As expected given the week’s training, the 19-year-old second line with a mirrored physique Posolo Tuilagi (1.92m, 145 kg) will experience his first start with the French XV, Sunday against Italy . Fabien Galthié confirmed the news when announcing the team composition this Friday in Marcoussis.
“Posolo brought a lot of energy at the end of the match in Scotland, as he had already done against Ireland. What makes him start is his performances during training and each time he comes into play: that’s how he earned his starting jersey,” explained forwards coach Laurent Sempéré, who accompanied the coach for the press conference.
We take the same…
For the rest, those who were hoping for changes after the first two very average matches of the Blues in the VI Nations Tournament will be disappointed. Only Paul Boudehent enters the third row to compensate for the loss of captain Grégory Alldritt, injured in the left thigh two weeks ago.
We will therefore find thirteen of the fifteen winners of Murrayfield, including the Jalibert-Lucu hinge and the Fickou-Danty duo, who had crystallized the criticism. Not enough to make Galthié upset. “The players are not there by chance. We sometimes have the right to be a little less efficient collectively and individually. They are simply human beings, asserted the coach. The experience we are having right now will make us stronger. »
Fabien Galthié also returned to the press on his reading of the Scotland match, the content of which he considered entirely satisfactory. If you have a hidden passion for long and convoluted answers, this is your moment:
“I hear what is said, good and bad. Everything we do is commented on. Everyone is responsible for their words, their thoughts, their words. On the last match, I repeat, at this level, we must be able to withstand the big moments as well as the painful moments. Obviously, we want to do more. We remain as ambitious as ever. But we are in a period of resilience and it is built step by step, he tried to explain. First on the basics of this game, structured for the moment around simple principles: solidarity, commitment, courage. And the heart, the heart of our team, the hearts of the people. »
Wait, it’s not over: “In Scotland, we have refocused on the essentials. This team, for five years, has shown, and it will show it again, that it has virtues, which were transmitted to us at rugby school. The pain we experienced that week was also a great happiness. Because coming together is always a great joy (…). We are far from data, strategy, tactics, even if they are important, but these are the values of rugby that we want to show. When Grégory (Alldritt) says that it’s one of his greatest victories and I say that I’m happy with the content, it’s true. Coming out of the match, I’m happy. We kept our heads held high in the face of difficulty and looked forward. »
You wanted Galthié, you are served.
