6 Nations Tournament, XV of France: Galthié era, a chapter 2 with many new features

The quarter-final lost to South Africa is still difficult to overcome. MAXPPP – NICOLAS GOISQUE

This Friday, February 2, the French XV returns to the 6 Nations Tournament and faces Ireland at the Marseille Vélodrome. A meeting and a competition to follow closely, three and a half months after the failure of the World Cup.

Never has the Tournament looked so much like Doliprane. It remains to be seen whether it will have an effect on French players, whose helmet pain is struggling to escape. The elimination in the quarter-final of their World Cup against South Africa (28-29) is still there, somewhere in their minds. She doesn't pass. Remembering this memory always makes you dizzy. "I always think about it. When I'm alone, before going to sleep: "Hey, we could have made such and such a choice". I tell myself that, in certain situations, we are poorly paid. It's heartbreaking", confesses Matthieu Jalibert in L'Equipe.

"The elimination was hard for everyone", underlined last week the new captain of the Blues, Grégory Alldritt, who cut two and a half months after the World Cup. "We digest and analyze it little by little. We must use this failure to grow."

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Analyze, grow, the task always falls to Fabien Galthié. Despite the failure of the World Cup, the coach remains the man for the job. His motivation and ambition remain intact. The difference in his path to the 2027 World Cup ? Many things.

His staff, first of all. Exit the technicians Laurent Labit, Karim Ghezal and Thibaud Giroud, big names in their field. All have left to take their independence in Top 14. Places for the Catalans Patrick Arlettaz (responsible for the attack) and Laurent Sempéré (touches and conquest), and for the promotion of the Montpellier Nicolas Jeanjean as boss of physical preparation.

"I started following them when it was necessary to think about renewing the starters. I took those who seemed to me to be the best in their fields. They also have different cultures, but that’s also the French team. I first felt from them great motivation, great energy, great strength too… hellip; It’was obvious to me and them", explains Galthié.

Among the new features for the XV of France: life without Antoine Dupont. The scrum half and captain of the Blues is taking a break from the selection. Not to regenerate, as Owen Farrell did with England, but to prepare for the Olympic Games this summer in Paris with France 7 (the tournament takes place on Saturday July 27). "It's been two years since Antoine put forward this idea", assures Galthié, who will compose with Maxime Lucu and Nolan Le Garrec against the& ;rsquo;Ireland.

The former MHR coach (2010-2014) no longer has the same luxury to prepare for international matches. Completed groups of 42 players. We go to 34. "We did everything for four years, we gave a lot of things and that's normal", summarized RC Toulon manager Pierre Mignoni, implying that the clubs had made a lot of effort and that it was time to re-oxygenate them.

"We're not starting from scratch"

On the other hand, something that does not change, the terrible impact of the championship. Fifteen days before the start of the Tournament, the French staff learned of the injuries to executives Thibault Flament (foot) and Anthony Jelonch (knee), and to the new colossus of the pack Emmanuel Meafou (knee). For the second, the season is over. For the third, participation in the Tournament is uncertain.

Despite everything, seeing this French XV again is challenging. Even more so in a Tournament where the Blues host three times (Ireland, Italy, England). A Grand Slam would help digest the World Cup and allow us to move forward. And, if not turning the page, at least start a new (beautiful) chapter.

Fabien Galthié sums it up: "There is a bit of a feeling that it’s a new beginning, a renewal but also the continuity of four years already passed. We lost two matches in two years, we won a lot and it's interesting for us to draw on this common experience. We focus a lot on having continuity. We consider ourselves day 2 after the elimination against South Africa. We need to reconnect the players to prepare for the competition. We don't start from scratch."