“It’s crazy how ubiquitous they are!” Blue supporters set fire to Edinburgh and Murrayfield

“Above all, shout out louder to those who won’t be able to be in the match! Come to Les Bleus!”. The message uttered by the sizzling voice elicited loud applause. You know that something special happens when an airplane pilot leads you to the promised land of Scotland by stimulating you through the plane’s loudspeakers. The sermon, which kicked off on Friday, February 25, the day before the shock day three of the Six Nations Championship between France and Scotland, underscores the madness we’ve been feeling in recent months about the Blues.

This madness was once confirmed there. The French came in great numbers. Julien and his companions, Maxime, Alexander, Sebastian and Lucas, a few hours before the meeting on Saturday, crossed from Hautes-Pyrénées. It is the home of Antoine Dupont.they like to be remembered with a big group smile.

“It was an opportunity. It’s our first time traveling. We decided on a whim. We were denied this kind of meeting for two years, and we had to celebrate the occasion.”

Julian, a French supporter in Murrayfield

in franceinfo: sport

Others such as Jenin and Didier descended from Pau. They used to travel, and arrived ten days earlier in Edinburgh. “We took advantage of the outback in a caravan. It’s crazy how the French have been all over the place for a few days”Didier says.

The “Unbelievable support from spectators” French, He had already celebrated New Zealand’s opening match Bowden Barrett during the All Blacks’ defeat in November. Clearly, this classification of love does not escape the main concern. In addition to the captain of the tricolor, Antoine Dupont, who was particularly captivated by him on this topic during a long interview with franceinfo: sports, the XV presidents of France, Fabien Galthe and Raphael Ibánez, did not stop bringing the matter up after the matches. . The stands filled with Marcousi in training this week only reinforced that impression.

Rehearsals ended with a standing ovation from 1,200 fans pic.twitter.com/d8uXGwdfOE

– Fanny Lechevestr (@fannylechevestr) Feb 23 2022

While all the lights are green on the French side, there was no reason to stop the dynamic. It was hard to imagine Blues supporters losing such an appointment in the dugout with suppression as the surging Murrayfield. However, to see and hear them pray more than 24 hours before the meeting, and in such great numbers outside, “it’s a thing”in the words of Antoine Dupont at a press conference before the match.

“This support, we felt as soon as we landed. At the airport, we met many French fans, but also when we arrived and when we left the hotel. We heard them making noises.”

Antoine Dupont, captain of the 15th ship of France

At a press conference on the eve of the match against Scotland

A group of three colors rested for a long time under the blues windows before drowning in the local brews waiting for them. This was a small glimpse into the French diaspora already in the capital. A large part of the 8,000 to 10,000 spectators was already known, as the individuals standing with a hat strapped to the head, a sash around the neck, a shirt with a rooster on the shoulders … or all three.

It is very simple, it was impossible to cross more than 20 meters without crossing a Frenchman. The paws were barely placed so close to the nerve center of the city that Molière’s language was already audible everywhere. Visually, it is impossible to forget about the date of the weekend. The French and Scottish flags, erected at the entrance to the hotel where the blues were staying, in front of the jersey and souvenir shops or pubs, seemed to be a constant reminder of a long-awaited meeting.

The impatience and excitement around rose another notch on Saturday morning. The first flags appeared in the stadium at 10 am. The air temperature quickly rose even though icy winds swept across the fence and surrounding areas. While the aromas of grilled sausage, among other dishes, tickled the nostrils, French fans flocked, mingling in a pleasant atmosphere with the locals. The blue wave accompanied the arrival of the bus around 12:15 pm.

That’s it from the bus #XVdeFrance Arrive ! Tweet embed #ecofra pic.twitter.com/t5Qx9NMGdY

– Justin St. Sevin (@JustineStSevin) February 26, 2022

Clever, even tricolor supporters stayed put to welcome the arrival of Finn Russell and his teammates a few minutes later with the heart of “Allez les Bleus”. We wouldn’t go so far as to say that these details turned the tables, but they certainly added salt and confidence to the ranks of the French.

Among the lively welcome Marseille At the time of the hymns sung by supporters, and the many songs that crushed the locals’ songs (before they died completely), the blues had a great deal of energy to tap into to ramp up the pressure and do the spin in hard mode. times.

“Between the welcome at the exit of the bus and the atmosphere in Murrayfield, it sometimes felt like you were in the Stade de France.”

Antoine Dupont

Into France 2 microphone after the meeting

Antoine Dupont’s teammates did not fail to thank them at length with a slow roll of honor after the win. The atmosphere, and the shouts were so intense, that many supporters left their voices in the Murrayfield stands. It was necessary to help the fifteenth for France to erase eight years of scarcity in the Scottish cocoon.