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Japan-France: watch out for the heat stroke for the Blues

2022-06-30T15:26:54.812Z


The French team, deprived of several executives, challenges the Japanese this Saturday in extreme weather conditions and is aiming for a record nine successes in a row.


Like last year in Australia, Fabien Galthié and his staff had to set up a French team without its best elements, either recently engaged in the final of the Top 14, or voluntarily left to rest (Dupont, Ntamack, Alldritt, Jelonch).

For the selected Blues, it is an opportunity to show themselves and prove that they can have their place in this XV of France which is on the rise, in the wake of the Grand Slam carried out this winter in the Tournament of six nations.

All the players want to grab this opportunity, they want to seize their chance

, insists Fabien Galthié.

It's a hungry team: we see it in our profile of our team, these are players who want to compete and integrate the group.

“Some are returning after being injured - like captain Charles Ollivon or fly-half Matthieu Jalibert -, others want to assert themselves - centers Virimi Vakatawa and Yoram Moefana -, others want to make a name for themselves and integrate le bon wagon - Yoan Tanga and Thomas Jolmès who will honor their first selection.

Read alsoXV of France: the Blues with Jalibert at the opening and a pair Moefana-Vakatawa in the center against Japan

Anything is possible, we often tell the players: it is you who enter the locker room, it is you who take the jersey.

We are here to put the best team in France, to prepare you but it is you who are the authors of your destiny.

These players have a lot of appetite and they all know why

, ”continues Fabien Galthié, who still has in mind the good performances of last summer against the Wallabies with a group that has already been greatly altered.

Players in training, which is about two-thirds of a game, lose 3.5 liters of water.

Performance is affected

Fabien Galthie

This Saturday, for the first of the two tests, the Blues will have to adapt to extreme weather conditions: 35 degrees displayed by the thermometer and a humidity level that flirts with 80%.

Hence a lot of adaptation work to withstand the shock.

A priori, the team that receives us is more used to it than us.

They have been preparing for three weeks now.

The performance cell with the nutritionists worked a lot, particularly on dehydration.

We can share the numbers with you: players in training, which is about two-thirds of a game, lose 3.5 liters of water.

Performance is affected, it's part of the game. Who will be most affected?

It's going to be a challenge...

"

Athletic Japanese

Especially since the Japanese are followers of an alert, unbridled, athletic game.

Since 2015, Cherry Blossoms have obviously changed in dimension.

First there was this historic victory against South Africa, this famous “

miracle of Brighton

” under the orders of Eddie Jones.

And then, during the last World Cup, the Japanese had climbed for the first time in their history to the quarter-finals after beating Ireland and Scotland.

Anything but a coincidence.

It's a team that plays exciting rugby, full of energy

Raphael Ibanez

It's a team that plays exciting rugby, full of energy.

A team which, in its system, presents players who have a sense of sacrifice, who know how to push their limits,

warns manager Raphaël Ibanez

.

In this context, it will require us to adapt and we expect a tough fight.

“It remains to be seen in what dispositions the Japanese will be, who only played eight matches after the 2019 World Cup, because of the health crisis.

Record series to win

At the same time, the XV of France remains on eight matches without defeat.

A success on Saturday and the Blues recorded the longest winning streak in their history.

But Fabien Galthié does not want to dwell on it.

It is clear that the numbers have there.

But, honestly, without making a fuss, this team which presents itself there, it is the team of France.

We haven't really talked about the subject.

We work on performance, on the group.

Adding the additional weight of a possible record is not the point

, ”he says.

A new success would nevertheless send a strong sign of the renewal of the Habs one year from "their" World Cup.

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2022-06-30

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