The French team is preparing to face Ireland without any certainties except for its scrum. The coaching staff has placed its trust in the group (aside from the two wingers) that defeated Scotland, not taking into account the Irish opposition, which will present us with much tougher and rougher rugby.
While our team seems built to play a game based on movement, it seems to lack power, particularly in the forward pack. The injury of Sรฉbastien Chabal and the absence of Louis Picamoles may be detrimental in this area.
We will need to be able to push back the Irish defense in order to ensure quick releases and thus add speed and rhythm to our game. Knowing the Irish’s ability to delay the ball releases in open scrums, our “roosters” risk losing feathers in this sector.
One might think that our team, for its first match in Paris, will be eager to gain confidence by defeating the reigning European champions and thus assert its ambition to potentially win the tournament.
Eric Buchet
