L’Écosse revient à la charge en deuxième mi-temps pour battre la France à Murrayfield
L’Écosse a pallié la perte de Ben White et de Zander Fagerson, deux joueurs clés, en réalisant une remontée spectaculaire en deuxième mi-temps et en battant la France 24-21 lors d’un match de préparation à la Coupe du Monde de Rugby exaltant à Murrayfield.
Les Bleus, qui alignaient une équipe en grande partie composée de doublures et de débutants, semblaient s’acheminer vers une victoire confortable en menant 21 à 3 à la mi-temps.
Mais les Écossais, malgré l’expulsion de Fagerson en début de seconde période, sont revenus au score et ont remporté une victoire qui leur a redonné confiance grâce à des essais de Darcy Graham, Pierre Schoeman et du remplaçant Dave Cherry.
« Ce qui est dommage c’est qu’on construit très bien notre première mi-temps, on met les choses dans l’ordre, et en seconde ils arrivent à nous maintenir chez nous. C’est encourageant, mais au vu de ce qu’on a produit c’est vraiment frustrant de ne pas avoir accroché la victoire », a regretté le capitaine Brice Dulin.
« On fait une première période de rêve mais ça ne sert à rien : au final, on perd. C’est très frustrant », a commenté, amer, le troisième-ligne français Yoan Tanga.
Galthié : « Ce match nous permet de grandir »
« En première période, on a fait de bonnes choses mais on a commis trop de fautes, on n’a pas été assez précis », a commenté le capitaine de l’Écosse, Finn Russel.
« Ensuite, on marque rapidement et ça nous remet en selle. On avait la dynamique pour nous. En première période, il y a eu de bonnes choses mais on a encore des choses à travailler. Ensuite, ça allait mieux : on était meilleurs en défense, plus efficaces…
« Ce n’était pas leur meilleure équipe et la semaine prochaine sera bien différente. C’était compliqué à préparer, on ne les connaissait pas trop. On les connaîtra plus la semaine prochaine. »
« Tout est intéressant à analyser, à revoir, à travailler, à vivre », a complété le sélectionneur de l’équipe de France, Fabien Galthié.
« Lorsqu’on joue un match comme ça, c’est ce qu’on recherche, un contexte de compétition. C’est ce qu’on voulait: face à cette équipe d’Écosse, dans son stade, devant son public… Ça nous fait une expérience supplémentaire. C’est pas grave : une cape, c’est aussi plus d’expérience pour les joueurs, pour le groupe.
« Ce qu’on veut, c’est être compétitif. Il y a beaucoup de choses qui nous apportent satisfaction. Cette deuxième période nous intéresse aussi, pour voir comment la tendance à pu s’inverser aussi radicalement, notamment au niveau de l’incapacité physique à tenir l’échange.
« Ça fait quatre ans que je dis que l’émulation est bénéfique à l’équipe de France. On est sur une recherche de performance collective. Ce match nous permet de grandir. Ça fait partie de ce qu’on doit traverser. Il n’y a pas trop de place pour la déception. »
Bamba et White blessés
La victoire de l’Écosse a toutefois été écornée par la sortie du demi de mêlée Ben White, blessé à la cheville, à quatre semaines de leur entrée en lice dans la Coupe du monde contre l’Afrique du Sud. Les Écossais devront également attendre avec impatience de connaître le sort du pilier Fagerson, expulsé après une charge à l’épaule contre Pierre Bourgarit.
« Ben White s’est blessé à la cheville au début du match. Nous espérons qu’il ne sera pas absent trop longtemps, mais nous verrons bien », a déclaré Gregor Townsend, le sélectionneur du XV du Chardon.
Le pilier du XV de France Demba Bamba a également été touché lors de la défaite contre l’Écosse avant de sortir à la 44e minute. « C’est une entorse de la cheville. Bénigne ou raisonnable », a précisé Galthié après la rencontre.
Le match retour est prévu samedi 12 août à Saint-Étienne.
Comments on RugbyPass
1 week for two cynical and dirty plays? Absolutely pathetic punishment. He should’ve at least received 2 weeks - 1 week per trip. The guy is a cheating moron and liability. He should go back to league.
2 Go to commentsTest rugby is different level Some players are just big time players when the stakes are high they play better. The boks often lost to AUS on tour as they wanted to beat AB. Even at school level this is the case where some guys play better in tough games.
41 Go to commentsLet’s hope he misses more than just the Force game or the Reds won’t get very far in the finals.
2 Go to commentsThanks Nick. I’m looking at the other 7 options in Australia and they don’t seem to be close behind Fraser at the moment? Even before reading this I thought he was well ahead. A random one - Slipper and Allalatoa seem to be getting well beaten in the scrum. I can’t remember this happening often before. Is it a technique/teamwork issue or are their bodies finally past it?
12 Go to commentsNZ is now entrenched in Div 2 of womens rugby. Canada would be thrashed by the likes of France or England. Europe are Div 1, with massive competitions, massive money…
2 Go to commentsBlackadder dies not deserve selection. He has not played enough games. Finau is just better. Kaino's replacement at Blindside On form TJ should be the starting 9 .
127 Go to commentsThe difference is Cotter..
6 Go to commentsThey can’t handle the level of comp in the NH. Pollard was a complete waste at Montpellier - and was the backup 12 when he left. Kitschoff was stealing his paycheque every week at Ulster,- getting absolutely rinsed by backup THs in the URC. There is a reason all the Boks go to Japan - they don’t have it in them to be able to compete. And yes, they won the RWC. Where Barnes and O'Keeffe were the direct reason for that tragedy occurring.
41 Go to commentsTrouble with Jones is he has so many impractical innovations. Kemeney wasn't good enough in any position for top level test rugby. I like how Vern has Papalii playing. He's always had the workrate when in form, although I'm not sure that he quite has Cane's mongrel.
12 Go to commentsPut those results on the old CV and send it in to the crusaders bro.
1 Go to commentsJust go with a top 6 system where the top 2 teams go straight to the semi-finals and the other 4 teams fight it out for the other 2 semi-final spots.
8 Go to commentsIt’s a shame that Baxter wasn’t nominated for DoR of the season. what he did is more impressive than McCall imo
1 Go to commentsSeveral boks said during World Cup they play so hard to give people back home hope. As an Englishman the Springboks Captain’s life story is an inspiration which should give us all hope and inspiration. Rather like that other great South African, Nelson Mandela
41 Go to commentsFox News, Tucker Carlson, Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan? Yikes.
1 Go to commentsThat is harsh though. Messi has/had a reputation for trying to keep his feet and keep dribbling for goal. Many of his brethren were the histrionic divers but not him.
2 Go to commentsMcReight is certainly one of the first picked. He’s going to be the glue, a Wallaby with some rugby IQ and the everywhere man for the Wallabies.
12 Go to commentsSophie De Goede is one of the best players we’ve ever produced. Kicked all the points, 2 try assists, line out takes, carries, tackles, charge downs… what a player
1 Go to commentsThe guy had just beasted himself in a scrum and the blood hadn't yet returned to his head when he was pushed into a team mate. He took his weight off his left foot precisely at the moment he was shoved and dropped to the floor when seemingly trying to avoid stepping on Hyron Andrews’ foot. I don't think he was trying to milk a penalty, I think he was knackered but still switched on enough to avoid planting 120kgs on the dorsum of his second row’s foot. To effectively “police” such incidents with a (noble) view to eradicating play acting in rugby, yet more video would need to be reviewed in real time, which is not in the interest of the game as a sporting spectacle. I would far rather see Farrell penalised for interfering with the refereeing of the game. Perhaps he was right to be frustrated, he was much closer to the action than the only camera angle I've seen, however his vocal objection to Rodd’s falling over doesn't legitimately fall into the captain's role as the mouthpiece of his team - he should have kept his frustration to himself, that's one of the pillars of rugby union. I appreciate that he was within his rights to communicate with the referee as captain but he didn't do this, he moaned and attempted to sway the decision by directing his complaint to the player rather than the ref. Rugby needs to look closely at the message it wants to send to young players and amateur grassroots rugby. The best way to do this would be to apply the laws as they are written and edit them where the written laws no longer apply. If this means deleting laws such as ‘the put in to the scrum must be straight”, so be it. Likewise, if it is no longer necessary to respect the referee’s decision without questioning it or pre-emptively attempting to sway it (including by diving or by shouting and gesticulating) then this behaviour should be embraced (and commercialised). Otherwise any reference to respecting the referee should be deleted from the laws. You have to start somewhere to maintain the values of rugby and the best place to start would be giving a penalty and a warning against the offending player, followed by a yellow card the next time. People like Farrell would rapidly learn to keep quiet and let their skills do the talking.
1 Go to commentsThe name “Kwagga” came to mind while I was reading this. And there’s another Sevens convert roaming the wide open kant at the Lions now - JC Pretorius. Keep an eye on him.
12 Go to comments2024 Rugby Championship: Sat, 10 Aug 2024 – Sat, 28 Sept 2024. Looking forward to watching the All Blacks coached by Scott Robertson, with or without the ‘dynamic’ qualities of Shannon Michael Frizell - see his display against South Africa at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium on July 15.
1 Go to comments