Despite this humiliating defeat against Tonga (19-14), the French qualified for the quarter-finals of the World Cup, securing their salvation thanks to the Tongans’ clumsiness and the lack of success from their kicker (5/9).
We were promised a team seeking revenge after the lesson handed down by the All Blacks, but instead, we got a transparent team, without spirit, incapable of the slightest display of pride, playing rugby that was close to nothing, bordering on ridiculous.
This match reflects our dismal journey in this first phase of qualification after two narrow victories against Japan and Canada and a thrashing by the All Blacks. What many anticipated eventually happened.
This French team is left to fend for itself; it has no leader, the coaching staff is completely out of their depth, but we’ve known this since the start of the story (Thank you Mr. Lapasset), our captain, an admirable player, seems to have no influence over his teammates, and the latter appear to be just going through the motions.
There is a real malaise, and the French group is starting to fracture, but fortunately, everyone can be reassured that the adventure is going to end soon…
