“They are magnificent fighters, players who like to move forward, who have that in their DNA”, had warned about the Springboks the coach of the Blues Fabien Galthié by presenting his team composition to Marcoussis.
After half an hour of play, the fight and the intensity imposed by these same fighters had already given another look to the starting XV concocted by the staff of the France team, with four players replaced for injury.
“It was not a violent match, but a physical match”, tried to nuance the third line and captain of the Boks Siya Kolisi after the match.
“We knew we were going to enter a zone of intensity, hardness, violence”, on the contrary judged Galthié after him. “But no matter how much you say it, as long as you haven’t lived it, you don’t really know what you’re talking about.”
– Macalou winger for a night –
The first twist of fate came in the 13th minute, in the form of a terrible clearing from the third line Pieter-Steph du Toit, hitting the head of center Jonathan Danty at full speed, and collecting a red card in the process.
The neo-dad, absent from Marcoussis this week to attend the birth of his son, writhed in pain on the lawn, holding his face, before leaving his partners, the orbital floor fractured.
His exit forced the Blues to reorganize their back lines, winger Yoram Moefana returning to his favorite position in the center, and third line Sekou Macalou returning … to the wing.
This replacement solution was planned by the staff, and accepted by this player with an atypical profile: “If I have to play 10, I would play 10. The most important thing is to help the team”, explained Macalou , at a rare speed for his size (1.93 m and 90 kg).
Not sure, however, that the management of the Blues expected that Macalou would have to play for so long against the electric South African winger Cheslin Kolbe, whose disconcerting supports are well known in the Top 14.
In the 29th minute, it was the colossal right pillar Uini Atonio who left – temporarily, he will return in the second period – the lawn for a concussion protocol, replaced by Sipili Falatea, player from Bordeaux-Bègles with an explosive profile rather intended to finish the matches.
“Challenging the Boks is also a step up (a progression) in terms of commitment, intensity and combat. It will really scrap”, analyzed the second line Thibaud Flament in the week.
A few minutes after Atonio, he too left the Blues for a concussion protocol (32nd), this time definitively, replaced by Romain Taofifenua.
– Yawns towards an operation –
The test of Cyril Baille (21st), all in power, could have reassured on the state of form of the Toulouse pillar, who had found the Blues last week with only about thirty minutes of play in the Top 14, after a left adductor surgery this summer.
Alas, in the 33rd minute, he was also forced to leave his partners, victim of an “inguinal hernia”, indicated after the match the coach, referring to “perhaps an operation this evening”. It was the Rochelais Reda Wardi who replaced him to fight against the South African pack.
“We will have to be able to fight and play, and not just stay in the fight, not just go to the field where they want to take us,” warned Laurent Labit, the coach in charge of the attack.
It is however in the fight that this XV of France, struggling in his game, finally regained the advantage.
First with a strong try from Falatea (74th), then thanks to a dominating scrum (78th), which offered Thomas Ramos a penalty which sealed a victory literally won in pain.
