Find out what our rugby expert in Cardiff had in mind during Day 4 of the Six Nations tournament after an attacking feast by the Blues (45-24).
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A flurry of passes, 174 in total, and more than 500 meters of tumbling in all directions with the ball in hand and 26 Welsh defenders killed. Before the match, Gregory Alldrit emphasized the need to cheer (again) to overcome the gloom. The captain was especially listened to by his (unpublished) hinge Le Garec-Ramos, who did not hesitate to start the movement. In this big game, the wingers logically prided themselves: 113 meters by Damien Penaud, 84 by Louis Blé-Barre. The Blues were so fun. And was rewarded with another record: the French XV had never scored so many points (45) in Cardiff. If history remembers the 51–0 defeat in 1998, it was at Wembley, with the Welsh having to relocate their matches during construction of the Principality Stadium.
Only three penalties conceded by the Blues in Cardiff! By Léo Barré, Gaël Fickou and Romain Taofifenua. In January 2020, Fabian Galthy’s start in charge, before conceding 4 fouls against New Zealand and then Namibia during the 2023 World Cup, a fairly easy record. Very high standard Willemse (against Ireland) and Danti (Italy) after underestimating discipline during the first three matches and red cards. Note that the Welsh were only penalized 7 times.
It has become a clear desire of the coach and his deputies: to rely on strong men up front to wear down the opposition by pushing them into great collisions and closed scrums. With Uini Atonio and Emmanuel Meafou leading the way, we were already close to 300 kilos on the right side of the pack. His replacements by Georges-Henri Colombe and Romain Taophiefenua (credited with each try) did not reduce the gauge. A work of attrition that ended with the Welsh being knocked out. “We had a heavy pack, we used it well”At the end of the meeting Captain Gregory Alldritt was welcomed.
Claw strikes
Since the start of this tournament, the Blues’ defensive lapses have raised questions. Against the Welsh, he missed 10% of his tackles (13 out of 130). Not scandalous, except that some of these failures, in the heart of the line, were costly on three occasions. The result, of course, is the lack of automation with eight changes to the starting XV, four players with zero selection, hinges and new associations at centre. Fortunately, Gael Fico, with a vengeance, regained all his expertise in the field (the best French tackler, 14 hits, no misses) to avoid the worst. But Shaun Edwards still has work to do to restore the French XV to the hermeticism that was its great strength not so long ago.
Cardiff’s metal and concrete nave had a handful of youngsters to honor their first choice. And not least was the expected three-quarter center and captain of the U20 world champions, Nicolas Deporte. Shining with UBB, he had to bring his punch and his edge to a French attacking line that has been out of breath since the start of this tournament. So the disappointment depends on the expectations placed on it: great. When all his partners, 11 to 15, ran in each interval, he gained only 25 meters. And made two defensive mistakes that proved costly. First, and the pressure from a vox populi that had been demanding his tenure for weeks, was undoubtedly a little too much to bear. We can’t wait to see him again against the English in Lyon next Saturday. And this time in the favourites…
And 45 more who scored 119 points in four matches during this Six Nations tournament. It’s four defeats for the wooden spoons who thrive ahead of hosting Italy next Saturday. A rejuvenated Wales have been in poor form with 12 defeats in their last 14 matches in the tournament since 2022. The year Ange Capuzzo and his partners came to Cardiff to win (21-22)… “We should approach this meeting with enthusiasm, without hiding. There will be a lot of pressure and expectations, but that’s a lot of international rugby. Italy had a great performance against Scotland. They will try to achieve the best ranking in their history in the tournament. And we don’t want to finish last. So we have to deliver a great match at home.
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