The rebound will wait: the XV of France, corrected by Ireland (38-17) Friday in Marseille after a red card for Paul Willemse in the 32nd minute, immediately compromised its chances in the Six Nations Tournament and leaves the doubt settle after the failure of the World Cup.
The World Cup still in the minds of the Blues?
The cursed quarter-final abandoned by nothing last fall to the future South African world champions (29-28) has clearly not finished haunting French minds. By conceding at home against the XV du Trèfle, another big disappointment of the World Cup, their heaviest defeat under Fabien Galthié, the Blues missed the opportunity to close the still gaping scar. They had not suffered two consecutive defeats since 2021, between the last match of the Tournament against Scotland (27-23) and the first test of the summer tour in Australia (23-21).
There are still four days to go, but the victory of the Tournament is already seriously slipping away as the Irish, winners with offensive bonus (five tries), do not seem to have any other opponents at this level at their level in the northern hemisphere. Even if he was only timidly questioned after the disillusionment of the 2023 World Cup at home, Fabien Galthié was obliged to quickly put his team back on the path to success to prepare for the future with greater serenity .
He also convinced the right pillar Uini Atonio and the second row Romain Taofifenua to come back even though they will certainly not go until the next World Cup, in 2027 in Australia. The vast majority of their teammates – 80 to 90%, estimates Fabien Galthié – can on the other hand nourish this ambition, but the new cycle did not start in the best way on Friday.
The failed return of Paul Willemse
In the unusual setting for the Marseille Vélodrome Tournament, the Stade de France getting a makeover for the Olympic Games this summer, the French almost did not exist in the first half. Without imagination, condemned to defend and not always very well, they conceded two tries, by Jamison Gibson-Park (16th) and Tadhg Beirne (30th). A lesser evil as Ireland, even without its metronome Johnny Sexton, who has retired, dominated almost all sectors of the game.
She also did not need to find herself in numerical superiority after half an hour of play. Deprived of the World Cup by a thigh injury, Paul Willemse missed his return. Already very close to a direct red for an illicit clearance in the head of the opposing pillar Andrew Porter (9th), he has still not stooped low enough in the tackle on Caelan Doris. His exclusion, logically, at least had the merit of waking up France and the public at the Vélodrome. The inevitable Damian Penaud scored his 36th try for the selection, two points behind Serge Blanco’s record, and maintained a semblance of hope at the break (10-17).
The second row Paul Gabrillagues punctuated his return to blue, more than four years after his last selection, with a try on a carried ball (53rd) before giving way to the physical phenomenon Posolo Tuilagi, capped for the first time at just 19 years. But the Greens were clearly the strongest and winger Calvin Nash (46th) and hookers Dan Sheehan (62nd) and Ronan Kelleher (78th) gave momentum to their first success in France in the Tournament since 2018.
Deprived of their leader Antoine Dupont, focused on rugby sevens and the Olympics, the Blues now have four matches to redress the situation and chase away the demons of the World Cup for good.