After three weeks without playing, the Blues challenge Scotland on Sunday at Murrayfield. A XV du Chardon which imposes a high tempo to which it will be necessary to respond.
Nothing replaces the terrain. Since their convincing victory against Ireland (35-27) on October 31, the Blues have not played again, their first match in the Autumn Nations Cup against Fiji having been canceled last Sunday. Three weeks without playing. And therefore delicate recovery, Sunday at Murrayfield, against Scotland. After the cancellation of the match against the Fijians, the internationals had been released and returned to their club, but none – apart from Racing 92 hooker Teddy Baubigny, replacing Brive – has replayed.
Obviously, the question of the lack of rhythm of the XV of France will arise.
What confirms Laurent Labit, the coach of the three-quarter tricolors: “It was part of our preparation. Indeed, it will be three weeks, Sunday, that we have not played. But that’s why we wanted to maintain our level of training, our quality and our pace as well. ” The famous “high intensity training” concocted by the staff – and in particular the physical trainer Thibault Giroud – should make it possible to compensate for this lack of ground.
The third line center Grégory Alldritt is not worried. “I don’t think it’s a fear. It’s not something that scares us. It is true that it will be two weekends in a row that we have not played. But I can assure you that we trained very well, we had great training sessions. ” And to add: “Maybe that allowed us to cut a little and gain a little freshness. Honestly, I’m not worried about physical freshness. ”
An opinion shared by Toulousain Thomas Ramos, who should be lined up at the back at Murrayfield after Anthony Bouthier’s injury package: “With the training we do, the pace, we have it. After that, it is true that there was the cut of two weeks without games but I think that physically, we work hard during the week to be ready for high intensity games. On this point, we can respond present. “
Opposite, Scotland – which remains a series of five successes in a row – is renowned for its alert, fast play and made up of sequences of play. “It’s always mixed in these situations, continues Laurent Labit. . We say to ourselves: will we lack rhythm? Or maybe we’ll have more than the Scots who played? In any case, we did everything to be there on Sunday. ”
For their entry into the competition in the Autumn Nations Cup, Fabien Galthié and his assistants should renew the players who should have faced the Fijians, namely (apart from Matthieu Jalibert who replaces the injured Romain Ntamack) those who are usually substitutes, or rather “finishers” according to the neologism now in vogue in Marcoussis. Among them, Racing 92 hooker Camille Chat should have his chance. “I was keen to play this match against Fiji,” he says. It was frustrating knowing that I would normally start. But it was for all the players on the team. We heard the news just after training … “
Thomas Romas, aware that the XV of Chardon is currently “a team in full confidence”, warns: “Scotland is complicated to play, it has very good players, whether in front or behind. She is improving every year. The Scots manage to counter the opponents well. They have had several good results and they have just beaten Wales (14-10 at Llanelli). It’s hard to play, hard to beat. We all know it’s going to be a big game, it’s up to us to be ready. ”
To the Blues to resume their good habits and find their automatisms after their recent successes over Wales and Ireland. “It’s an important test for the whole group. We remain on a very good dynamic, with good victories, insists the scrum half of Lyon, Baptiste Couilloud. We are in a situation similar to the one we experienced before going to Scotland during the last Tournament. Mentally, it can be termed as a test for the group. It’s good, that’s how a group is built. It’s a great opportunity for this team to create a great thing. ” And to continue to grow.
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