victorious in Cardiff, the XV of France on the way to the Grand Slam – Liberation

And seven! By dominating Wales, in Cardiff, on Friday evening, the XV of France signed their seventh consecutive success. Above all, with a game sheet folded on an unusually paltry 13-9, he continues his flawless in the 6 Nations Tournament, the supreme European trophy after which he has been chasing for twelve years now. Favorites of a competition which stupidly escaped them in 2020 and 2021, the Blues therefore did not tremble. Or so little, facing the last winner to date of the event who, aware of having missed the 2022 edition anyway, was only betting on a victory against France as a consolation prize.

But it is said that this tricolor XV, which we knew suffering for so many years, is no longer afraid of losing. Even less to win. What was done after 80 minutes overall intense and trying where, although always leading the race, the visitors never managed to make this break which would have allowed to play more liberated. Instead, after the entire stadium gave a long round of applause to the Ukrainian people, the troops led by Antoine Dupont had to put up a fierce resistance, even if, united around a very strong and aggressive group in defense , nobody ever yielded to this panic which formerly made them lose matches which seemed acquired.

So certainly, this first prime time of the Tournament was also the least spectacular match of the Blues who had gotten into the habit of scoring more than thirty points on each outing, planting tries after dantesque cavalcades suitable to seduce a family audience. . But, if nothing happened in Cardiff, it is also – above all? – with this kind of contest, indecisive, bitter, sometimes thankless, that the sagas are written. “We didn’t tick all the boxes, but enough to win”soberly noted the coach Fabien Galthié at the microphone of France 2. A cold analysis, hot, shared at the final whistle, Antoine Dupont, conceding with a pragmatic smile: “It wasn’t the best game to watch, but you have to know how to win like that too.”

The Grail, the Grand Slam

As we said at the opening of the competition, France has all the cards in hand this year to lift its first trophy of the Galthié era (started at the end of 2019). Uncompromising, united and, now, fully aware of her potential (with new individuals who impose themselves on each gathering, such as the Toulon winger, Gabin Villière, since the start of the Tournament), she has not doubted and remains more than ever the flagship team of European (if not world?) rugby today. But the absolute Grail, which consists in winning all the matches of the event, is called Grand Slam. An expression once coined by an English newspaper, The Times. Precisely, Saturday March 19, at the stroke of 9 p.m., it is the English who will land at the Stade de France to also try (provided they have beaten Ireland, this afternoon of Saturday 11) to win the Tournament (which, given their first chaotic, if not messy, matches would be a hold up).

Or, failing that, to deprive France of this ecstatic moment that it intends to share with the public in a Dionysian, or even Dionysian, enclosure. Because if everything goes as expected, the only declared objective will be to prevent the XV of the Rose from planting its thorns in the hearts of Blues finally ready to explode with joy.