The victory of the Blues against England, Saturday March 19 (25-13), put an end to a long drought. The last time the Blues conquered the Grand Slam, in 2010, Nicolas Sarkozy was President of the Republic, the Girondins de Bordeaux in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and Romain Ntamack schooled in sixth. As you have understood, the feat is rare enough for us to come back to it in figures.
11 starting players five times
Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Uini Atonio, Cameron Woki, Paul Willemse, Anthony Jelonch, Grégory Alldritt, Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Gaël Fickou and Melvyn Jaminet all started the five matches of the Tournament. In addition, Jonathan Danty and Gabin Villière (injured), as well as Damian Penaud (affected by Covid-19) have started four times. It will take a lot to crack such a spine.
7 tries conceded: an iron defense
With the contribution of specialist Shaun Edwards, this XV of France and its conceded 73 points, including seven tries, is more iron curtain than Maginot line. Only Ireland (four tries conceded, including three in Saint-Denis) is more hermetic. Very incisive in the tackle (84% success), the Blues shone in the scratching exercise, challenging many balls on the ground. The second period in Cardiff (no points conceded) is a model of its kind. Compared to the two previous campaigns of the Galthié era, the progress is considerable (13 tests collected in 2020, ten in 2021).
CHAMPS!#TheTournamentIsBlue #Don’tDoXV #XVdeFrance pic.twitter.com/GZny9pM6jg
– France Rugby (@FranceRugby) March 20, 2022
0 card conceded: a discipline in clear progress
Any coach will tell you: in rugby, discipline is the sinews of war. The Blues show a military rigor in the matter, since none of them received the slightest card during the competition. In comparison with the 2020 (one red, four yellow) and 2021 (one red, three yellow) vintages, the progress is enormous. With 47 penalties conceded, they rank second, behind Italy (46). The arrival of the former international referee jerome Garcès, in the staff for a year, is bearing fruit.
71% of trials registered by three-quarters
In the back, life is good. Throughout the competition, the French three-quarters enjoyed the work of a pack of untouchable forwards. Twelve of the seventeen tries were scored by backline players. The icing on the cake, wingers Gabin Villière and Damian Penaud each dived three times into the in-goal, to achieve the best total of the Tournament with Irishman James Lowe. In short, the french flair hit.
64 tackles: indestructible Anthony Jelonch
It multiplied. With 64 tackles (third total of the Tournament), flanker Anthony Jelonch continued to cut his opponents, an average of 13 tackles per game. Its success rate, around 90%, is also eloquent. What about his playing time? He was replaced only once, in Scotland, making him the second most used forward behind his Gers friend Grégory Alldritt (374 and 390 minutes). Colossal for a pack player, in the roughest international rugby. And to think that without the absence of Charles Ollivon, he might not have played…
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92% of hits won: French cocks excel in the air
Unlike the show of force against the All Blacks, we hardly saw any carried balls collapsing in the in-goal. But on this Tournament, the French touch brilliantly played its role of launching pad, at the origin of tests. With just six stray balls from 70 throws, the Blues reigned in the air. The second line of fortune Cameron Woki, whose ease in the cage we will not stop repeating, received 24 balls in touch. Only the Italian Federico Ruzza (28 takes) did better.