But how did the Blues manage to lose this match, on a last already legendary action?

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The shot seemed perfect, the feat assured. After 31 years of failure, a completely overhauled French XV would win this Wednesday in Australia, in the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The 80-minute mark had been crossed fifteen seconds ago. And then, more sound, more light. “The match is played for nothing, on a badly preserved key, regrets Anthony Jelonch, captain exemplary of a Bleusaille which had six selections per head on average. Behind, the Wallabies regain the ball, we defend as we can. Tonight [heure australienne], they were more killers than us. “

A few charges from the opposing forwards, a French foul and a penalty from the opener Noah Lolesio later, the locals passed in front for the first time in the match (23-21). The only one that matters, after the siren. The fatal action video quickly flooded the Net.

Newbies under pressure

Jelonch rewinds the film: “We announce a deflected touchdown for number 9, and then take the ball out in touch. The Australians are bothering us. Teddy [Iribaren, le demi de mêlée remplaçant] is a little on the retreat, he passes to Damian [Penaud, l’ailier] and it’s intercepted between the two. Then we knew it was going to be complicated. “We will forgive the Castres and future Toulousain for having lost the geese a little when describing the action, after 80 minutes of combat (and a little more, therefore…).

On the throw of Anthony Etrillard deflected by Dylan Cretin, Iribaren actually serves Melvyn Jaminet, the completely neophyte rear at this level like five of his teammates this Tuesday (the holder Barlot, substitutes Falatea, Etrillard, Walcker and Iribaren). The Perpignanais wants to pass to Penaud, but the ball goes into the void because the Clermontois deserted his wing. Tate McDermott can then seize it and the legend of French losing is written.

Damn last minutes

“Since we took the France team, all our defeats have been played on the last action, apart from the defeat in Scotland two years ago (28-17)”, observes Fabien Galthié, who surely thinks in France-Scotland in the last VI Nations Tournament (23-27), when the back Brice Dulin had failed to send a ball in touch when the game was won.

There, that is one of the scenarios that we had not worked on ”

On the action itself, “we will say that we had to play a shorter touch, a maul, it’s true, notes the coach. But many players had just returned, with little experience. Perhaps there was a lack of collective experience. “Too undisciplined (16 penalties conceded), manhandled in scrum especially towards the end of a match ended with a first line Falatea-Etrillard-Walcker and a number 9 (Iribaren) at zero selection, the Blues put up admirable resistance to Australians who waited to be led 15-0 to come out of their torpor.

The gang in Galthié, which was coming out of a fortnight started on its arrival on the island-continent, was however deprived of its very best players, finalists from Toulouse and La Rochelle of the Top 14, but also injured or spared. We are talking here, among others, of Dupont, Ntamack, Jalibert, Vakatawa and Fickou behind, of Ollivon, Alldritt, Marchand, Chat and Baille in front. A straw.

See you next Tuesday in Melbourne

Hence the legitimate “pride” of Jelonch, and the many “elements of satisfaction” noted by the starting scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud, despite “the frustration and disappointment”. All are already meeting in Melbourne on July 13 for the second of the tour’s three test matches (the last is scheduled for July 17 in Brisbane).

“We must keep the frustration and let go next Tuesday,” thunders Jelonch. “We will be present at the next match”, promises Couilloud. “It’s a test of character, we are focused on what follows,” adds Galthié. This type of experience teaches us a lot. Remember, however, that the concept of “encouraging defeat” is only valid if it is followed quickly enough by success.





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