The Blues challenge the South African world champions in the quarter-final of the World Cup on Sunday. A meeting marked on the calendar since the arrival of Fabien Galthié at the helm.
The reigning world champion against the favorite host country at home, the second nation in the world against the third, two of the last three best players in the world, Antoine Dupont and Pieter-Steph du Toit, present on the pitch… It’s a summit clash which will be played out between France and South Africa to close the quarter-finals, Sunday October 15, at the Stade de France. On the Saint-Denis pitch, they will play the most anticipated and feared match of Fabien Galthié’s mandate, the one that everyone has in their heads and which has been surrounded in the coach’s calendar for more than three years.
Once the qualification was validated against Italy, Fabien Galthié also qualified the upcoming summit three times as “second final”after one “first final” played against the All Blacks in the opening match. “We welcome the defending champion at home for a quarter-final, it’s the World Cup, the supreme competition for any rugby player, it’s a title that we have never managed to win… These are as many reasons that show how important and high stakes this match is”summarizes Dimitri Yachvili, former international and consultant for France Télévisions.
A “second final”
What is at stake is an understatement. This confrontation against the Springboks represents the beginning of the climax of all the efforts and preparation of the group since 2020. “We spend entire seasons preparing to experience these moments of the final phase”, assured the coach in charge of the forwards William Servat. This quarter-final is above all an essential step in the road plan set by the staff of the French team, supposed to lead to a historic coronation on the last weekend of October at the Stade de France, and which necessarily involves a success in Dionysian lands on Sunday evening.
Especially since the XV of France failed in the quarterfinals during the last two editions, spanked by New Zealand in 2015 (62-13), and overthrown by Wales in 2019 (20-19). No French player on the pitch has won a World Cup knockout match. “We are moving on to a quarter-final where we know that we have no room for error […] We will have the opportunity to reach a semi-final, obviously that’s a lot.”conceded pillar Reda Wardi, who is playing in his first World Cup.
From excitement to fear of heights
It is also the stature of the opponent that makes the confrontation magical and major. Since December 2020 and a draw which has caused a lot of ink to flow since then, the Blues knew that they would face tough opposition for their first knockout match. At the same time as their progress in Group A, the field also delivered its verdict in Group B. And propelled South Africa, reigning world champion, as a future opponent at the top.
Only beaten by the Irish in a crazy intense match, the Springboks have so far appeared very solid in the defense of the Webb Ellis trophy. And to these well-established supports, they added a hint of surprise by deciding to shake up their team composition, and therefore their philosophy, undoubtedly more focused on the game on Sunday evening. “It’s a game of chess. Preparing for these matches is a level of strategy pushed to its peak. It’s perfect”savored Fabien Galthié.
But who says immense expectation, also says fear of heights. Because this match is undoubtedly as much hoped for as feared. Because it’s the current best nation in the southern hemisphere. Because if fate did not favor the Blues, it would mean the bitter and hasty end of a common dream, and all the regrets that would necessarily go with it. A possibility that the Blues do not want to think about, they who insist that they remain in their bubble and only look forward. “If we’re not ready for that, we’re not ready to go where we want to go.”, decided the new captain Antoine Dupont, two days before the match. Because two new finals then await them to win the Grail.