Special envoy to Lyon
It’s a brilliant French XV which made short work of the Transalpines to validate its qualification for the quarter-finals. But next Sunday, at the Stade de France, the Blues will face an opponent of another caliber.
The appointment is set. In nine days, the French XV will attack a titanic quarter-final against, in all probability, South Africa, the reigning world champion (if Scotland does not play a bad turn, improbable him, to Ireland this Saturday evening at the Stade de France). The Blues will approach it with full confidence. In Lyon, they greatly reassured themselves by sweeping Italy 60-7, scoring eight tries. Firmly securing their first place in Group A. Physically, they are indeed in top form, as announced by the staff. And their game is in place, rough up front, electric behind. It remains to be seen – the surgeon who operated on him will give the green light, or not, on Monday – whether this high-altitude Dyonisian summit will compete with Antoine Dupont, acclaimed by the 58,000 spectators when his cock under his right eye appeared on the big screen at Parc OL.
The (false) suspense did not last long on Friday evening in a packed OL Park. Charges in the forward axis, tirelessly served by a diligent Maxime Lucu, Italians who retreat, retreat, and the infernal trio Jalibert-Ramos-Penaud begins its festival. Try from the UBB winger and 7-0 after less than two minutes. Ideal for stifling transalpine hopes from the outset. A distant penalty from Ramos and it’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s turn to shine. Served at the foot by Damian Penaud, the kid in the red helmet puts three defenders in the wind to go flattening. Already 17-0 in the 13th minute. Barely time to savor that, once again taking advantage of the enormous undermining work of his forwards, Matthieu Jalibert sails in front of the white line, serves Penaud, who hands it over to Ramos. The triplet has struck again and the mass is already almost said (24-0, 22nd). There will indeed be an Italian surge – finally -, a big pick and go session which will culminate in a strong test by the Ferrari pillar. Test refused after video for a big empty percussion from the same Ferrari on Lucu.
The slight threat has passed. Time for the masterclass. The French scrum carries his counterpart for around twenty meters, Lucu opens towards Fickou who transmits to Jalibert. Just before being tackled, the opener delivers a marvelous kick to Penaud. Test transformed by Ramos, infallible along the touchline on the left and right (16 points scored in the first period) and an authoritarian 31-0 at the break, offensive bonus already in his pocket. The Blues will add four more tries in the second half to easily win 60 to 7, the largest gap in the history of confrontations between these two nations (the previous record dated from… 1967).
Romain Ntamack forfeited, Antoine Dupont absent awaiting his surgeon’s verdict on Monday, the Toulouse hinge had given way to the 100% UBB pair. And the result was convincing. Maxime Lucu, a sober scrum half, was a distributor of passes. Fast, clean, efficient. A perfect relay between forwards and three-quarters, without the slightest false note. The presence of his club teammate released a fiery Matthieu Jalibert. Intervals crunched with full legs, inspirations to launch the movement to the opposing goal, decisive passes with the hand, with the foot. And a personal action to light up the city of the Lumière brothers a little more: feint, acceleration, hook, try. Of course, it was only Italy, which became modest again during this World Cup (156 points conceded against France and New Zealand, while the Uruguayans conceded… 100), but an alternative does exist. well. What if, next Sunday, Lucu started the game before handing over during the shift to Dupont?
