Calvet : « la défaite ne remet pas en question la force de notre projet »
Après une première période où ils terminent devant, les Bleuets ont subi la loi des Italiens sur leur terrain à Viadana en seconde période avant un sursaut dans les arrêts de jeu qui leur a permis de ne pas repartir complètement groggy (22-18).
Ce premier match de préparation au Tournoi des Six Nations 2024 samedi 6 janvier devait offrir de l’expérience à 26 U20 tricolores sélectionnés par Sébastien Calvet. Il s’agissait de travailler dans un premier temps avec des joueurs moins ciblés, avant de poursuivre avec les cadres dans la semaine précédant le Tournoi.
« Il y a une forte probabilité que dans le groupe qui fera le second stage de préparation, il y ait très peu de joueurs qui étaient sur ce stage-là », confirme à RugbyPass Sébastien Calvet.
Premier bilan mitigé
Malgré tout, cette défaite permet de tirer de précieux premiers enseignements pour ce groupe qui n’a que très rarement remporté le Tournoi. La dernière fois c’était en 2018 et il faut remonter à dix ans pour avoir trace du dernier (et seul) grand chelem.
« Toutes les défaites nous déçoivent. Mais après, elles ne remettent pas en question la force de notre projet et nos convictions », insiste Calvet.
« C’est un match où il y a eu plus de 24 ballons rendus ou ballons perdus. On a eu une utilisation du ballon qui a été catastrophique. La déception est due au fait qu’on n’a pas pu poser notre jeu et qu’on ne peut pas évaluer encore notre capacité à être dans l’utilisation.
« On n’a eu que trop peu de situations. Après, il y a eu beaucoup de scories liées à des ballons rendus sur faute individuelle ou des fois – ça, c’est le plus dérangeant – sur des choix qui allaient à l’opposé du sens du jeu, de la logique de jeu.
« Notre déception est sur le fait de pas avoir pu poser notre jeu offensif qui est quand même généralement un élément force des équipes de France Jeunes. Mais l’objectif de ce stage est atteint. Il est de pouvoir évaluer les joueurs et c’est chose faite pour pouvoir voir l’état de d’avancée dans le parcours de chaque joueur pour être utilisé ou pas pendant le Tournoi des Six Nations ou plus tard. »
Les points positifs
« On travaille beaucoup sur l’efficacité au contact, les joueurs ont répondu présent. Sur la défense, on est plutôt globalement satisfait, même si à force de défendre au bout d’un moment tu finis par en prendre ou te mettre à la faute, surtout. On va dire que sur l’efficacité au contact et le plan défensif, on n’est pas inquiet. On est même plutôt dans nos objectifs.
« Après, reste encore à performer toujours plus, nous les Latins, sur la discipline et cette utilisation qui a été trop pauvre alors que quand on a réussi un peu à enchaîner trois temps de jeu, on a vu qu’on était capable d’aller scorer. C’est là-dessus que va se porter notre regard.
« Mais l’importance de ce stage à nos yeux, c’est de gonfler l’expérience parce qu’à tout moment, un de ces joueurs-là, qui aura vécu ce match-là, pourra se retrouver à être du voyage en Coupe du monde et de devoir peut-être être sur le terrain et gagner des matchs importants. Pour faire gonfler le l’expérience, on est content. »
Alors que l’Irlande a décroché le nul (28-28) contre une sélection Développement du Leinster pour son match de préparation, les deux équipes qui débuteront ce Tournoi 2024 le 3 février prévoient de dévoiler leur groupe final de préparation aux alentours du 17 janvier.
Comments on RugbyPass
Look, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
167 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
167 Go to commentsYou just backed the Boks with that fantastic review! Well done! Have some cake!
167 Go to commentsBen Smith please write up something better than this. The Springboks would have won the world cup if you were 15 men on the field. They would have found a way, they always find a way to beat the All Blacks.
167 Go to commentsWow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the deportation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
167 Go to commentsGOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
3 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
167 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
1 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
167 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
167 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
167 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
167 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
167 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
167 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
167 Go to comments