As expected, the Blues will play this Sunday (4 pm) their third of the match of a Six Nations Tournament where they can dream of a new Grand Slam.
What was less expected is that the XV of France is preparing to face Scotland with 15 cases of Covid-19 among its staff and its players, a coach criticized for having broken the health protocol and that the good behavior of the match needs to be confirmed four days before by the competition organizer.
This Wednesday, the Six Nations (Tog) testing monitoring group put an end to the suspense, very relative after the morning announcement of the absence of positive tests in Marcoussis for the second day in a row.
The Blues were hot and there is no talk for the moment of postponing this match, an option that bristled the hair of the Scots, unwilling to adapt their agenda to the lightness of the French in the application of the health protocol.
"We continue to monitor the situation very closely," warns the Six Nations Committee.
The Blues will still be tested every day, and if their health situation slips again, they will not cut a postponement of the meeting.
In the meantime, the XV of France resumed training with ball and contacts on Wednesday.
Put in solitary confinement at the beginning of last week, then confined to physical exercises on Monday and Tuesday, the leaders of the Tournament will face Scotland with a truncated preparation.
Tense atmosphere internally
“We are in the middle of the season, it's not really embarrassing, judges this former physical trainer of the Blues.
The guys are in good shape.
Limit, it gives them a small cut that feels good.
Now there is the physical aspect.
But there is also the mental aspect.
"
Internally, the atmosphere has become tense since Serge Simon introduced a physical trainer, who has never violated the protocol, as "patient zero" of this XV of France.
It is in this climate, that the non-contaminated coaches, in this case the technician in charge of the backs Laurent Labit and the defense coach Shaun Edwards, ensure the sessions of a team that will try to record a third rank victory.
But obviously, the Covid-19 complicates the matter of the management with eight holders of the trip to Ireland positive, therefore unavailable this Sunday: the entire first line Haouas-Marchand-Baille, its captain Charles Ollivon, his scrum half and real playmaker Antoine Dupont, and three members of the back lines: center Arthur Vincent, winger Gabin Villière and back Brice Dulin.
"The preparation, it is used not to disintegrate in the hard knocks"
“The advantage, with the expansion of the group in the fall, is that all players know the game system, underlines the former coach of the French backs, Emile Ntamack.
The staff know where they are going with them, we are talking about players who have the level.
Now, they will have to play a serious game at the end of a week where they have not had the opportunity to prepare calmly.
The preparation is used not to disintegrate in hard knocks and when you suffer.
There she was disturbed.
"
Ollivon absent, it is Baptiste Serin who holds the rope to recover the armband against the Scots.
The scrum half of Toulon had been appointed captain by the staff of the Blues in November, when the agreement between the League and the French Rugby Federation had forced the XV of France to carry out a large workforce review.
At the time, the affair had had time to be anticipated.
This time, the Blues, of which we should know the composition of the starting XV this Friday, are tinkering with urgency.
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The possible XV against Scotland
Bouthier - Penaud, Danty, Fickou, Thomas - (o) Jalibert, (m) Serin - Cretin, Alldritt, Jelonch - Willemse, Le Roux - Bamba, Bourgarit, Kolingar.