The Blues were well ahead at half-time (21-3), but suffered a fatal 22-0 in the second half on Saturday at Murrayfield.
The Blues are slowly starting their preparation. Strongly overhauled, the XV of France lost narrowly against Scotland (21-25), Saturday August 5 in Edinburgh (Scotland), for its first match of preparation for the World Cup. Carried by their young shoots, the French easily led at the break (21-3), but their enthusiasm was extinguished by the return of the Scots, yet outnumbered. Despite this false note, the Blues competed with the standard team of Scotland, which they will find next Saturday.
In a way, these French have fallen into an anachronism. Even inhabited by a hatred of defeat instilled by Fabien Galthié, they conceded a setback that would once have been called “encouraging”. A cliché inherited from this bygone era of the 2010s, pre-Dupont, Ntamack and co., where France was content to lose as long as the gap remained smaller. The important thing then was not to be more ridiculous against better-rehearsed engines and, in this sense, the cliché is suitable to qualify the French defeat.
Cheerful Blues then washed out
Against a Scottish team with a preparation match and an average of 26 more selections per player, this experimental XV of France indeed showed promising inclinations for 40 minutes. These have certainly exploded in full flight, when the efforts made during “high intensity” training have rebounded, but the overall feeling remains positive.
Driven by the recklessness of young Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Emilien Gailleton (20), the Blues took the score straight away. The two rookies distinguished themselves on a marvel of offshore action, concluded by Baptiste Couilloud (12th, 3-7). Bielle-Biarrey, will-o’-the-wisp in a red helmet, scored the second try himself, not without a disconcertingly easy fake pass (25th, 3-14). Helped by the involuntary but welcome support of the opposing pillar Pierre Schoeman, Cameron Woki materialized the domination of the tricolor forwards up close (40th, 3-21) and gave relief to this almost perfect period.
Even at 14, Scotland raised their voices
It was before the French physical air hole, accentuated by the Scottish awakening. With one hand, Darcy Graham flattened a contentious try on a pass at the foot of Finn Russell (43rd, 10-21), before Pierre Schoeman followed suit, correcting his previous blunder (54th, 17-21). The XV du Chardon got the icing again for good when David Cherry relaxed in the in-goal out of a maul (64th, 22-21).
However amputated of an element after the yellow card of Zander Fagerson (50th), transformed into red by the judges of the bunker, the local pack held firm until the end, in spite of the last attacks of Blues which were not far to shower the Scots. “Encouraging”, therefore, especially since some of the 23 capés of the evening are likely to remain at the quay when the final list is announced on August 21. Meanwhile, they will return to Scotland on the 12th for a rematch and challenge Fiji on the 19th.