French rugby players thus establish a new consecutive success record of a XV of France in the modern era.
Le Monde with AFP
The XV of France beat Japan (20-15) in pain, Saturday July 9, in Tokyo, and ends the unbeaten season. Thanks to trials by Matthis Lebel (9
The men of Fabien Galkié have not lost since a setback in Australia (33-30), on July 17, 2021. Almost a year later, Argentina (29-20), Georgia (41-15 ), New Zealand (40-25), Italy (37-10), Ireland (30-24), Scotland (36-17), Wales (13-9), L ‘England (25-13) and Japan (42-23) were in turn come to come up on the XV of France.
More anecdotal: The Blues have been winning their first summer series since 2006 and a trip to Modeste Romania (62-14), then in South Africa (36-26).
victory on The wire
A little over a year from the 2023 World Cup, which will take place in France, and a few months after their Grand Slam, it is reassuring for Fabien Galkié and his staff. Especially since the Blues, on tour of the world, had come to Japan without their usual executives – Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Grégory Alldritt, Gaël Fickou -, left at rest.
But, as a week ago in Toyota, the XV of France was heckled, even asphyxiated, by the Brave Blossoms. The Japanese took advantage of the tricolor inaccuracies to take the lead, worn from the back Ryohei Yamanaka, author of two tries (12 e
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Nothing seemed to want to go in the French sense: the melee half Maxime Lucu has foiled, the second line Thomas Jolmès did not Rugi, the young rear Max Spring has sometimes defended badly … even the French alignment , if dominating a week ago, seemed below his level. Fortunately, these blues from the end of the world also proved that they had resources, like a conquering Thibaud Flament, an omnipresent Damian, a Malin Baptist Couilloud. They also benefited from a bit of luck when the third tevita tatafu line was refused by the video a test five minutes from the end.
“It was harsh, very hard: the Japanese posed a lot of problems. We suffered, they took us to a very high level of requirement. We will have to learn that”, also Admitted the captain, Charles Ollivon, at the end of the meeting. Little inspired, unruly and clumsy, Ollivon’s teammates made their experience speak in the second period to snatch a victory without relief.
But knowing how to “win ugly” is also the prerogative of the champions. This time, the Blues will be satisfied with it.