Location: Marcoussis.
Duration: a little less than two weeks.
Mission: to assemble a competitive and attacking team in all sectors to launch the autumn tour on November 5 against Australia in Saint-Denis.
The roadmap is known, but has not been without surprise for the staff of the XV of France in recent weeks.
First there were the absentees due to injury, which have accumulated lately: the pillars Cyril Baille and Demba Bamba, the third line François Cros, the back Melvyn Jaminet, the winger Gabin Villière, the center Arthur Vincent or the forced retirement of three-quarters Virimi Vakatawa.
Then came the miscellaneous glitches.
The sprained left ankle of Romain Ntamack with Stade Toulouse in mid-September, too fair to resume in the club since, but not enough to scratch him from the table in order to face the Wallabies.
The red card of Rochelais Reda Wardi, tipped to start as the left pillar, Sunday against La Rochelle, and here is coach Fabien Galthié and his assistants still forced to modify their plans.
“It forced us to react as quickly as possible, explains conquest coach William Servat.
But the players are responding, which shows the area of talent in this position.
When we see the speed of integration of Clément Castets (Editor's note: pillar of the Stade Français called on Monday as reinforcements), we do not have too many questions to ask about his ability to adapt to our systems.
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"You have to quickly get up to speed on the international level"
But the qualities of the Parisian are not enough for the happiness of the staff in this sector.
The physical form of several elements of the front five raised the eyebrows of Thibault Giroud, the boss of the performance of the Blues.
“Some stayed on Top 14 prisms, you have to quickly get up to speed on the international level, he breathes.
We have a fortnight of very important preparation, which has already enabled us in the past to bring players up to standard with regard to our game plan. " The staff of the Blues has a physical data software common with the clubs, which precisely makes it possible not to advance blindly during these gatherings.
This does not prevent the case of Ntamack, expected to start at the opening at the Stade de France against the Australians, from necessarily being closely scrutinized.
The tricolor staff decided not to include him on Wednesday in the list of 14 players made available to the clubs to play the weekend matches in the Top 14. Instead of playing a league match in Bayonne on Saturday evening, the man of the fantastic revival against the All Blacks will stay in Essonne to undergo the famous high intensity sessions.
An opposition with the tricolor under 20s is thus scheduled for Friday.
“We give him the opportunity to find his cogs with the centers and the wingers”, underlines William Servat.
“We added a lot of workload to him, he largely accepts it, insists Thibault Giroud.
He worked a lot with his club before coming, I am very confident in his ability to play an international match.
Otherwise, the worry will become a problem.
