Ireland and France seek invincibility in Dublin – Liberation

The two selections, who are vying for the top of the world hierarchy, clash on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium, with the World Cup in sight.

The date had been highlighted for a long time and the verdict of the first day of the Six Nations Tournament, last weekend, confirmed the prediction: Ireland-France, announced this Saturday February 11 (1) on the lawn still dotted with pitfalls of the Aviva Stadium, in Dublin, will be, it is said, the final of the test. A “final” to say the least anticipated, since three days will still remain to be played. Namely nine other meetings, including France-Scotland (February 26) or England-France (March 11) which will also influence the podium and, therefore, the European hierarchy six months before the World Cup organized in France.

Nevertheless, although holding the aporia – since attached to a competition which is based on a classification established from the points gleaned, and not on direct eliminations – the word “final” is a seller, and already guarantees a good audience TV after the average of some 5.6 million people (up to 6.8 million, at the peak) having followed on France 2 the painful tricolor success in Rome (29-24), Sunday February 5. Above all, we must also understand by this the fact that, under this name, the teams currently ranked number 1 and 2 on the World Rugby world scale (ex-IRB) will find themselves.

14 wins in a row for the Blues

A rating that is undoubtedly more reliable than the FIFA rankings for football (where, for information, Brazil occupies pole position and Belgium continues, at least on paper, to hover in the upper spheres), updated after each international game. , and which has long seen the countries of the southern hemisphere lead the way. Starting with New Zealand which, shortly after the creation of the hit parade in 2003, reigned supreme for fifteen years, before South Africa came to challenge an omnipotence that some had ended up imagining eternal. Then the tide turned again with, now, a takeover from France and Ireland, which both have a string of victories: 14 for the Blues, 6 for the Greens.

An observation that we are moreover tempted to extend to the whole of European rugby, it seems today a notch above its southern adversaries: in November 2022, during the series of test- autumn matches, which each year see teams from the South come to challenge those from the North, the double successes of France and Ireland over Australia and South Africa made an impression, as did the defeat of Australia in Italy, or the rout of Argentina in Scotland. From there to deduce that the transhumance of individualities, unceasingly intensified since the beginning of the 20th century, has not benefited the nations of the south, which have seen a number of club players (rather aging stars, at the beginning, which is no longer true today) to seek fortune in the French Top 14…

Briefly at the head (in July 2022) of this planetary hierarchy, calculated on fairly elaborate but not incoherent criteria, France had to cede its scepter, a week later, to Ireland. However, it is the troops of Fabien Galthié who give cold sweats to all their opponents, with an invincibility that has lasted for more than a year and a half. Fourteen consecutive victories, therefore, (only New Zealand and England have done better in the past) and here are the Blues to the test of Jonathan Sexton and co, eager to avenge the narrow defeat (30-24) suffered last year. last, almost to the day, at the Stade de France.

Copy full of erasures

Long accustomed to crying over matches that should have smiled on them, the French have developed the opposite tropism for several months by stealing matches that could have slipped through their fingers. Not later than in Rome, they returned a copy full of erasures (eighteen faults whistled by the English referee, Matthew Carley, a staggering, if not incomprehensible, stat at this level) which did not prevent them, a once again, to obtain a mark (just) above the average. But, if they were to persist, these shortcomings would bring the success story to a halt in Dublin. “You have to remember that we have often been good in terms of discipline over the past three years and not necessarily question everything because we missed out on a match. It happens”a philosophé, In the teamthe center Gaël Fickou, from Italy where the French team stayed all week.

Faithful to a policy aimed at minimizing turnover as much as possible, Fabien Galthié agreed, choosing to field the same starting fifteen, on behalf of the“collective experience” and some “search for homogeneity”. “The objectives have been achieved, with an improved victory” (against Italy), has thus justified at least the coach, more concerned than ever to unite a group which, apart from the cases of injuries or sudden malforms, today legitimately expects to punch its ticket for the tenth cup of the story world. Where, plausible hypothesis, France, on its land, could find Ireland from the quarters. What, once again, would encourage us to talk about a final before the hour?

(1) Kick-off at 3:15 p.m., live on France 2.