Misleading atmosphere on the boards of the Tony Parker gymnasium of Insep Tuesday morning. With relaxed looks and general good humor, the executives, coach Jean-Aimé Toupane in the lead, were keen to oppose a more serious truth: the bursts of laughter will have to give way to seriousness, Thursday evening, against Lithuania ( 6:30 p.m.). In Vilnius, the French team must punch its ticket for the Euro, which it aims to win in Slovenia in June (from 15 to 25, organized jointly with Israel). “ We, the old ones, are there to remind the objectives from the beginning of the gathering “underlined captain Sarah Michel (34 years old, 117 caps).
The five-day journey, which should end with an opposition against weak Finland (no wins, 4 losses) on Sunday in Helsinki (2 p.m.), comes down to a single objective: to win the first of two meetings, thus locking the first place in the group and therefore avoid the headache of a dangerous second place (only 4 of the 10 second hens will compete in the Euro). ” We haven’t qualified yet. martelait Toupane. They won’t give us the qualification like that. »
The crushing victory against the Lithuanians in November 2021 in Villeneuve-d’Ascq (83-56) is a very distant memory. At the time, Sandrine Gruda and Endy Miyem were still the guides of a squad that had just won bronze in Tokyo. Both have not put on the blue jersey since – and will be absent again this week – which did not prevent the French team from continuing its reconstruction and delivering a well-made World Cup in Australia last September. (defeat in the quarter-finals against China).
Exceptional Chartereau absent, Williams and Rupert back
This last international interlude at the heart of the club season will be negotiated without Alexia Chartereau (knee), who had not missed a match since her first, at the end of May 2017 (90 selections). Gradually becoming part of the group (vice-captain), she left the team in the hands of winger Gabby Williams (1.80 m, 26 years old) and Iliana Rupert (1.94 m). , 21), forfeited during the November window. The interior of Bologna (Italy), yet hit in the nose, was authorized by her club to participate in the trip, protective mask in addition. “They, like Marine Johannès or other executives, are there to extend what we ask for, what has been done well since the World Cup, as well as bringing their state of mind, irreproachable, hoped Toupane. Their influence must transpire on the pitch. And at the same time grant France the essential sesame towards an ambitious year 2023.
