From our special correspondent in Lille,
Not the same jersey, not the same sport, but the same passion: that for the colors of the country. In rugby as in football, facing Uruguay is the certainty of having to battle against players invested with a mission. If the Celeste, double world champion, remains the untouchable standard of this small country of three million inhabitants, its oval cousins have an extraordinary history, which still constitutes their base today. It would even explain, according to what is said in the country, how this selection without means or a pool of players begins its fifth World Cup final phase this Thursday against France.
A founding miracle
This story, which has spanned the entire world, is known as the “miracle of the Andes”. On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying the Old Christians team from Montevideo to Chile crashed in the Andes Mountains. Of the 45 people on board, 29 died instantly or in the days that followed. Sixteen managed to survive for more than two months at an altitude of 3,600m, with nothing and -40°C, before being rescued. “For us, this story is foundational,” says third row Manuel Diana in a beautiful paper The Team dedicated to the subject. It tells of solidarity, courage, it inspires us. » No need to look very far for the lineage. The center’s great-uncle Tomás Inciarte (starter Thursday) was among the survivors. He died this summer.
Always creative when it comes to preparing matches and awakening emotions in their men, the staff of the XV of France decided to show them on Tuesday one of the many documentaries retracing this episode. As if to better understand this Uruguayan team and become aware of the heat that inhabits it, despite the abysmal gap between the two nations. “I had vaguely heard of it before. It is a tragic event, which marks this nation and this team, observes hooker Pierre Bourgarit. It’s their story, it’s important to know and respect it. » “It’s an additional element to approach the match well,” adds center Arthur Vincent.
To go a little further, however, in the analysis of this second opponent, the coaches insisted on “its cohesion and its collective strength”, says Raphaël Ibanez. Nineteen players out of the 33 play for the club, Peñarol Montevideo, and the vast majority were already on the adventure in 2019 in Japan. Uruguay beat Fiji (30-27), for what constitutes the greatest feat in its history. But challenging France at home necessarily represents a different story. “It’s a big challenge for us, a unique challenge,” proclaims the backs coach, Guzman Barreiro. There is no doubt that the French will try to step on us and play very offensively, with their physical power and by controlling the game. We expect that, we have prepared for it. »
On the Blues side, we are chasing any risk of misplaced complacency. “On paper, the gap exists but we would have a lot to lose by looking down on them and not respecting them,” says Bourgarit, who expects to be pushed “on the basics of this sport, conquest, touches, the balls carried”. Between the opponent’s pedigree and the decompression after the big night against the Blacks, it is obviously no coincidence that more than three-quarters of the starting XV have been renewed. Those who will be on the field this Thursday evening will be in pain.
“The whole charm of this competition is that we cannot allow ourselves to be contemplative, to dwell on what happened,” notes Ibanez. We pay very close attention to the state of mind. It was very important that the group mobilized very quickly on this deadline. » Great speeches which should not obscure the obvious: if France simply evolves at its level, there will be no miracle for Uruguay at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium.