The staff of the XV of France is constantly adapting.
The sanitary conditions, the selection rules for internationals.
This Thursday, two days before the confrontation with Italy at the Stade de France (9:10 p.m., France 2), the general manager of the Blues, Raphaël Ibanez returned to the little time they had had this week to take the temperature of 'a group of novices.
“Before the game against Wales (October 24), we thought we had lived the shortest week (
Editor's note: with only three days of training
).
Well no.
“The staff did not take over the group in which many unselected players appear until Monday afternoon and only had the days of Tuesday and Wednesday to train.
However, Ibanez praised "the seriousness and the application" of the players, even qualifying the high intensity session on Wednesday evening as "exceptional".
On the lawn of Saint-Denis, it will indeed be necessary to compensate for this lack of collective experience at the international level with a commitment at all times.
Now to the point of making the meeting against the Transalpines, yet last of the Six Nations Tournament, "a real international test-match".
This meeting has all the trap match, the coach - Fabien Galthié knows it - against a selection "which is used to playing together even if it is not one of the best in the world.
It will be a rough, difficult, very high level opponent ”.
"Serin transmits all his knowledge"
It is therefore a bizarre feeling that floats this Thursday at the training center of Marcoussis (Essonne) despite the certainties acquired during the international meetings of 2020. The usual holders (Ntamack, Dupont, Alldritt) having gone to the end of their three game sheets, they gave way to a reserve team.
To make the amalgam, the coaches of the Blues rely heavily on Baptiste Serin who is a former figure with his 38 selections.
“He is engaged, serene.
He passes on all his knowledge to this group.
And that suits us very well, ”Galthié positive with regard to his scrum half who has only played ends of the match so far in the shadow of the phenomenon Antoine Dupont.
“At our level we have to be ready anytime, anywhere, against anyone.
Finishers have a complicated job.
Baptiste knows it and he's ready.
“To secure the hinge, the Toulonnais will be associated with his former friend in Gironde, Matthieu Jalibert who will play the role of scorer.
On the wing, Gabin Villière will make his debut with the rooster jersey.
A baptism of fire for the Toulonnais, raised in rugby in Normandy after "having been refused in all training centers in France", underlines Galthié.
An atypical career as the coach likes them.
“In Rouen, he broke the house and put on a series of performances.
He was able to win in Toulon with a committed, generous game made of percussion and dazzling.
He fights a lot.
He has a strength in him that he transmits to the whole team.
"
The starting XV
Dulin - Thomas, Baraque, Danty, Villière - (o) Jalibert, (m) Serin (cap.) - Macalou, Jelonch, Woki - Pesenti, Geraci - Aldegheri, Mauvaka, Neti
