To select the team against Namibia, Fabien Galthié and his staff will make a strategic decision. They will decide whether to rely on experienced players or continue with a rotation policy.
What will be the French staff’s choice for this third group match against Namibia on Thursday evening in Marseille? A meeting that should be a formality if we consider Namibia’s results against its two previous opponents, Italy and New Zealand.
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Indeed, for the future opponent of the French team, the observation is as follows: 120 points conceded in two matches, one less day of recovery than France, and surely the first signs of fatigue or weariness, while it is indeed the fourth meeting (against Uruguay) that interests the Namibians the most.
Given these parameters, the French team staff has three options when composing their lineup. They can choose to rotate players, as they did against Uruguay, allowing the main players to rest. These players would then return for the fourth and final group stage match against Italy. This option would have the advantage of giving those who did not seize the first opportunity a second chance to showcase their skills.
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The second option is to field the so-called starting team, the one that played against New Zealand. This way, the key players would have two matches under their belt before facing Italy and three after playing against Ange Capuozzo’s teammates. This is not a lot considering that we are in a short competition format in terms of matches.
Ce n’est pas le même contexte qu’une rencontre de phases finales de Top 14 en fin de saison. Et d’autre part, certains joueurs le reconnaissent souvent, ils ont besoin de rythme pour se sentir bien. Donc trois matchs de poule dans les jambes, avant les quarts de finale, ce n’est pas insensé non plus.
L’Irlande se différencie
Finally, the last option is to mix both others by blending the team.
Currently, among the other favorites, two strategies are being debated. South Africa and New Zealand have opted to rotate their players.
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Alors que l’Irlande a fait le choix inverse, surprenant nombre d’observateurs. Elle a aligné lors de ses deux premiers matchs face à la Roumanie et les Tonga son équipe type alors que face à ces deux nations, il n’y avait pas grand risque à bâtir une équipe mixte sachant que l’Irlande doit ensuite enchaîner avec les deux gros morceaux de la poule l’Afrique du Sud et l’Ecosse, avant le quart de finale. Son sélectionneur a donc choisi de donner du rythme et de la cohésion à son équipe, quitte à risquer des blessures.
Returning to the French team, the staff also has to deal with injuries. We are waiting for the return of Jonathan Danty in the center; Cyril Baille’s return is expected against Italy. Julien Marchand’s return is scheduled for a later date, so Peato Mauvaka and Pierre Bourgarit will share the position until then. For now, these are the two players certain to be on the match sheet against Namibia…
