Never two without three. Crowned in 2018 and 2019, Les Bleuets won a third world title. A third crown in a row, the competition being stopped for three years, Covid-19 obliges. Another youth but still as much talent. Exit the Matthis Lebel, Louis Carbonel or Arthur Vincent. Make way for Paul Costes, Hugo Reus or Lenni Nouchi. The 2003-2004 generation impressed during these three weeks of competition in South Africa. Discover the five keys to this title.
He was not the best known with this World Cup but was able to stand out. Marko Gazzotti grew in power throughout the tournament, up to a stratospheric final. The third line of Grenoble was also elected man of the match. “Pride because world champion, I think the whole group will remember it for life, confides the number 8 after the match. And behind that, I think I still don’t realize… I might realize in a week or two and what we’ve done is huge. I gave it my all tonight.” A true third-line center in the pure tradition of the position, the player with three tenures in Pro D2 this season is the real revelation of the competition.
“There are a lot of X factors in this team and we can’t be champions if we don’t have plenty of X factors,” coach Sébastien Calvet confided after the match. Nicolas Depoortère is certainly one of them. With 12 games this season in the league, including five as a starter, the three-quarters of UBB was well known to Top 14 followers. And during this World Cup, he confirmed everything we thought of him. A double from the start against Japan before doing it again a few days later against the Welsh. A team that suits him well since the Bordelo-Bèglais had already scored twice against Wales during the Six Nations Tournament. In the final, Nicolas Depoortère scored another try after returning from the locker room, his fifth in the competition.
“Marko (Gazzotti) had said to Lenni: you see, in the semi-finals I was the finisher. And then Lenni was very angry and he wanted to show him that he existed (laughs) ”joked the manager of the Blueberries after the meeting. It must be said that the n°6 and captain of the Bleuets also impressed against the Irish. A complete match concluded with a sublime race of more than 50 meters to offer a try at the very end of the match. “When I run, I don’t know yet if we are going to be world champions, confides the main interested party after the meeting. And frankly when I run I don’t think of anything. I don’t know if it shows on camera, but I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to the end of my race, but I can’t take it anymore. At the start of the school year, Lenni Nouchi will find Montpellier, with whom he has already played eleven games this season.
“This third line is beautiful and complementary” savored Sébastien Calvet after the coronation of Bleuets. But the package of forwards is much more than this third line which reigned with a masterful hand over the Irish. It is truly an eight-player pack, serious in the scrimmage, always attentive in touch. Hugo Auradou reigned in the air. Posolo Tuilagi made a name for himself during the competition. And the first line is not left out either. Pierre Jouvin scored a strong try after returning from the locker room in this final, as did … Lino Julien, last-minute starter after Louis Penverne’s injury. A sign, once again, of the depth of this France group.
We saw it in the final, it was just the logical continuation of the whole tournament. Seven tries, 50 points passed to the Irish. Up front from half an hour into the game, the Bleuets did not stop there, with three tries in the last ten minutes even though the coronation seemed acquired. 50 points in the final, a usual score for the XV of France U20 which ends the competition with 51 points on average. An introduction that sets the tone against Japan (75-12), a prestigious victory against the Baby Blacks (35-14), a success against the Welsh (43-19) and a sublime comeback against England in semi-final (52-31). 36 tries scored in five games.