Defeated for his first match as captain of the Blues in the Six Nations Tournament, Grégory Alldritt has not yet had the opportunity to show himself and shine in his new role.
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It was he who had to appear alongside his coach in front of the media, face closed, to answer the first questions after the heavy French defeat (38-17) against Ireland. In Scotland, Saturday February 10 (at 3:15 p.m. on France 2 and france.tv), for the second day of the Six Nations Tournament, Grégory Alldritt hopes to experience a happier outcome than for his first outing as captain of the Blues in the Tournament .
At the start of the year, synonymous with a new start and a new cycle, the Rochelais must indeed digest an unprecedented status and the responsibilities that go with it. In the (planned) absence of Antoine Dupont, it was he who was chosen by Fabien Galthié and the staff to take on this role rather than Charles Ollivon, first captain of the Galthié era. An arbitration which Alldritt was very concerned about, according to the coach.
A captain with a “new personality”
The choice was in any case carefully considered. “We had the possibility of changing in continuity: either we returned to Charles, who was and is a great captain of the France team, or else [on choisissait] an evolution. And we chose Greg Alldritt, with a new personality and a lot of experience”, commented Fabien Galthié upon the announcement of his first composition of the year, on January 31. Before regaining the captaincy, number 8 was already among the group of six leaders put in place by the staff and which notably includes Ollivon, Gaël Fickou and Julien Marchand.
Six Nations: Grégory Alldritt named captain of the Blues
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Several arguments weighed in favor of the Rochelais, notably his experience as club captain, with two European Cup titles and two Top 14 finals under his belt. But also his personal history, with his dual Franco-British nationality and his mastery of the English language, a major asset when discussing with referees. “Greg has Scottish roots. He understands Anglo-Saxon mentalities and masters the language. I wish there was only one player speaking to the referee”explained Fabien Galthié to the bi-weekly Olympic noon in January.
Against Ireland, Alldritt did not have the opportunity to fully appreciate his captaincy. Promoted “second line by deficiency” with “an additional responsibility in scrum” after the exclusion of Paul Willemse (32nd), as the coach of the conquest William Servat explained to the media on Monday, he could not help put the Blues on the right track. In a complicated match in terms of state of mind, he also failed to inspire a sense of revolt among his teammates.
A big month of competition since its resumption
The 26-year-old third row is also expected in the game. Shifted onto the field against Ireland to compensate for the imbalance, he did not weigh as much as usual. “We saw Alldritt play 4 when Willemse came out. He’s a boy who will release more energy than if he played 8”, analyzes former international second row Jérôme Thion, rugby consultant on Canal+. This did not prevent him from finishing as the best French tackler (16), but without really showing the full range of his game, in a team dominated by the Irish.
His state of form is particularly scrutinized after his long break announced in the wake of the cruel elimination in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. “It was important that it was me who imposed a recovery window of the duration I wanted, rather than being forced by the injury to forced rest for six months or more. In the end, I already think it was a good decision.”he explained at the end of November on the occasion of Rugby Night, as reported South West.
Alldritt finally cut two and a half months, after having anticipated his return a little and put his boots back on at the end of December rather than at the beginning of January, while Stade Rochelais was in difficulty in the championship and in the Champions Cup. Since then, he has played four club matches, including three as a starter, with sober and efficient performances, before joining the Blues.
After a disappointing first match, Grégory Alldritt is waiting for this first trip of the year to get back on track, like his troops. Especially since the meeting in Scotland, his father’s country, is special for him. “I will have family in the stands, that always adds a different flavor”he assured after the match against Ireland. It’s up to him to take advantage of this special context to lead his Blues to victory on the legendary Murrayfield pitch.