After the big victory of their team, Saturday, September 9, against Argentina, the English supporters had only one name in their mouths, that of the opener of the XV of the Rose, George Ford, a sacred scorer, he must say. “God Save George Ford!” » screamed, beer in hand, the most euphoric of them gathered around the Stade-Vélodrome de Marseille where the night meeting had just taken place. With his magic foot, the English number 10, raised to the rank of idol, scored all of the 27 points of his selection, leaving far behind the Argentine Pumas who scored only 10.
Everything was therefore played on foot and, in rugby, where we rather like to feast on jump passes and beautiful attacks launched from the back lines, inevitably it is quite funny. But wasn’t that the best strategy to adopt to ensure victory? Because everything had started badly for the English team reduced to 14 against 15 from the start of the match after the exclusion of the third line Tom Curry guilty of a tackle deemed dangerous on the Argentinian rear Juan Cruz Mallia. Rumblings then sounded in the Marseille stadium, as if to remind that the English now dragged the dirty reputation of collectors of red cards. This summer, two other players had already been sanctioned for bad gestures: the opener and captain Owen Farrell as well as the third-line center Billy Vunipola.
The exit of Tom Curry could have destabilized a team under pressure for several months largely punctuated by humiliating defeats, against France, on March 11, during the Six Nations Tournament (10-53), or against Fiji on August 26 ( 22-30). A few days ago, wasn’t the British press talking about the future? “shipwreck” English rugby? The rose team really could not afford to miss its entry into the competition and lose this first match which opposed it to the other favorite of Group D of the Rugby World Cup. To be beaten ? It was assured shame. Earn ? It was giving yourself a new chance, even a possible path to join the clan of the best.
The revolt of the 14 was launched by George Ford who electrified his teammates by passing a drop of more than 40 meters, in the thirtieth minute of play. A drop? Yes, a drop like in the good old days of Jonny Wilkinson, the former English number 10, 44 years old today, who must have quivered with pleasure if he watched the match in front of his television screen. Two other drop-goals followed before the end of the first half, enough to stun Argentina despite having a numerical superiority. The English were also the first to return to the lawn of the Vélodrome to start the last 40 minutes of play, an indication that is unmistakable.
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