creativity at half mast, the reaction of Fickou and Bielle-Biarrey… What we liked and didn’t like in the victory of the Blues in Scotland

The French XV once again suffered terribly, it was as messy as possible, but it finally won at the wire (16-20), Saturday, in Scotland, during the 2nd day of the Six Nations Tournament.

So the caterpillar did not turn into a butterfly. After its non-match in Marseille a week ago against Ireland, the XV of France backpedaled again, Saturday February 10, in Scotland but it was still able to give the push to win (16- 20) and thus avoid a third defeat in a row under the Galthié era, which would have constituted an unfortunate first.

Obviously, the end of the match and the decision not to grant the winning try to the XV du Chardon are likely to sting the Scots for a long time. On the French side, on the other hand, it sounds like an immense relief. Even if it will not erase all doubts, far from it. “We haven’t transformed in two months” had nevertheless tried to reassure captain Gregory Alldritt before this match. It must be believed that, even if they deny it for the most part, the elimination in the quarter-finals of the World Cup has left more traces than the Blues are willing to admit. Otherwise, how can we explain this sluggish, fearful rugby, so far removed from that which made the Ovalie dream just a few months ago?

We liked

Murrayfield, the magic still happens

No matter how much we know, knowing the song in advance, it works every time. From the first notes of bagpipes rising from the roof of Murrayfield, a thrill spreads through the aisles of the stadium, into the TV beams, into every pore of the skin. Flowers of Scotland has this power. But, in Edinburgh, we are fraternal and we also let the visitor express themselves. The many Marseillaiseslaunched at full speed by the French supporters, also made hearts and choirs vibrate.

Ben White’s juggler act

The first Scottish attempt is quite simply a marvel of execution and collective skill. The intervals are perfectly taken, the passes given to the nearest hundredth of a second, but, to add a touch of genius to this work, this feat by Ben White was necessary. On the last transmission, the scrum half, thrown full iron, collects the ball behind his shoulder, juggles for himself and goes to flatten behind the line while sliding with his momentum. “Scottish Flair”.

The revolt of Fickou, the lightning of Bielle-Biarrey

The salvation of the Blues, ultimately, came from the old and the young. He was criticized after a rather lackluster World Cup for his standards and his failed match against Ireland. Some even called for his replacement by the promising Nicolas Depoortère in the center. But Gaël Fickou, as often, turned his back and responded on the meadow. If he no longer shines as much as before with his rolling races, the most capped player in the French XV is still just as valuable in his reading of the game. the try which allowed his team to get back on track after half an hour of play (13-10).

Then the youth of Louis Bielle-Biarrey took over. With the carefreeness, and above all, the canes of his 21 years. While his teammates were stuck, the helmeted winger started the reactors. At a standstill or almost along the sideline, he pulled out of his hat a diagonal kick to follow for himself which made his three defenders look like simple signaling blocks. A stroke of genius which reminded his coach, who had not started him against Ireland, that his juice was vital for a team which, sometimes, seems dried out.

We didn’t like

Lost bullets, the stick to get beaten

At this level of competitiveness, “turnovers” are often “game over”. The fine Scottish drizzle probably didn’t help, but it’s not like it was a surprise to find a slippery ball at Murrayfield in February. The one escaped by Jalibert, in the 7th minute, offered on a silver platter the ammunition for the first Scottish try of the match. A few touches not found, completely avoidable forwards: the Blues often gave the impression of playing with a bar of soap. Which partly explains the Scottish shower.

Indiscipline, a new recurring evil?

“France will bring physicality”, had warned Scottish coach Gregor Townsend before the meeting. He was right about this detail that the Blues often confused controlled aggression and contagious indiscipline. Uini Atonio, author of a high tackle in the 38th minute, almost made a “Willemse” but he escaped with a simple yellow card. Like the French pillar, the whole building showed itself to be shaky, offering, as against Ireland, too many penalties (nine against six to the opponent, including seven in the first period alone ). The Scotsman is miserly, they say, but not to the point of not converting them.

Without the ball, difficult to score

Since Fabien Galthié took office, France has become a master in the art of dispossession. However, this principle requires an accuracy and a realism that the Blues no longer possess. Worse, the system clearly exposes its flaws when the Tricolores find themselves trailing and without a solution. Difficult to score when you don’t have the ball (56% possession for Russell’s partners). And this is also where the Jalibert-Lucu hinge clearly failed. In his management of the game, in his transmissions, in his ability to influence the fate of a match, quite simply. In defense of the Bordelo-Béglais, they were not always helped by their forwards, and in particular their second line. Waiting around the corner, the Woki- teamGabrillagues struggled against the Scottish lineup, conceding two shots out of ten and only too rarely bothering his counterparts.