It is the promise of a clash of genres. On the one hand, the French, whom the British bookmakers and the opponents of the Blues place as favorites; on the other Italy, to which a new place of last is predicted and the wooden spoon that accompanies those who know only defeats. Sunday February 6 (4 p.m. on France 2 and france.tv), the XV of France must perfectly negotiate its entry into the running in the Six Nations Tournament, by winning against Italy, if it wants to seek victory. final in the competition.
In search of a bonus victory
“Winning a title is what the XV of France lacks”confided Gabin Villière to the Figaro a few days ago, supporting a little more the ambition of the coach of the Blues, Fabien Galthié, and his group: finally winning the Tournament. Frustrated by previous failures including a loss in goal average to the benefit of the English, the Blues are aware that they will not have to miss a single point to give themselves the means of their ambitions.
More than a victory, it’s a wide – very wide success – what Antoine Dupont’s teammates will have to look for to ideally place themselves. Just to take advantage of England’s misstep in Scotland and join at the top of the standings, or even overtake, the Irish who took care of their entry by correcting the Welsh (29-7).
A story of commitment and discipline
Archi favorites on paper, the Blues remain wary. If the Italians tend to dive physically, exhausted by the length of the Tournament and its requirement, they are rarely a gift at the start of the competition. The commitment battle is probably the first that the Blues will have to win on Sunday. History to avoid the pitfall of past generations, surprised by the bite of a team that has nothing to lose and carried by powerful forwards.
“The terminus of the pretentious” headlined the Express in 2013 after the defeat (23-18) of the Habs, pointing to commitment problems and the multiple approximations of Philippe Saint-André’s players. Two years earlier, the Blues had fallen due to the same ailments for the first time against Italy in the Tournament (22-21). They had also been deeply undisciplined, an opportunity on which had jumped the Italian gunner Mirco Bergamasco (17 points). These are the two keys that the Habs will have to appropriate to establish their domination.
Advantage to the Blues
To carry out their mission, the Blues would be well advised to repeat their performance of last year. They had crushed the Squadra Azzurra (50-10, 7 tries to 1) at home at the start of the Tournament. We had to go back to 2009 to see the Italians take 50 points against the French.
If the past generation, led by its emblematic captain and most capped player Sergio Parisse, has managed more than once to seriously annoy the Blues, even to overthrow them with a breath (twice in the Tournament 22-21 in 2011 , 23-18 in 2013), the XV of France exercises an overwhelming domination over the Franco-Italian games. He remains on a series of eleven consecutive victories or 13 successes in 15 games since 2010.
It is therefore an understatement that a defeat or a narrow victory against this Italy in reconstruction, characterized by its new captain, the third line Michele Lamaro (23 years old), or by its Montpellier opener Paolo Garbisi (21 years old), would be a disappointment.
Italy, between agony and litany
Especially since the Franco-Italian confrontations are only a glimpse of the decline of Italian rugby in search of a second wind. The game of the transalpine neighbor suffers from the comparison with his Scottish galley companion, long stuck in the depths of the Six Nations, now able to overthrow anyone – for further proof the victory against England on Saturday. Gone are the days when Scotland – who fell to Australia in the fall and fourth in the last Tournament after wins over England and France and narrow defeats to Ireland and Wales – seemed as catchable as Italy.
The players by Kieran Crowley have a legacy that grows heavier every year. They remain on a series of 32 consecutive defeats in the competition and 7 wooden spoons in 8 editions. Their last victory in the Tournament dates back to February 28, 2015, a success in Scotland (19-22).
If once again the last place seems promised to them, the Italian players have every interest in making copies as solid as possible and in spreading out some progress. Something to appease, or dismiss, for a while the nagging question that accompanies their disastrous record: do the Azzurri still have their place in the Tournament?