“I have a special thought for Bernard. From his first response at a press conference after the historic success (10-53) of the XV of France in England on Saturday, Fabien Galthié wanted to pay tribute to his former president. “Bernard” for Bernard Laporte, ex-boss of the French Rugby Federation forced to resign at the end of January a month and a half after his first instance sentence to two years in prison suspended in a corruption case. And incidentally, the last tricolor coach to come and win at Twickenham in the Six Nations Tournament in 2005.
“We did it,” replied Galthié, then questioned whether or not he had shared with Laporte this knockdown inflicted on the XV of the Rose on his lawn. Nothing surprising given the closeness of the two men. In November, the coach of the Blues had picked up his phone in the middle of the press conference in the bowels of the Vélodrome after the French success (30-26) against South Africa. On the line ? The one who was still president of the FFR.
“We think of the friends who left their bodies on the line”
But Fabien Galthié did not only have a thought for the former leader. Another person hailed: the third line Anthony Jelonch, victim of a serious injury to the left knee two weeks ago against Scotland and uncertain for the World Cup (September 8 – October 28). “We think of the friends who left their bodies on the line,” he said. We can perhaps dedicate this victory to him. If the third row was very good today, it’s because he helped build it. »
The boss of the Blues also mentioned “the friends who took a red card”, in this case the pillars Uini Atonio and Mohamed Haouas. “We have a thought for Bernard Le Roux, who gave everything so much that he parked on the side of the road, also underlined Galthié after a question on the impact of Thibaud Flament in the second line, in reference to the player Racing 92 absent since a shock to the head in September. Thought also for Cameron (Woki) who went up a notch (from third to second line, who performed and who was injured. “
After all these thanks and this historic victory, the Blues still have a match to play in the Six Nations Tournament. They will face Wales on Saturday, a meeting where they can still play for the title, especially if Ireland, the current leader, loses Sunday in Scotland.
