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France raises its head by winning widely in Wales

The French XV found color and momentum in the Six Nations Tournament on Sunday in Cardiff against Wales by winning a large victory with an offensive bonus (45-24). The choice of youth paid off, the new Blues showing themselves to be very enterprising offensively. Like the sparkling scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, author of a try and named man of the match.

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The French XV, largely overhauled and rejuvenated, gave itself some fresh air by winning with the bonus in Wales (45-24), Sunday March 10, during the fourth day of the Six Nations Tournament.

After the heavy setback against Ireland (38-17), the happy victory in Scotland (20-16) and the pitiful draw against Italy (13-13), the Blues fulfilled their contract: to secure a victory for failing to be completely reassuring.

“It felt really good”, admitted Charles Ollivon at the microphone of France 2. “We met again, you saw the public, we had the impression of being in France, it was really nice”, s The third row is congratulated at the end of the match.

Fabien Galthié’s men were able to rely on five tries scored by Racing 92 center Gaël Fickou (22nd) and his partner scrum half Nolann Le Garrec (29th), then by pillar George-Henri Colombe (65th) , the second row Romain Taofifenua (69th) and finally the replacing scrum half Maxime Lucu (80th).

They were also able to count on the success at the foot of the opener and scorer Thomas Ramos, author of 20 points in this meeting and new record holder for the number of transformations in the French team (64).

The Tricolores have now not lost to the Welsh since the quarter-final of the 2019 World Cup in Japan and a narrow defeat (20-19). However, they had not won in Cardiff by such a margin since 2007 and a 34-7 victory.

The Welsh crack in the second half

Seventeen years later, the Blues especially needed to show another face after a complicated start to the Tournament. With a new found iron discipline (three penalties conceded), they certainly showed more desire than against Ireland, were more conquering than in Scotland and less ghostly than against Italy but everything was not Perfect.

Particularly in defense where the wall put in place by the Englishman Shaun Edwards, who spent eleven years in Wales (2008-2019), once again cracked: three times, the French defense opened , allowing winger Rob Dyer (9th), scrum half Tomos Williams (29th) and center Joe Roberts (43rd) to score their try. Enough to put Wales in the lead (24-20), still looking for a victory in this tournament.

Fortunately for Grégory Alldritt’s teammates, the French also found that French flair that they lacked, like the daring chistera of scrum half Nolann Le Garrec (33rd). Named man of the match, the young Racing 92 player displayed all his class for his first start and showed that he had the shoulders to become number 2 in the rotation, behind the untouchable Antoine Dupont.

One of the other rookies, center Nicolas Depoortère, also delivered a complete score, as did opener and scorer Thomas Ramos and second line Thibaud Flament.

Despite everything, facing the Welsh who have not shone in the Tournament for three years (two victories, eleven defeats), the Blues, a sign of their latent excitement, scared themselves before outclassing their hosts, who collapsed physically.

This saving success allows the French to breathe a little. Above all, it offers them a week of respite before going to Lyon to face a reinvigorated and convincing England team, which has just brought down Ireland (23-22). English people who will be keen to make the French pay for the humiliation experienced a year ago in the Tournament when the Blues won overwhelmingly (53-10) at Twickenham.

With AFP

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