12 days before the clash at the opening of the World Cup (September 8 to October 28) against New Zealand at the Stade de France, Fabien Galthié’s men are playing this Sunday, against Australia, the last of their four meetings of preparation. The meeting can be followed on TF1 – kick-off at 5.45 p.m. -, commented on by François Trillo and his consultant Benjamin Kayser, but also live on the Figaro site, where the lively Alban Conejero will make you live the confrontation minute by minute.
Before entering “his” World Cup (September 8-October 28) against the All Blacks, it is a “premium” XV of France – even if the staff now refutes this term – who will face the Wallabies . Only one absent, Romain Ntamack, victim of a rupture of the cruciate ligaments of the knee, 15 days ago against Scotland in Saint-Etienne. Otherwise, it’s almost the typical team that will challenge the “men in black” in the same place. Matthieu Jalibert replaces the usual holder Romain Ntamack and will have to prove that he has the head and shoulders to be number 1 at the opening. The rear triangle is made up of Thomas Ramos at the back, Gabin Villière and Damian Penaud on the wings with the Gaël Fickou-Jonathan Danty pair in the middle. Heavy to finish.
This is the little surprise of this latest team composition. The bench will once again consist of six forwards and two backs, with scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud and full-back Melvyn Jaminet. But among the substitute pillars, we find Sébastien Taofifenua, the only player not called up for the World Cup. Called up after Cyril Baille’s injury (still at least three weeks away), the Lyonnais accepted a freelance contract for one match, taking over from Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon), to allow Reda Wardi (La Rochelle), now number 1 in the hierarchy, to blow this weekend. Fabien Galthié explained that Romain Taofifeniua’s little brother “was part of a group of twenty-six players who were called up in mid-June the week of the last Top 14 semi-finals. He worked for a week with us. Then he returned to the club and got ready. Last week he joined us. He only has a week of preparation with us but I did not feel a player in difficulty. After the match, the LOU left-hander will join his club. Unless he is called up again during the competition…
Long shunned in his own country, Will Skelton has, in recent seasons, made a reputation as a bulldozer in Europe, whether with the Saracens and then with the Maritimes, two teams with which he won the Champions Cup. In a squad that lacks a lot of experience and leaders, the massive second-line (31 years old, 28 selections) – who will be associated in the cage with Toulousain Richie Arnold – was appointed captain by Eddie Jonnes, who did not hesitated to deprive themselves of the glorious former Michael Hooper and Quade Cooper. The colossus of La Rochelle will become the 87th captain in the history of the Wallabies. The team lined up at the Stade de France has an average of only 17 caps, 12 of the 23 players on the match sheet have less than 10 caps, the most experienced being the pillar Taniel Tupou (48 caps). “Will has a lot of experience with teams that have shone in Europe, greets Eddie Jones. He brings this winning culture to the group.” It is not the seven Rochelais of the tricolor group who will say the opposite…
The last confrontation between the Blues and the Wallabies dates back to November 5, 2022 and a short success of the Blues 30-29 at the Stade de France. In the summer of 2021, with a team deprived of its best elements, the XV of France had conceded two narrow defeats in three tests (23-21 and 33-30), but had won the second match in Melbourne (26-28) . It was the first victory for the Blues with the Wallabies for… 31 years (19-28, June 30, 1990 in Sydney)! The last six meetings between the two teams have been decided on a difference of three points or less. Australia’s last win in France was on November 19, 2016, a 23-25 success at the Stade de France. All opponents included, the Blues have won 19 of their last 21 matches.
An unsuccessful comeback. After having managed Australia between 201 and 2005 and led his country to the final of the 2003 World Cup (defeat after extra time against England), Eddie Jones returned to business last January, replacing Dave Rennie, who had poor results. And things haven’t improved… The Wallabies are indeed on four straight losses since the return of the former mentor of Japan (victory against the Springboks at the 2015 World Cup) and England, vice-world champions for a few more weeks. Worse, the Australians finished last in the Rugby Championship. And the choices and the method of Eddie Jones are talking. He ousted former glories Michael Hooper and Quade Cooper, a fighting but cringe-inducing sporting choice. The Australian coach’s relations with the local press are volcanic. The tone even rose during a press conference organized before joining Europe. Eddie Jones leaving reporters on a scathing note: “This is the worst conference in the history of world rugby.” If he repeats – Coué method obliges – that the Wallabies can be world champions, not many people believe it…
