A tricolor recital and an inspired conductor. Matthieu Jalibert delivered a full match this Friday against Italy (60-7), certainly his best performance in the blue jersey. “We fulfilled our first mission which was to come out of the group undefeated. We played a complete match, salutes the Blues opener. We were really able to put our game together and maintain the intensity over 80 minutes, not giving them hope. It’s a good match that will prepare us for next week.”
With a try scored and three assists delivered, the record of the opening half of Union Bordeaux-Bègles is almost perfect. Without losing his qualities as a puncher, as when he mystified the Italian defense in the 47th minute, he also knew how to distribute the game with accuracy and alternation. “If I watch the match, there are obviously things to work on,” he says, surely thinking of this penalty not found at the start of the second period. But overall, we were able to play in the areas that we had worked on in training and that we had analyzed. It’s positive, we are generally satisfied.”
Above all, the Blues were formidable from the start of the match. Not a second of respite. Fast, sharp, efficient, they immediately put the Transalpines with their heads underwater. “The All Blacks, last week, almost folded the match in 20 minutes. That’s what we wanted to do. Suffocate them with our game, our aggressiveness, our intensity, confirms Matthieu Jalibert. In 20 minutes, we had the score, we were well in the game and we don’t have any hope to believe it. It’s positive.”
The other positive point of the Lyon evening was the ability of Fabien Galthié’s players to score after long phases of play. By dictating their tempo before delivering the blow. Six of the eight French tries were thus scored after long sequences. The Blues opener confirms the development: “We knew that the strength of the team was to have a strong defense and to score on recovery balls. But, in preparation and at the start of the World Cup, we are also working on holding the ball for long sequences, suffocating our opponent and putting a lot of intensity. We are very happy to have put it in place this (Friday) evening.”
Now it’s time for the quarter-final which will probably be of a completely different ilk, facing the formidable Springboks outgoing world champions. “We watch the matches, obviously. Afterwards, we have a lot of respect for the opponents we will face, he humbly emphasizes. We didn’t plan that far. We’ll see who we’re going to face, it’s not final yet.” We will know after the Ireland-Scotland match this Saturday. Before adding: “But if it’s South Africa, you have to beat the best to go all the way. We are well prepared, we are good physically, good in our game. All we have to do is…”
There were many questions, when Romain Ntamack had to forfeit, about the ability of Matthieu Jalibert to be able to take up the torch and be the master of the Blues. His major performance against the Nazionale should silence his detractors. But the hard part begins. And that hardly impresses him: “It’s a second World Cup that’s starting. We have three finals: a quarter, a half and a final to get to the end. It’s a new competition for life and death. It’s very exciting because we have prepared hard for this, to experience these kinds of moments. We are where we wanted to be. Now all that’s left to do is…” See you next Sunday at the Stade de France.
