Eliminated from ‘its’ World Cup by South Africa (28-29) a little over a week ago, the French XV is struggling to mourn this disillusionment. Nothing worked in the favor of the Blues before and during this tournament since the major injuries followed one another and they finally weighed as one could expect against the armed squad of the Springboks.
The dream ended abruptly for the XV of France. Of Stade de France in the different fan zones of France, a cathedral silence reigned at the final whistle. The euphoria subsided suddenly, leaving the fans but especially the players and staff distraught. If the decisions of Ben O’Keeffe didn’t help Antoine Dupont and his teammates, on the field, Blues failed in the second period, jostled by enraged South African substitutes and much more impactful than the French.
Rugby World Cup: After the scandal against South Africa, France defends the referee! https://t.co/NaprUdgZLz pic.twitter.com/qjN9LzRqR1
— le10sport (@le10sport) October 24, 2023
Reduced holders
If he was able to hold his place for the quarter-final against South Africa despite his maxillo-zygomatic fracture, Antoine Dupont was not in the best mood. And when we know the importance of the scrum half in the game of Fabien Galthié, it weighed a lot. Certainly, Dupont had a very good match, but without this injury, he would undoubtedly have been able to make the differences which would have brought this little point which was missing for the Blues. Among the other players present, Anthony Jelonch, Win Anthony et Jonathan Danty were also coming back from injury and perhaps were not necessarily at their best. Cyril Bailletouched in front of Scotland in preparation, was well recovered against the Boks since he scored two tries and weighed in during the match. But what also made the difference was the depth of the bench.
Significant packages, finishers not up to the level
The XV of France is one of the rare teams that can usually boast of having substitutes who would start in any other team. Usually yes, because when Romain Ntamack, Julien Marchand et Paul Willemse are not there, Fabien Galthié deprives itself of the finishing qualities of Matthew Jalibert when opening, but also the power of a Peato Mauvakayet heroic as a holder, who would have harmed Boks exhausted at the end of the meeting. As for Willemse, his return would have relieved the French second line, very strained by the South African physical dimension. Conversely, South Africa made the difference thanks to its entrants. With such a massacre, Fabien Galthié and the XV of France left with a very big disadvantage which we minimized but which ultimately got the better of the adventure of the Blues in this World.
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