20 days before the opening clash of the World Cup (September 8 to October 28) against New Zealand at the Stade de France, Fabien Galthié’s men are playing the third of their four preparation matches this Saturday evening in Nantes. Then only Australia will remain, on Sunday August 27 (5:45 p.m.) at the Stade de France. The meeting can be followed on TF1 – kick-off at 9 p.m. -, commented on by François Trillo and his consultant Benjamin Kayser, but also live on the Figaro site, where the hectic Louis Mouret will make you live the confrontation minute by minute.
The Beaujoire stadium had not hosted a match of the XV of France since November 2010. It was already against Fiji, and the Blues had largely won 34 to 12. A match of the Blues entered the legend there – under the nickname of “battle of Nantes” for its savagery… -, the France-New Zealand mark of 1986, won by the men of Jacques Fouroux 16 to 3. During the World Cup, Nantes will host four meetings: Ireland -Tonga on September 16, Argentina-Chile on October 30, Wales-Georgia on October 7 and, finally, Japan-Argentina on October 8.
Among the 42 players taking part in the preparation, the only valid one not to have been lying on the match sheets for the two tests against Scotland was Melvyn Jaminet. The last selection of the Toulouse back dated back to the summer tour in Japan, in June 2022… A first also for his teammate François Cros. Injured, he had to forfeit the two games against Scotland. Finally, a first for Thomas Laclayat. The former pillar of Oyonnax, promoted to the Top 14, did not have the slightest selection despite regular participation in the XV of France internships. Appointed as a replacement, the Racing 92 rookie will finally become an international during the match, this Saturday in Nantes. In the end, of the 42 players selected for the preparation, only Romain Taofifenua will not have played the slightest minute before the announcement of the 33, this Monday during the news of 13 Hours of TF1. Hit in the hamstrings, the second line of the LOU continues his recovery. Will he be recovered in time to face Australia, the last meeting before the World Cup, next Sunday (5:45 p.m.) at the Stade de France?
The Flying Fijians have six players currently playing in the French Top 14. Rear Sireli Maqala (Bayonne), wingers Josua Tuisova (Racing 92) and Vinaya Habosi (Racing 92), third line Levani Botia (La Rochelle) will start. Pillar Luke Tagi (Bayonne) and winger Jiuta Wainiqolo (Toulon) take their places on the bench. Note that the captain, Semi Radradra, former RCT and UBB, will wear the colors of the LOU this season after two years spent in England, in Bristol.
France and Fiji have faced each other ten times since 1964. France have won the first nine times but were surprised by the “Flying Fijians” in their last meeting, in a test match, on the 24th November 2018 at the Stade de France (defeat 14-21). In the first period, the Blues had scored two tries in force by their captain Guilhem Guirado (25th and 40th 5) to lead painfully at the break (14-12) and respond to those of Semi Radradra (20th) and Josua Tuisova (31st) . But, in the second half, the Blues had not scored a single point to lose 21 to 14. Ben Volavola’s boot had made the difference. The humiliation could have been even heavier, between two tries denied to the Fijians and the failures of their scorer.
“Who did we take ourselves for?”, had stormed Mathieu Bastareaud at the place of his teammates just after the whistle… An eleventh meeting between the two nations, scheduled for November 15, 2020 in Vannes, had been canceled due to many cases of Covid recorded within the Fijian delegation. The organizers of the Autumn Cup of Nations then gave the match won with a bonus (28-0 and 5 points) to the Blues.
The Fijians arrive in Nantes full of confidence after winning their first three warm-up matches ahead of Tonga (36-20), Samoa (33-19), then Japan (35-12). At the World Cup, Radradra and his partners will face, in the (very) tough Group C, Australia, Wales, Georgia and Portugal.