the XV of France also wants to play good foot, good eye

By Adrien Pecout Posted yesterday at 14h24, updated yesterday at 17h49

Time to Reading 3 min.

We saw a balloon fly. An oval leather in the air, with a building in the background, parallelepiped in the horizon. And that's about it, near the Oita training ground. A place covered with protections to hunt spies, or journalists, is just like. But there are these balloons typed high, these balloons flying and reminiscent of an important element: the XV of France decided to work his game at the foot.

"A formidable weapon" in the middle of a match, not just to hit a penalty or turn a try, recalls the center three quarters Gael Fickou. "Some teams use it a lot, more than us. " Like the Welsh selection. The Blues will face Sunday, October 20 in the quarterfinals of the World Cup (from 9:15 French time).

This is so for years, when we compare the game of the Blues to that of England or Wales. But the Blues only became aware of it at the last Six Nations Tournament. In March, they left the competition on a sad fourth place and three defeats, against the Welsh, the English and the Irish. "Against the English and the Welsh" this foot game "Was expensive," believes Fickou.

"I did not have to type, it was game in the hand first"

It is customary for the French to prefer hand-to-hand, double-pass play, rather than long kicks. So much for the cliche … which corresponds to a certain reality. "I was trained to open until I was 18 and I did not have to type, says the center Sofiane Guitoune. It was game in hand first. " To summarize, "French rugby, in its tradition, is not inclined to get rid of the ball" at the foot, according to coach Jacques Brunel.

"In Toulouse, we are famous for playing by hand but we showed that we also knew how to use the foot when it was necessary"nuance opener Romain Ntamack, young champion of France. It is a weapon that works: it can be used a little more. Sometimes not enough but we try to use it wisely. "

Promised: in defense, since the beginning of the World Cup, "The strategy is better in place" to face the opponent's kicks, believes Fickou. "We are better distributed. Because it cost us dearly, we pressed this point, which will be crucial on the final phase. "

Strategy still in progress, however: "Unfortunately, we took a gag test against Tonga," admits Maxime Medard, about the third French victory of the first round (23-21). Instead of leaving two players on the cover, the French had one. " Because it was thought that Tonguans would play more physical and less at the foot. In reality, they played foot. "

No life-size test against the English

On the offensive too, the French tried to put pressure on the opposition camp. It was two kicks that led to as many tries against the United States (33-9). "As soon as you put on the speed, you win your duels and you alternate play by hand and play with the foot to back the opponent", this last one is " in trouble ", argues Fickou.

The fourth and final group match, on Saturday, October 12, against England could have made it possible to measure the gap or not between these good resolutions and their application. Typhoon Hagibis decided otherwise: match canceled.

English style? Tentative definition by Maxime Medard: "They move you to your place, put a lot of pressure on you by playing with your feet, by grazing. We saw that they played very few balls in their hands. "

Before the canceled match, Medard advocated, for the defense, "Put in place a strategy with a third important curtain to try to manage this pressure. " A deployment that could also be useful against the Welsh.

If the Leek XV is blessed with "The best defense in the world", according to French winger Yoann Huget, he can also rely on "An ability to put pressure on the opponent", says Jacques Brunel. Without the French coach needs to clarify: at the foot.