Eighteen years it lasts.
Since February 13, 2005 exactly.
That day, the Blues of Bernard Laporte and Fabien Pelous won 18 to 17 in the temple of Twickenham.
A success that owes a lot to Dimitri Yachvili, author at the foot of all French points and decked out, the next day in the British press, with the nickname "scourge of England".
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Since this glorious Sunday, the XV of France has not won in Richmond in the Six Nations Tournament, Marc Lievremont, Philippe Saint-André, Guy Novès and Fabien Galthié (twice) drawing a blank.
A bad habit.
Since the first Crunch, in 1911, the Blues have only won eleven times in the venerable enclosure, whose bays are full of ghosts in white sheets adorned with a red rooster.
Decapitated by the merciless English butcher.
With, often, the same method.
Lots of footwork and even more physical engagement.
Pragmatic.
Realistic.
Without moods.
In short, in English…
Read alsoXV of France: touched in training, Jalibert is forfeited for the Crunch
To avoid yet another disappointment, the French know the recipe.
From mastery to missile fallout.
And fight, lots of fight.
What is not a guarantee of success, many past failures prove it.
It is that it is imperative to have another ingredient in addition: discipline.
discipline
Discipline in relation to the rules, which has not been the case since the start of this Tournament, between the 18 penalties (a record under the Galthié era) collected against Italy;
the yellow cards given to Ollivon in Rome and then to Atonio in Dublin;
and the red card received by Haouas two weeks ago against Scotland.
Two last sanctions which weaken the tricolor fray, the two right pillars being suspended for the battle of Twickenham.
But also discipline in relation to the game plan, to the instructions of the staff.
Since the start of the competition, there has been an unexpected wavering on this side.
The Blues did not listen to Galthié and his assistants by stubbornly contesting the rucks against Italy.
They didn't listen to them either by playing too much from their camp against Ireland.
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To expose yourself, exhaust yourself and, ultimately, lose.
Against Scotland, it resulted in a big blur.
When to type?
When to raise?
And a questionable defense for three tries conceded and at least as many open breaches in the heart of the tricolor defense.
To win at Twickenham, where the Blues will hear for the first time since 1952 the
God Save the King,
it will therefore take more control.
Individual and collective.
The issue is real.
A long-awaited success and the XV of France will have succeeded in their Tournament (provided they beat the Welsh in rags in a week at the Stade de France).
A defeat and doubt will seriously instill six months before the start of the World Cup.
To find the standards and the certainties of the Grand Slam 2022, Fabien Galthié did not hesitate to adjust his match sheet in order to infuse him with a surplus of experience.
As soon as he recovered, Jonathan Danty was propelled into the center to impose his broad shoulders in the fierce battle expected.
And, on the bench of the now famous "finishers", the returns of Peato Mauvaka, Maxime Lucu and Melvyn Jaminet reassure in the probable event of an indecisive and stifling end to the match.
And if the new scourge of England was among them...
