The end of a long wait. And a lot of speculation. Antoine Dupont will hold his place, Sunday (9 p.m.) at the Stade de France, to face world champion South Africa in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. This week, the French captain trained normally with his teammates, he just wore a helmet to protect his face. “Antoine is doing very well. He is at 100% of his abilities and there is no reason to upset anything,” explained William Servat, the French forwards coach.
Number 9 will pair up, at the hinge, with Matthieu Jalibert, author of a brilliant match against Italy. For the rest, no surprises. Gaël Fickou and Jonathan Danty will be associated in the center of the French attack against the formidable Boks pair, Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel. The third line, which expects a titanic challenge against the tough South Africans, will be made up of Charles Ollivon, top try scorer for a French forward (15), Anthony Jelonch, back at his best, and Grégory Alldritt, inexhaustible bulldozer of the XV of France. In the absence of Julien Marchand, victim of a muscle injury to his hamstrings during the opening match, Peato Mauvka, author of remarkable performances, continues at the back.
The big question about this team composition concerned the composition of the substitutes’ bench. There were many questions on the South African bench. In anticipation of the huge fight that awaits them against the Blues, the Springboks finally opted for a 5-3 (five forwards and three backs), and not a 7-1 as recently against the All Blacks and the Irish to make people talk the power of its terrible “bomb squad” (the mine clearance team).
Opposite, the French staff finally opted for a 6-2 bench (six forwards, two backs). To face the Boks who chose to field a “classic” bench, the powerful and versatile Sekou Macalou and Yoram Moefana were called up among the finishers, Melvyn Jaminet paying the price for this “power option”.
The Blues remain on a founding success, last November, against the Boks (30-26). They were able to win this intense showdown at the Stade Vélodrome. “I had never experienced such intensity. It was a bit of a war on the ground,” said Cameron Woki, the French second row. And Charles Ollivon added: “On all contact zones, it was chaos…” Before this prestigious success, France had suffered seven defeats in a row against the South Africans since 2009 and a tour de force. made in Toulouse (20-13).
The only triple world champion nation (1995, 2007, 2019) with New Zealand (1987, 2011, 2015), twice semi-finalist (1999, 2015), South Africa has only lost twice in the quarter-finals in seven appearances since 1995: in 2003 against the All Blacks then in 2011 against the Wallabies. France has stopped three times at this stage of the competition, in 1991 (England) as well as during the last two editions, in 2015 (New Zealand) and in 2019 (Wales).
Ramos – Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Bielle-Biarrey – (o) Jalibert, (m) Dupont (cap) – Ollivon, Alldritt, Jelonch – Flament, Woki – Atonio, Mauvaka, Baille Substitutes: Bourgarit, Wardi, Aldegheri, Taofifenua, Cros , Macalou, Lucu, Moefana
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