Four years ago, the France under-20 team was crowned, in Rosario (Argentina), world champion for the second time in a row. In two years, France had just brought out a golden generation which today, before the “big” World Cup in France (September 8-October 28), is making the heyday of the XV of France, with in particular the Romain Ntamack , Arthur Vincent, Cameron Woki and other Jean-Baptiste Gros, who have become tricolor executives.
Due to the health crisis, the last three editions of the U20 Worlds have been cancelled, France are therefore still double defending champions and are putting their crowns back on the line during the competition which begins this weekend in South Africa. (June 24-July 14). “We are excited at the idea of returning to this World Cup format, we are delighted to find ourselves in this adventure, confides the manager of Les Bleuets, Sébastien Calvet. There is a lot of excitement but we have gone from the summer camp spirit to the competitive spirit.
The format of the competition is known: three groups of four, three matches in ten days for the Blueberries (Japan, New Zealand, Wales), the first of each group and the best second qualified for the semi-finals. An ultra-condensed first phase, therefore, and no room for error. “We were transparent with the players: we have less collective experience than a XV of France who have worked together for more than three years, so the idea is to put a big backbone on the first two matches against Japan. and New Zealand to gain strength against two fairly similar opponents, details Sébastien Calvet. We are wary of Japan but the opposition will be stronger against the New Zealanders. The rest of the group, if all goes well, will get him the victory in the third game against Wales.
The U20s finished second in the last Six Nations Tournament, after a short loss in Ireland (33-31). “We have the legitimacy to think that we are a strong nation in the northern hemisphere. We must continue on this dynamic but we have no points of comparison with the South. We collected match footage, including from New Zealand. So we come with a lot of humility for this first match against Japan. We have the stated ambition of going for this title, ”insists the manager of Les Bleuets.
If they are deprived of their two nuggets Émilien Gailleton (Pau) and Louis Bielle-Biarrey (UBB), retained by Fabien Galthié, the U20s can nevertheless rely on a young guard who has already rubbed shoulders at the top level, in Top 14. With in particular the scrum half of Clermont, Baptiste Jauneau (26 matches this season), the opener of La Rochelle, Hugo Reus (6 matches), and the third line of the MHR, Lenni Nouchi (11 matches), appointed captain in Gailleton’s absence. But also the centers Nicolas Depoortère (UBB, 12 matches) and Paul Costes (Toulouse, 5 matches) as well as the back Mathis Ferté (Brive, 19 matches).
For its entry into the competition, the France U20 team will nevertheless have to do without its powerful second-line U20 from Perpignan, Posolo Tuilagi (18 years old, 1.92 m for 145 kg). The latter could not initially fly with the French delegation because of a visa problem, the native of Samoa needing additional paper to join South Africa. The FFR has announced that this small administrative problem has been resolved and that the Usap player (16 matches this season), son of icon Henry Tuilagi, had finally joined his teammates this Friday.
Without Émilien Gailleton and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, the Blueberries have lost two “X factors”, recognizes Sébastien Calvet, “but the goal of the U20s is to seek places in the XV of France”. And to insist: “Without them, we are able to meet the challenge of being world champions. We would have liked to have them but we know that we are competitive. First elements of response against the Japanese. “They play a lot. Our goal will be to quickly kill their stocks with aggressive defense. Above all, we must not let them play their game, at the risk of making mistakes and being in difficulty. Before thinking about the shock of this first round against the Baby Blacks, still formidable and crowned six times (from 2008 to 2011, then in 2015 and 2017).
Ferté – Drouet, Depoortere, Costes, Moustin – (o) Reus, (m) Jauneau – Zinzen, Gazzotti, Nouchi (cap.) – Liufau, Aurado – Duchene, Jouvin, Penverne. Substitutes: Massa, Kaddouri, Julien, Capilla, Timo, Carbonneau, Mondinat, Attisboge.