If we had been told, two months ago, that the French team would enter the decisive matches of the World Cup (since this France-Italy is being presented to us as a round of 16) with a Jalibert-Lucu hinge, we would have had a good laugh. Not that the two interested parties are painters, far from it, but if there was one certainty surrounding this team set up by Fabien Galthié, it was the Ntamack-Dupont team. Two of the best in the world at their position, in the prime of their lives, having led the Blues to victory against the best on the rugby planet over the last three years. This was without counting the injuries, which added to the thwarted history of the French hinges in the World Cup.
“These two players offer guarantees”
Advantage, one of the best placed to tell it is probably… Fabien Galthié himself. The coach is one of the main protagonists. Holder in 1991 when he had barely arrived in the selection, at 22 years old, he was not selected in 1995 but found himself coming to help out during the competition after the injury of Guy Accoceberry, while he was was in South Africa as part of his studies. He will play the semi-final, lost by a few centimeters against the host country. Rebelote four years later, when he came back through the window following injuries to Philippe Carbonneau and Pierre Mignoni to steal the number 3 place from Stéphane Castaignède in the quarter-finals and play the legendary France-New Zealand at Twickenham alongside another miracle, Titou Lamaison.
Perhaps that’s why a few days after the announcement of Romain Ntamack’s package, in August, Galthié had mentioned “the destiny” of Matthieu Jalibert and Antoine Hastoy, the two other openers of the group. ” It is written. They have to believe in themselves, it’s time to go,” he said. Surely he will have had the same words for Maxime Lucu in the preparation for this meeting against Italy. The 29-year-old Basque, accustomed to being satisfied with the crumbs left by the world reference in the scrum-half position, will taste the light.
That’s good, he’s on point, assures his companion Matthieu Jalibert. “I find him serene,” observes the fly-half. Max is a hard worker, someone who really has his feet on the ground. Antoine’s injury didn’t make him ask 1,000 questions, he’s been in the group for four years, he knows the system. He is ready to take on this role. »
We can take Jalibert at his word, he knows his man well having practiced him for four years now at Union Bordeaux Bègles (UBB). In their misfortune, the staff can indeed count on a proven doublet. Their shared experience in the blue jersey is certainly quite meager, but they are not going to take three matches to agree – in any case, they do not have them. “The French team needs guarantees at this time of the competition, and these two players offer them,” said Frédéric Charrier, who has had them under his command in recent years.
“Ice and Fire”
For the former UBB coach, who moved to Clermont this summer, Jalibert and Lucu complement each other perfectly. “Maxime is a calm person, who makes the team play well, very good at alternating foot/hand play, and who perfectly controls the tempo of a match,” he explains. Matthieu is capable of flashes, of triggering movements, of taking initiatives, of finding speed. » In a word, “it’s a bit like ice and fire, they complement each other well in that regard”, summarizes the coach.
These two opposing characters are their strength, and they know it. “Sometimes you have to channel him a little because he’s a very offensive player,” confides Lucu the Cartesian about his pair. It’s Mathieu, he’s like that, it’s also his strong point. I know very well that there are one or two actions where he will try things. » Useful for anticipating in case said things don’t go exactly as planned. “Training together every day in clubs, playing together every weekend, it brings us together. They necessarily have common reflexes which improve their game, their complementarity and their association,” judges Fabien Galthié.
This understanding, refined by some good food, also helped the two men to understand their change of status along the way. The scrum-half was the first to support the flyhalf when he had to take over from Romain Ntamack, particularly in the run-up to the opening match against New Zealand. It’s Jalibert’s turn (24 years old) to win over his elder brother (30 years old) thanks to reinforced legitimacy. “By chaining tenures, it gives a little more weight in the team, I speak more,” confides the number 10.
“There is a form of tranquility in starting with him,” recognizes Lucu for his part. From Auvergne, Frédéric Charrier observes his two former foals carefully. “They experienced a bit of the same emotions, first having to accept their role as number 2, then finding themselves number 1. It must have brought them even closer, and I’m sure it will make them even better,” says the coach.
There is also an advantage, if we can say that when we talk about injuries to players as important as Dupont and Ntamack, in seeing this pair of second knives emerge. He is noted by former international scrum half Aubin Hueber: “We must not be dependent on one or two players,” warns the current Grenoble manager. We have key players, but we have to know how to play without them because injuries happen often in rugby. You have to plan for the unpredictable, as the All Blacks said about the French. » A formula that Galthié would not deny.
Changing plans during a competition is in any case not necessarily synonymous with leaving the road. Speaking of the Blacks, we will remember that they were crowned world champions in 2011 after losing Dan Carter in the first match. As for the Blues, they never go as far as when their original hinge undergoes a little facelift, forced or not. Take a look at the match sheets from 1991, 1999 and 2011, the years of our three world finals, if you need to be convinced.