Rugby. France-Japan: what were the last performances of the XV of France at the Stadium of Toulouse?
By Anthony Assemat
Published on
Sunday, November 20, 2022, it will be a party at the XV of France with the arrival of Japan at the Stadium of Toulouse, at 2 p.m. Coach’s Blues Fabien Galthie remains on 12 victories in a row (the last in Marseille against the reigning world champions, South Africa, 30-26), including two facing these same Japanese this summer.
The France team and the Stadium, it’s a love story and a real communion. And also good memories! A look back at the last five international matches which have seen the Blues evaluated in Haut-Garonne.
France-Samoa 2016: 52-8 victory
2016 was a very mixed year for French rugby. The coach is then a certain Guy Noves and this autumn tour should allow the France team to relaunch. The first test match takes place against Samoa in Toulouse in a huge atmosphere. The Blues make the show and the Toulousains Huget and Fickou go there for their essay (seven essays in all). The match is marked by the big performance of Vakatawa on the wing and the injury of number 10 Trinh-Duc.
But the breath would fall with two narrow defeats thereafter against Australia and New Zealand at the Stade de France. The famous “encouraged defeats” which subsequently damaged the reputation of the Blues.
France-South Africa 2009: 20-13 victory
The Blues beat the Springboks after a Homeric match and at disputed arbitration, last weekend in Marseille (30-26). Before that, the last victory against the “Sud-Afs” dated back to 2009… and it was at Toulouse Stadium ! The French imposed a real physical challenge and won thanks in particular to a try by former star Vincent Clerc (20-13).
Connoisseurs should also remember a monumental “cartridge” delivered by Chabal to opener Bok Steyn.
France-Namibia 2007: victory 87-10
The 2007 World Cup, organized partly in France, remains a contrasting memory for France with a feat in the quarter-finals against the Blacks in Cardiff (Wales) but a 4e place unhooked, in the end.
In the group stage, the Blues played at the Stadium against the weakest team in the group, Namibia. Clerc had offered himself a hat-trick and Chabal, a fantastic ride which still makes its stats on YouTube. It was for The Blues by Bernard Laporte to wash away the affront of the inaugural defeat against Argentina (17-12) at the Stade de France.
>> In video: Chabal’s mind-blowing try against Namibia in 2007 <
France-Tonga 2005: 43-8 victory
A match against the Tongans is never easy. The defeat at the 2011 World Cup and the very narrow victory in 2019 attest to this… In 2005, the Blues made a 4/4 in the fall series, beating the Australians and South Africans in passing. The match against Tonga took place in Toulouse. A rough match but won hands down by the players at Le Coq (43-8).
>> Relive the 2e half-time of France-Tonga 2005 <
France-Fiji 1999: 28-19 victory
Before the legendary victory against the All Blacks of Jonah Lomu in the semi-finals (43-31), the Blues had suffered martyrdom in chickens, winning without glory against Canada in Béziers (Herault) and coming out of nowhere against the fearsome and unpredictable Fijians. We are October 16, 1999 and the feat is looming for the Iliens at the Stadium of Toulouse, which then leads 19-13 with ten minutes remaining.
After an endless series of scrums dominated by the Blues, the referee then awarded a losing try. An unimaginable scenario in rugby in 2022… Then the Blues unrolled to end up winning.
France-New Zealand 1995: 22-15 victory
It was a thunderstorm on November 11, 1995 and it was a blue tornado that fell on reigning world champions New Zealand with a 22-15 victory and three tries to nil against Jonah Lomu, Jeff Wilson and the black stars.
The world of rugby discovered in particular that year two kids who were going to have a good career: the Toulousain Thomas Castaignede and the Landes Richard Dourthe.
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