The Blues had a success but missed the offensive bonus by scoring only three tries against the Teros for their second group match on Thursday, which was enough for them to regain the lead of their group.
The job is done, but it was difficult. The XV of France signed its second victory in this group stage of the Rugby World Cup by winning against Uruguay (27-12), at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, Thursday September 14. With a surprise try conceded in the first minutes, and valiant resistance from the Teros until the last minutes, the France team, largely reorganized, had all the difficulty in the world to break away, despite a more exciting end to the match.
Facing the 17th nation in the world, the second lowest ranked team in the group, the Blues were promised a big victory. But on the pitch of a white-hot Pierre Mauroy stadium, the Blues have long flirted with the trap. As against New Zealand, they were caught cold in the first minutes, once again conceding the first try of the match, in an action which is reminiscent of Mark Telea’s achievement at the Stade de France, and the silence that followed.
In a first period where not much succeeded for them, except for the first try in the blue jersey of Antoine Hastoy to regain the lead, they struggled to create dynamism and edge. They even missed the penalty and a second try conceded while they were outnumbered, but ultimately generously refused.
A delicate new start
Within this blue XV and its 12 changes, the indiscipline, the lack of benchmarks and adjustments, like Antoine Hastoy’s too long kick towards Gabin Villière just before the break (39th), were blatant. Like, too, all the Uruguayan breakthroughs in the misaligned defense, as in the action which led to the second try of the Teros.
In difficulty in the conquest (three touches lost), the XV of France at least demonstrated a certain mental strength by responding immediately to the second opponent achievement to regain a head start and take a big breath. Before trying to seize the opportunities at the end of the match, which allowed Louis Bielle-Biarrey to celebrate with a try (72nd) his record as the youngest Frenchman to play a World Cup match, at 20 years old and 87 days.
The entries of Cros, Mauvaka and Flament in particular have restored fluidity to the blue game. The French will undoubtedly regret not having gleaned the bonus, despite two attempts from Gabin Villière and Sekou Macalou being refused. But seeing the closed faces at the final whistle, they will also remember that the evening could have gone the wrong way.
Thanks to this victory, the Blues still temporarily regain the lead in Group A, left to Italy and its offensive bonus at the end of the first day. Fabien Galthié’s men now have an appointment with Namibia, Thursday September 21 in Marseille, to try to continue this flawless performance, and to reassure themselves in the content.