2024-11-10 08:07:00
Led by Antoine Dupont, the XV of France easily disposed of Japan (52-12), Saturday at the Stade de France, for its first match of the fall tour.
Published on 09/11/2024 23:07
Updated on 10/11/2024 09:07
Reading time: 4min
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen such a dashing French XV. Since the demonstration in Wales (45-24) in March during the Six Nations Tournament perhaps, or even during the World Cup in France, more than a year ago. With the return of Antoine Dupont and despite some changes, the French XV delivered a very successful performance against Japan at the Stade de France, Saturday November 9 to easily win 52-12.
With five major changes in his starting XV (Tevita Tatafu, Alexandre Roumat, Théo Attissogbe, Emilien Gailleton and Léo Barré starters), Fabien Galthié wanted to promote “emulation” within the France group. It worked perfectly on Saturday.
Thanks to a strong start to the match, the Blues led 31-0 at half-time against the Japanese who were overwhelmed by the speed of execution of the French. Four of the five tries were through a sequence with a similar skeleton: a rapid shift on the left wing, and a breakthrough by Louis-Bielle-Biarrey, either concluded by him (4th and 28th), or by Emilien Gailleton (10th ) and Alexandre Roumat (20th).
In the absence of Damian Penaud, a last minute withdrawal, the young winger was the main detonator on the wings. “At the start of the match, we managed to transform almost all of our possessions into points. We managed to defend well with several big sequences. For a restart match against a team that showed us a lot of pace, we were consistent “judged Fabien Galthié at the microphone of TF1.
Opposite, the Japanese, apart from a few bursts including one attempt refused for a forward, came up against an impassable French pack played by Emmanuel Meafou or Jean-Baptiste Gros. But if the Blues have made their task so easy, it’s hard not to have Antoine Dupont’s hand in it. The captain of the Blues, who was absent with the French XV since the World Cup to prepare for the Games, transfigures the French game, much more predictable in his absence.
Chisteras, penalties played quickly, framing-overruns: the Toulouse scrum-half put the French team on a cruising speed by triggering all the decisive actions. At his side, Thomas Ramos replaced Romain Ntamack well, with fairly precise footwork (6/8) and to good effect.
Faced with an opposition quickly overwhelmed physically, Peato Mauvaka (34th) and Jean-Baptiste Gros (42nd) added strong tries, before the Blues managed their lead until the end, still conceding two tries (50th and 61e). If Tevita Tatafu and Théo Attisogbe were quite discreet, Yoram Moefana and Emilien Gailleton, who replaced Gaël Fickou and Jonathan Danty in the center, scored points, as did Paul Boudehent, author of a double to seal the deal (54th and 65th).
With this convincing victory, the XV of France launches its 2024-2025 season in an ideal way. Regenerated by the return of Dupont, the France group confirms that its talent pool is substantial at the highest level and that Fabien Galthié is ready to shake up its executives for the coming season. The next match of the autumn tour against New Zealand, next Saturday, will be a test of another scale to know precisely the level of this XV of France. “We have a new system in attack and defense, but to give the Japanese more than 50 points for a resumption match is very satisfying. The Blacks are a very big piece that we will have to prepare well“, concludes Louis Bielle-Biarrey on TF1.
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E noticed the lack of intensity from the Japanese side, who struggled to match the physicality and pace of the French team.
The second half saw a similar trend, with France maintaining their dominance. Even with some substitutions, the team continued to showcase their depth and skill, ultimately sealing the victory with a total of eight tries. The enthusiasm from the home crowd was palpable as each score echoed through the Stade de France, reinforcing the team’s resurgence in form.
This victory serves as a strong statement for the French team as they prepare for future challenges, re-establishing their confidence and showcasing their potential ahead of upcoming international fixtures. Coach Fabien Galthié expressed satisfaction with the performance, citing the importance of consistent execution and the need for continuous improvement as they aim to build momentum moving forward.
As the French XV looks to capitalize on this momentum, fans will be eager to see how this renewed energy translates into their next matches, especially with a core group of players hitting their stride under the pressure of international competition.