“In 2023, since it’s home, we have to bring the Cup home, get by.” The injunction comes from President Emmanuel Macron. It was aimed at tricolor rugby players, ahead of the draw for the 2023 World Cup organized in France (September 8 – October 21, 2023), which was held in the early afternoon on Monday. And resourceful it will be necessary to be, to extricate oneself from a group A still incomplete, but one of the two qualifying places could well be hooked by the All Blacks.
As at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, the French will feel the ball with Ian Foster’s men from the group stages. Nine years ago, the band at Dusautoir had taken a good rouste entry (37-17), before recovering and losing a short margin in the final (8-7) against these same Blacks. “We’ll see if we can repeat the same performance. It’s hard to think about it because 2023 is far away, but today we are stepping into it. We know the extent of this event, even if the road is still long ”, recognized hot the scrum half of the French XV Antoine Dupont, recently elected best player of the last Six Nations Tournament, that France finished on the second step.
“The All Blacks, in our universe, it is the team always present in this competition, no matter what. It’s a team that loses few games, which is very competitive. It’s a myth! First of all, we have a big challenge that presents itself to us from the group matches. A great challenge! ”, rejoiced coach Fabien Galthié.
???? For @FGalthie @FranceRugby is preparing to meet a myth in Pool A of the # RWC2023 with the @AllBlacks
???? https://t.co/OtK62Z4uzS pic.twitter.com/8SB4ctbZbI
– Rugby World Cup (@RugbyWorldCupFR) December 14, 2020
The paradox is that, despite the presence of the triple world champions in this group A, the draw reserved for the recent second in the Six Nations Tournament seems close to ideal. In comparison to some hens – such as the terrible group C which will feature Wales, Australia, Fiji and surely Georgia – the rest of the nations that Fabien Galthié’s men will have to face will be more than affordable. Yes, but we will have to think about the quarter-final. Even if by 2023 things will have changed. If the same system is used as at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, the runner-up from group A will meet the runner-up from group B, where South Africa, Scotland and Ireland will patrol. If logic is respected (the Blues lose against the Blacks and the Springboks come out first in their pool), an explosive quarter-final will pit the host country against the defending champion. Unless the Blues hit the Blacks.
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While ensuring against Italy. Old acquaintance, the Azzurra Squadra will try to surprise the Blues at home. Something she has only succeeded once, in 1997. While to find note of his last exploit against the Blues, we must go back seven years earlier and a 23-18 success in opening the Tournament of Six Nations vintage 2013, won by snatching 80 minutes.
“There are no easy hens”
For the two places that remain to be allocated – two countries from the Americas 1 and Africa 1 groups – the verdict will be known at the end of the qualifying phases which must take place straddling the years 2021-2022. Eight tickets still remain to be awarded, including two for the nations of America and only one in Africa.
In view of the state of form of each of the nations still in the running, the United States or Canada risk leaving the Americas group, while Namibia should, as for each edition since 1999, be part of the World Cup. Twice “the Welwitschias” were atomized when they faced the Blues in the World Cup, the last of which was in France at the 2007 World Cup (82-10).
Despite everything, Bernard Laporte, the president of the FFR, wanted to be cautious at the microphone of TMC: “An easy hen? There are no easy hens. I find them balanced, with an uncertain outcome. New Zealand is one of the best nations in the world and this duel promises to be exciting. I’m very excited anyway, Bernard Laporte let go, enthusiastically. Today (on Monday) is the first day of this World Cup. The players, with eight wins in ten matches this year, have given pride to this jersey. In three years, players will have between 40 and 60 selections, and this collective experience should serve them well. “
Romain Métairie
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