Let’s face it, the scenario of the meeting is atypical. Used to a successful start to the match to crack in the final sprint, the Blues did the opposite against Argentina, Saturday, November 6 (29-20), at the Stade de France. Dominated in the rucks and stammering ball in hand, the French conceded a cap try by Tomas Cubelli in the 22nd minute. Salvation came in the second half once, with the tries of Flament and Mauvaka.
A delay in ignition, really? After all, the Argentines did not capitalize on the French slag, and the Blues led by a short header at the break (9-7). But this score did not reflect the dominance of the Argentine forwards. “We made a lot of mistakes. Our defense was in place but too undisciplined”, admitted Antoine Dupont after the match, at the microphone of France 2.
The statistics confirm the captain’s impression: the French conceded seven penalties in the first act (thirteen in total or as many as the Pumas). Above all, they were dominated in the ground game, the Argentinian scratchers having been almost systematically one step ahead of the French offensive supporters. “We had trouble holding the ball on our offensives, while we saw that when we held it three or four times of play, we managed to put them in difficulty”, completed the new French captain.
It’s hot at @StadeFrance this evening ! The Blues lead against the Argentines after 40 explosive minutes Rendezvous after the break #XVdeFrance #NotLet’sXV #FRAARG pic.twitter.com/9raRju1TgZ
– France Rugby (@FranceRugby) November 6, 2021
The Habs also lacked composure on some Argentinian chambers, mingling in several clashes in the first period. Julien Marchand received a yellow card for giving in to a provocation from Marcos Kremer, also excluded for ten minutes. “We fell into their game of aggression, talking to them, lamented winger Gabin Villière. We managed to correct the situation by focusing on ourselves. “
Failures that can be explained by “reunion“, to paraphrase Fabien Galthié. “The team haven’t played together since March, which is eight months”, explained the coach. The squad on Saturday night is actually nothing like the experimental squad that competed against Australia in July. An absence of automatisms therefore, and this even if seven of the fifteen holders play at the Stade Toulousain.
Without ever mastering their subject from A to Z, the Blues still erased some of their approximations after the break. The “finishers” so dear to Fabien Galthié brought power and better fixed the Argentine defense. “We brought intensity”, confirmed Jean-Baptiste Gros, entered the game as left pillar. With Grégory Alldritt, Jonathan Danty and Peato Mauvaka, the density provided made Mario Ledesma’s players bend.
The Pumas also had their fangs less and less sharp as the minutes passed. Dull after nine games in three months, the Argentines cracked and sometimes eased off in the second half. Their success in the tackle was in any case much less efficient, reaching 79% over the whole game (against 95% for the Blues). Reinvigorated by the contribution of the bench and a cheerful Stade de France audience, Matthieu Jalibert’s teammates finally took the measure of their opponents. But this mixed overall performance may not be enough against New Zealand in two weeks.