“No, it's not perfect.
There are always things to throw away.
»Matthieu Jalibert is calm in the passageways of Twickenham.
Calm, but uncompromising.
The cruel defeat, on the edge against England (23-20), went through this, of course, but it's not just that.
From the top of his twenty-two years, the opener from Bordeaux-Bègles is a perfectionist.
And it keeps a bad taste in the mouth of this Crunch which once again escaped the Blues.
"There is this ball, on a kick from Antoine Dupont," he says.
I'm going to score in the in-goal but I'm embarrassed and the ball bounces off my knee.
This little snag in the 29th minute becomes a big regret.
For the rest, the striker of the XV of France scored points and not only at the foot where he achieved a 100%.
His choices, his raises, his accelerations carried by legs of fire have boosted a speed, a dynamism rarely seen in the Blues of Fabien Galthié.
The XV of France scores first in this second period!
Matthieu Jalibert registered a new penalty and the Blues now have a 7-point lead (13-20)!
▶ Follow the match live: https://t.co/kVwQAH8rYe#ENGvFRA #SixNations pic.twitter.com/4thNSz6BPv
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) March 13, 2021
The former under-twenty world champion has not trembled.
Far from there.
He was playing big though.
Because on the bench, the silhouette of Romain Ntamack constantly reminded him that the coach's first choice for the position had returned to the race after two months of absence due to a broken jaw.
“I arrived here at Twickenham with the desire to continue what I had started during the Autumn Nations Cup, underlines Matthieu Jalibert.
I focused on making the team play.
I didn't necessarily think about the competition.
We are two openers to apply.
Whoever is lucky enough to be on the ground must do their utmost to fit into this pattern.
"
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The notes of the defeat of the XV of France in England
He won't say more.
But his performance spoke for him.
It would be surprising if the coach did not renew him as holder in a week, on March 20 at the Stade de France against Wales who will come to win their Grand Slam in Saint-Denis.
Moreover, Fabien Galthié left him on the lawn during the 80 minutes.
A sign.
“We decided to coach in relation to what was happening on the pitch,” explains the coach.
That says it all.
Jalibert has marked his territory and it will not be easy to dislodge him.
The youngster with 10 selections flies over the obstacles.
He even came out as reinforced by a month without an international match since the success in Ireland on February 14 (15-13), from the Covid-19 episode, from isolation.
“It was the case with all the players,” he retorts.
We all responded physically.
We fail with nothing.
We learn.
The Grand Slam is gone, but not the ambition.
“We can still win the Tournament,” he says.
We will do everything to.
»With him in charge ...
