At the Stade France,
Damn, that’s cruel. France abandoned its great dream of a first world title on the night of Saint-Denis, at home, beaten on Sunday evening by the lethal efficiency of South Africa (28-29). Despite Dupont, despite three tries, despite the public, he missed a point, a tiny little point, which could have come from the foot of Ramos, usually so skilful and who this time left a penalty and a conversion on the way . But it’s not the defeat of one man, obviously, it’s that of an entire team that we can’t help but blame, at least a little. Because she seemed stronger.
The Blues were a cut above during three-quarters of this meeting. They had possession of the ball and the field, showed an insolent domination in touch and on the balls carried. They could even have knocked out their opponents in the first ten minutes, if Fickou had not forgotten Bielle-Biarrey at the end of the line (7th) while Baille had already started the evening a little earlier with a corner try (4th) .
Mistakes paid dearly
Instead, we were treated to a first period in the form of a constant back-and-forth, during which the two teams went blow for blow. The French only failed in one area, the aerial game, and the South Africans rushed into the breach with gusto. The Boks’ first two tries came from there, on two Libbok candles poorly negotiated by Fickou and Woki, and from which Arendse (8th) and De Allende (18th) were able to take advantage. The French paid for each error in these first 40 minutes, each ball a little less adjusted, like this bad pass from Dupont, under pressure, which ended ten seconds later with a try from Kolbe, too fast for Penaud (26th ).
But still, they knew how to respond each time, and even took the lead at the break (22-19), thanks in particular to a first line of fire. Uncompromising in its primary function, namely fighting in the rucks and providing support, it did much more than that, led by a masterful Mauvaka, rewarded with a try in the corner, on a penalty played quickly with the hand by its captain ( 22nd). At his side, Baille was also up to the task. It was he who started the machine, therefore, and he again who brought his team back to the level when we were starting to think that the evening was going very badly (31st).
The arrow of time stopped dead
Unfortunately, the second half was just one long agony. Because the Blues were not able to take advantage of their numerical superiority in the first 10 minutes following Etzebeth’s yellow card to take off, because there were always a few centimeters missing for Penaud’s canes or Jalibert do not cross the final curtain, and because this South Africa is not the reigning world champion by chance. His bench restarted the match while that of the Blues did not bring the hoped-for second wind. Torpor began to take over the stadium little by little, and when Etzebeth flattened out to put the Boks back in the lead (25-26, 67th), everyone was paralyzed.
Pollard’s foot did the rest, the Blues were never able to come back. So that’s the end of the road, and a whole country will wake up groggy on Monday morning. We will not forget these four years punctuated by exploits, phenomenal victories against all the great nations and this grand slam in the Tournament, but right now, it hurts. Galthié’s arrow of time came to a screeching halt, much sooner than expected. We will have to get over it.