The French oval is no longer with an inconsistency.
Under the agreement signed between the Federation and the League, each international could not play more than three games this fall.
This is now the case for most of the “new Blues”, so brilliant this year (six wins in 7 games) and now reached by this limit after having consecutively beating Wales (38-21), Ireland ( 35-21) and Scotland (15-22).
Place now in the supporting roles that make up the XV of France the most inexperienced since that, deprived of the semi-finalists of the Top 14, sent to the pipe breaker in New Zealand in June 2007, for a carnage (42-11 and 61-10 ).
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Before facing Italy this Saturday (9:10 p.m., France 2) - for the 100th match refereed by Nigel Owens (who will play for the occasion with a golden whistle!) - Fabien Galthié and his staff met facing a blank page.
Obliged to line up eleven novices at the international level (of which five will be holders), with a pack that accumulates only 13 selections and a second line with zero selection.
And only a short week to find automatisms.
Priority was therefore given to club habits with a 100% Toulouse first line Rodrigue Neti-Peato Mauvaka-Dorian Aldegheri and a hinge made up of Baptiste Serin, captain, and Mathhieu Jalibert, partners for two seasons at Bordeaux-Bègles.
"Players who evolve, or have evolved, together in a club, it will undoubtedly be better for the conduct of the game, because we have many young players," recognizes Laurent Labit, assistant in charge of three-quarters.
Some alumni have also made their comeback to supervise these “Marie-Louise”: the back Brice Dulin (29 selections), more seen in Blue for three years, or the pillar Uini Atonio (32 selections), replacing.
"At our level, anyone must be ready anytime and anywhere"
Fabien Galthie
What future can these Blues imagine?
“Our collective experience is limited, but that was the contract.
We knew it and we are doing with it, ”insists Fabien Galthié.
These players, the vast majority of whom were not even on the initial list of the 31 summoned at the start of the tour, must prove, constrained and forced, that they can hold the house on the last two matches of 2020, in the absence holders and their liners.
Aware that the road to the 2023 World Cup in France will be strewn with pitfalls, Galthié recalls that "at our level, anyone must be ready anytime and anywhere".
It is therefore up to the “temporary workers” to be ready if one day we call on them again.
But the risk of overplaying to want to show off, score points in the eyes of the management in order, possibly, to shake up the hierarchy, is there.
3rd row Anthony Jelonch will have his chance this time.
But the Castres "does not think about all that": "We are part of the France group, we are 70 players.
If the coaches took us, it's because we have the qualities to be there. ”
An opinion shared by the returning Brice Dulin: “If this group was created, it is because the rugby qualities are there.
I think there is no age to have experience or to perform at a high level. "
And to be reassuring: “The pressure will be more positive than negative.
We will have to have fun to have a good match.
Things were presented to us quickly so that everything could be done easily in our heads and that behind, on the ground, there were no questions to ask. ”
"Seriousness and concentration"
Manager Raphaël Ibanez, for his part, praised "the seriousness and the concentration observed this week", adding that the hard training on Wednesday had been "of a really exceptional intensity".
Enough to dominate Italy?
Probably.
It will be time, then, to wonder - and fear the worst - when this double or even ter team, private in addition to Baptiste Serin and Teddy Thomas who will in turn have reached the limit of three match sheets, will challenge on Sunday next, England vice-world champion at Twickenham.
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