Cédric Chasseur / Photo credits: FRANCK FIFE / AFP 09:23, September 08, 2023

Will France finally lift its first Rugby World Cup trophy this year? As the competition begins this Friday, the Blues are ranked among the favorites of the event. Constant, ambitious... The XV of France has everything to seduce bettors and the public.

It is a meeting worthy of a final. For the opening of the Rugby World Cup, the Blues face this Friday night the All Blacks. Both teams, better enemies, intend to win against the other. But it is a match of favorites of the competition that the public is about to see.

Because if New Zealand is well ranked, France also is one of the teams that could lift the trophy, according to the famous bookmakers, who even place the XV of France ahead of the reigning champions South Africa.

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Good momentum

But why are Les Bleus so well located? Simply because since the arrival of Fabien Galthié, the Blues are attractive, with an average of 30 points per game and they are especially more effective. With 32 wins in 40 matches, only one home loss, a Grand Slam in 2022, victories against all the major nations of the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere... The France shows that she knows how to play rugby. And bookmakers have also spotted talented players, including the best in the world, Antoine Dupont. A captain of an Olympian calm at the dawn of this great meeting, despite expectations.

Pressure and motivation

"There is some pressure because we are expected, because we have developed hope in people for four seasons now with the results we have had. But I think the pressure is less than the motivation, the requirement we set ourselves, and our ambition especially, "says the captain of the Blues.

And yet, this group lacks experience at this level. 26 of the 33 selected have never played in a World Cup. There are also injuries that have not spared the team, such as Ntamack, Baille, Willemse or Danty. But all these events have not altered the ambitions of the XV of France, probably the most homogeneous team of the tournament.