There are still two games left, Wales on March 9 in Cardiff and England on March 16, to take stock, but France have taken a serious option on the grand slam, after the incredible performance on Saturday February 26, against anything but ridiculous Scots. Blame it on the band of twirling and effective three-quarters, like a Damian Penaud doubly rewarded with two tries, and an Antoine Dupont still above the fray, with a new title of man of the match for the best player in the world 2021.
→ THE FACTS. Rugby, a big victory for France in Scotland
In the fray precisely, on the left flank of the first line, another man with a more obscure game would have deserved this title just as much: Cyril Baille. Olympic noon Where The Team were not mistaken, giving him the same rating as his club colleague Dupont, 9/10 for some, 8/10 for others. Neither did the Murrayfield crowd, who gave a rare standing ovation for one before the player’s 58th-minute exit.
He also left the debates later than his colleagues on the front line, hooker and right pillar, a sign of his staff’s confidence in his state of physical freshness in a position where muscle and energy expenditure reaches peaks.
Fabien Galthié: “The best left in the world”
For a good year, the Stade Toulousain player has ensured game after game the crown of best left pillar in the world that his boss Fabien Galthié put on his head at the end of the heroic France-Ireland last year ( 15-13). After this founding match for the blue building, the coach, rather stingy with individual comments, had dropped: “It is without doubt the best left in the world. »
Capable of hitting drops from 40m in training, of passing passes on both sides while the forwards are often comfortable on one flank in the collective game, this big guy runs almost like a little one. “He has dexterity, he could play with three-quarters”, claimed during the first gathering before the Julien Marchand Tournament, his hooker colleague in the France team as in Toulouse.
Only reserve for the 2019 World Cup
Sharp from the start with his colleagues, the young Pau trained at Lannemezan made a superb assist for Yoram Moefana (13th). And we found him several times wide of the scrum, ready to receive a pass and launch forward like an authentic three-quarter. In this year’s game against Ireland, he netted with a deft hand through a clump of players.
Often injured during his not always very rigorous debut off the field, the Toulousain had marked time in the France team after unconvincing selections under the Guy Novès era, to the point of losing the confidence of the next coach, Jacques Brunel. After a good 2018-2019 season, he was included in the list of reserves for the 2019 World Cup, under the watchful eye of future coach Fabien Galthié, appointed just before the World Cup and who had accompanied the Blues to Japan as an observer.
“The public pushed us to the end”
Finally chosen to play the World Cup matches, he almost never left his starting place on the left flank of the front line. He played in all five matches of the 2021 Tournament and played a decisive role in the victory against the All Blacks in November. Barring injury, the Toulouse pillar is firmly planted in blue soil until the 2023 World Cup, which will be played in France.
Asked by journalists from France Télévisions about his personal performance after the victory against Scotland, the pillar preferred to kick into touch, praising the performance of the… public: “Today the French supporters pushed very hard, did he declare, it almost felt like playing at home. Thank you to those who made the trip, they were huge, pushed us to the end and it is also thanks to them that we won today. » Diplomat as well.
