-21, 33-30) for a victory (28-26) but above all promises for the future in the absence of the Top 14 semi-finalists. Anthony Jelonch had been captain during these three outings. “This tour made me grow as a captain and leader”he revealed to the press on Tuesday.
The Gersois, like Antoine Dupont, had then been part of all the recent major successes of the French XV, whether it was the 2022 Grand Slam or the victory against the All Blacks (40-25), at the Stade de France, in November 2021. Two years later, Anthony Jelonch is about to renew his history in Blue. “I know that the knee is holding up well, I have the green light from the surgeon, from the physiotherapists, in my head, I am 100%. I can only wait for Thursday evening.”