Scotland is “confident” before finding the XV of France, assured the captain of the XV of Chardon Jamie Ritchie, Friday, on the eve of facing the Blues in Saint-Étienne in a preparation match for the World Cup . “A lot of confidence. We took a lot of confidence from last week’s performance: we didn’t really start well but we were able to fight and finish well,” said Ritchie (26, 41 caps).
And the third line who plays in Edinburgh added: “We were able to show our good physical shape, in particular by being at our peak at the end of the game, when we play our best rugby. We also felt that we were a better team than during the Six Nations Tournament and we will want to demonstrate it tomorrow (Saturday).
Scotland and France already clashed last week at Murrayfield, with a victory for Gregor Townsend’s men (25-21) thanks to a listless second period for the Blues, who conceded 22 points without being able to respond. For this revenge, Fabien Galthié and his staff have decided to recall the usual executives, starting with Romain Ntamack and Antoine Dupont.
“We have a lot of big matches coming up so having big matches to prepare for is important. We are focused on our game and how to develop our rugby to get a result,” added the third row. After this double confrontation against the XV of France, Scotland receives Georgia on August 26 for its last preparation match. During the World Cup in France (September 8-October 28), the XV du Thistle will have a lot to do with South Africa, reigning world champion, and Ireland, world number one, but also Tonga and Romania. .
