It did not make the sparks we expected against Argentina (29-20, November 6), but the embers only require a gust of wind to ignite. Facing Georgia, Sunday at 2 p.m., the pair of openers that constitute Matthieu Jalibert and Romain Ntamack, will have a new chance to appreciate the shattering support, the bright passes and the millimeter kicks that we know them. Despite a sluggish first during which the duo (with Jalibert positioned in 10 and Ntamack first center) did not know how to express himself in a long shuffled team, the staff of the XV of France decided to renew the experience.
“50 minutes together, that’s not enough. There, we start again with an additional week of experience, training. There is also the emotional part of the work to be taken into account and the analysis, all that must allow us to be more efficient. “
Fabien Galthié, coach of the Bluesat a pre-match press conference, Friday
The coach of the Blues, Fabien Galthié, and his assistants did not want to stay on the “feeling of unfinished business” of an association that lasted only 54 minutes. Against Argentina, Romain Ntamack had been replaced by Jonathan Danty, in a series of changes intended to bring physical density back to the center of the field. Before his exit, Jalibert and Ntamack had only been able to exchange three passes, two of which were under pressure and without ever being able to evolve in the rapid phases of play that both love so much.
A logical decision to retry the experience for David Darricarrère. The former opening half and current coach of three quarters of Castres had notably supervised Romain Ntamack in less than 20 years with the Blues. “They are right to bring them back, they have to find connections. It’s hard, it’s a first game, it’s not like that. Training is not enough, you have to be a little patient. It’s interesting to see them again in a different context than against very aggressive Argentines, who hurt us on the rucks. We must not bury them immediately. “
If, as pointed out by the boss of the Blues, the Toulouse must “improve your game” when it is positioned in the center and “his communication with Matthieu Jalibert”, for David Darricarrère there is no doubt about his ability to perform in this position at the international level. “When we were world champion (in 2018 and 2019 with those under 20), Romain was at the center and associated with Carbonel who played 10, in the quarterfinals, in the semi-finals and in the final. ” And then, remember, if he became the opener number 1 in the hierarchy of the Blues, Romain Ntamack has at least as shone with his club at the center position as at the opening.
“Jalibert and Ntamack are world class players it would be a shame not to try and have them both on the pitch.”
David Darricarrère, Castres coachto franceinfo: sport
To do without so many talents and to make a definitive cross after such a short attempt would seem rushed. Especially since, as the former coach of the Bleuets underlines, the success of the doublet Jalibert-Ntamack could bring “high speed”, characteristic of play dear to the coach of the XV of France. “Bringing together Carbonel and Ntamack in less than 20 years had given us an incredible boost, in terms of the game, of the kicking game. Thanks to this technical contribution, everything was going faster. We can expect at least as much from Jalibert-Ntamack. ” Brilliant each on their own, they must learn to be brilliant together.
But the proper functioning of this association does not depend solely on the two men. If the pair had trouble expressing themselves, it is also because his teammates failed to install them in a chair. Dominant forwards allow the hinge and more generally the back lines to gain precious seconds, those which allow to make the right decision, to determine the right interval, to use the foot or his hands and thus to serve his teammates in the best conditions. Pushed against Argentina, the pair ran out of time.
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By densifying his starting XV against Georgia with the entries of Uini Atonio in pillar, Romain Taofifenua in second row or even Grégory Alldritt and Sekou Macalou in third row, the staff hopes to offer them a more comfortable seat. Because “it is not two players who will change the team’s game, it is all the players who must adapt to a different organization”, explained Galthié at a press conference on Friday.
“We have problems of the rich. Obviously both are world-class openers. The Dupont-Ntamack hinge is one of the best hinges in the world, see in the Top 3. The central question is to determine how you want to run the game. There is a certain comfort in being able to make those choices. “
David Darricarrère, Castres coachto franceinfo: sport
According to the former opener, this Jalibert-Ntamack option is above all a strategic choice, which has a direct impact on the game that the France team wants to offer. Placing Ntamack in the center, while the XV of France is teeming with talent in this position, does not mean that a cross is made on the previous options. “We must remember that we have very good centers, with Vincent, Vakatawa, Fickou, they were essential and so far turned all three. It was playing well before. There, it’s just that we are in a looking for another option to be able to rely on. “
Indeed, the absences from injuries of Arthur Vincent and Virimi Vakatawa simply allowed the staff to test an association that had been trotting in their heads for a while. “Now is the perfect time. If we ever need to fall back on this option, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to the players.”, adds Darricarrère.
The option is all the more tempting as it is by associating its two forerunners (Ford and Farrell) at the previous World Cup in Japan that the English offered a flamboyant rugby, even knocking down the All Blacks (19- 7) in the semi-finals to reach the final. If that was not enough to win the title against South Africa, their journey marked the spirits and the game while speed, based on an aggressive defense, tremendously echoes the style that the staff of the Blues wishes to develop. .
A style that had also led the under-20s to their first title of world champion in 2018, then in 2019. A style then worn by a golden generation, among which were – coincidentally – Romain Ntamack, Arthur Vincent, Cameron Woki, Demba Bamba, Louis Barassi, Killian Geraci or even Matthis Lebel. Since then, the latter, who feast in this game while speed that could devote the duo Jalibert-Ntamack, have all come knocking on the door of the XV of France. There is no doubt that they will be valuable allies in developing this additional strategic option. The staff of the Blues have nothing to lose by adding a new string to their bow to carry out the quest for a world coronation at home, in 2023.