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Shaun Edwards et toujours ce sentiment d’injustice
Shaun Edwards est revenu sur sa frustration d’avoir vu la France éliminée en quarts de finale de sa propre Coupe du Monde de Rugby. Les Français étaient considérés comme les favoris du tournoi, mais ils ont été éliminés par les futurs champions du monde, l’Afrique du Sud, à l’issue d’un match d’anthologie en quart de finale qui s’est terminé sur le score de 29 à 28 pour les Springboks à Saint-Denis.
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Un peu plus de 12 semaines après la défaite du 15 octobre, Fabien Galthié et ses coéquipiers préparent maintenant le Tournoi des Six Nations qui débutera le 2 février par une rencontre avec l’Irlande, championne du Grand Chelem l’an passé, à Marseille.
Les équipes qui participeront à ce Tournoi devraient être connues dans les semaines à venir, avant la journée de presse du 22 janvier à Dublin.
Le temps de la réflexion
Depuis, Shaun Edwards a pris le temps de réfléchir à l’échec de la France en Coupe du Monde, soulignant dans la dernière édition du mensuel Rugby World son sentiment d’injustice que son équipe n’ait été que quart de finaliste, mais aussi de la conviction qu’il ne changerait rien à leur préparation pour France 2023.
« Parfois, on ressent une certaine injustice », admet-il avant un Tournoi des Six Nations qui s’achèvera pour les Français par un match à domicile le 16 mars à Lyon contre l’Angleterre, l’équipe européenne la mieux classée de la Coupe du monde puisqu’elle a terminé troisième grâce à sa victoire en finale de bronze contre l’Argentine à Paris.
« J’ai trouvé que nous avions joué un rugby magnifique, tant en attaque qu’en défense, tout au long de la compétition. Mais l’Afrique du Sud, à juste titre, a trouvé le moyen de gagner le match, ce qui n’est pas inhabituel pour elle.
« Ils ont continué dans cette veine, remportant chaque match par un point d’écart. C’est tout à l’honneur de l’Afrique du Sud. Mais nous sommes évidemment lésés à certains égards. C’est probablement l’une des défaites les plus difficiles pour nous et pour moi.
« Nos attaquants ont posé beaucoup de problèmes à la défense. Ils ont posé beaucoup de problèmes à notre défense avec une tactique différente. Il y a beaucoup de façons différentes de marquer des essais au rugby et on obtient toujours les mêmes points. »
Il ne changerait rien à la préparation
Interrogé sur ce qu’il changerait dans la préparation de la France à la Coupe du monde, Edwards a ajouté : « Rien, je pense que tout ce que nous avons fait était orienté vers la victoire. Nous avons battu la Nouvelle-Zélande lors du premier match et j’ai trouvé que notre performance contre l’Italie était remarquable. Il ne faut pas oublier que nous ne les avions battus que d’un point la dernière fois que nous les avions affrontés. Je pense que la vraie France s’est présentée ce soir-là.
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« Je ne pense pas que nous aurions pu faire plus. La préparation physique à Monaco (lors d’un stage d’avant-tournoi) était d’un très haut niveau. Les joueurs se sont entraînés très dur et étaient en pleine forme. Le premier match contre la Nouvelle-Zélande l’a prouvé.
« Ce match s’est déroulé sous une chaleur incroyable. C’est l’un des matchs les plus chauds auxquels j’ai participé. J’ai joué en Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée, dans le nord du Queensland, et c’était bouillant. Je ne pense donc pas que nous aurions pu faire beaucoup plus.
« L’Afrique du Sud n’a pas démérité. Au rugby, vous êtes mis à terre et vous devez vous relever, serrer la main de votre adversaire et lui souhaiter bonne chance. C’est ce qu’il faut faire. »
Comments on RugbyPass
Ah yes Andy with his “Goode” views. Oke might as well come out and say it, “I like seeing South African scrums depowered in order to give the rest of the world a chance”. Somehow he thinks World Rugby always knew about calling scrums from marks and it just so happened to coincide with Damien Willemse’s call that they decided to change the rules. Ah come on, if he can't see it then he needs prescription glasses. No ways, they are doing this for the betterment of Rugby. They want to clamp down on Rassie’s innovative skills than encouraging coaches to think outside of the box to try new things. What they can't count on is what Rassie will plan next. I almost get the impression that once Rassie retires World Rugby is going to be scrabbling around trying to find their identity. Currently set at ARP (Anti-Rassie Party). Although I don't really care in that regard because they always a RWC step behind.
7 Go to commentsWow ten years since they had a backing and more from the paying public I’d also mention that as a blues man and in walking distance to the garden I’d say that this team and Vern Cotter have got us dreaming beautiful thoughts and the merit is there from numbers 1 to 23 but we would like to think this is the new dna for the ABs and a pack weighing 940kg dry y not I hasten to add it seems patty has to stay fit cause he is the driver the main driver and they follow plus the pipe man H Plummer is conducting his own orchestra ….. Beethoven anybody
1 Go to commentsJuicy stuff well covered I’d go as far as to say that the referee was a key component in keeping it a tasty spectacle
1 Go to commentsCotter has added that steel that has been missing. Let's see if it will carry until the Finals… Come on the Blues ….
2 Go to commentsAndy Goode just loves to be controversial. Its boring. Let’s all stop reading.
7 Go to commentsYou have got to consider that if the situation was flipped and the French were held to a salary cap with no English equivalent, the English would laugh in their faces and tell them to get over it. As for Leinster (as a fan), the central contract system is a dream but is guilty of cutting out the other 3 provinces. At the end of the day, it comes across outside of the English border that the Premiership is drowning and trying to take everyone else with it rather than adapt. The English lose, the English want new rules. We've seen this repeat (and once it even led to the current Champions Cup) You make many good and informed points, but if the flip was on the other flop, it wouldn't be Rugby’s problem I suspect - it would be a French one.
13 Go to commentsSeems to have been a bright start but it tailed off. To win the big matches you have to get used to putting your foot on the throttle and your opponent’s necks in an 80 minutes performance which is what the All Blacks were renowned for. An example in the Women’s game is England v Ireland in the 6N match played at Twickenham in April. Watch on YouTube.
1 Go to commentsBobby has been a first grade bonehead since high school. Like a true Cape Tonian, his own reflection is more important than anything else.
1 Go to commentsNo comment on the textbook red card for Ramm that was just ignored? Amazing that
4 Go to commentsThese rule changes have been implemented with good intentions, but much like every other rule change focus on isolated symptoms instead of the root cause. If you cannot croc roll, and cannot risk any head contact with a front on clear out, it is not clear how you are supposed to lawfully clear someone out who is attempting a jackal. This will backfire massively and lead to substantially more kicking. Teams will simply not want to take the ball into contact. Or it will lead to even more dangerous methods to clear players out who are over the ball. I much prefer having the set piece on a 30 second shot clock over no scrum on a short arm infringement. Resets are not a problem in themselves, but 90 second water and tactics breaks before every scrum are a big problem. Trainers constantly coming on to the field to help players pull their socks up and delaying the game are a problem. DuPont law was a blight on the game and should have been changed the day after it was first implemented.
79 Go to commentsAh yes, the opinion of Andy Goode… Andy Goode, the man who knows what some of the Irish players said to Eben Etzebeth after the QF, better than what Eben himself knows. And, judging by this piece, the Grandmaster of clichés.
7 Go to commentsI think this is a fair view. As a South African I am concerned about the depowering of the scrum but let’s be honest, until the SA vs FRA quarter many people didn’t even know you could take a scrum from a free kick. As you say it’s going to come down to interpretation… until then we don’t really know how this is going to impact the game. That would lead to my own objection. Do the unknowns of changing a law outweigh the cons of said law. With such an obscure law that most people had never heard of, one that had never really had an impact on the game in the first place is it worth changing to invite so much uncertainty. Better the devil you know then the devil you don’t as it were…
7 Go to comments162 comments so far and counting. i didn't realize that rugby fans are on the way to join the football brothers. what is the point to share personal opinion only to get all this shi*? it seems IRB bosses are doing the great job by killing the spirit of the game both on and outside the pitch. too sad, indeed. btw, was there anything on eben’s point of view from the boys in green, who he mentioned?
164 Go to commentsJob done guys. Great win in a game where things can quickly go wrong.
1 Go to commentsAlex Sanderson fantastic coach and person .So pleased he has signed another contract great days ahead for Sale under his leadership.
1 Go to commentsAndy Goode cant kick to 12
164 Go to commentsDoxed himself. Great work Johnny. You are well suited to the Saders
1 Go to comments_Best game players _
2 Go to commentsWho's Jarrad Hohepa?
1 Go to commentsSo let me get this straight. Say you have the dominant scrum. You are 99% sure you can go for a scrum pushover try on the line to win the game. The opposition knows it too. They give away a silly tap kick instead. You are now not allowed to scrum. This is ridiculous! *%@ing the game up as usual! The fact that the attacking teams are not allowed to scrum from a held up over the line is just as ridiculous. Really world rugby? Careful people might start a rebel league called True Rugby or Real Rugby.
79 Go to comments