Under-20 World Cup. Les Bleuets’ ambitions to justify “Baby Blacks”
11 two-man attempts, stunning sequence, tremendous efficiency in each of their visits to the Japanese 22m: Lenny Nucci and company made a strong impression on their debut in Stellenbosch. This performance would have been an invitation to get drunk if it weren’t for their second opponent in the competition surrounded by the halo that accompanies players who wear black jerseys with silver ferns.
“We switched very quickly to New Zealand,” Montpellier’s third line winger confirmed. “We know that Japan was the first stage of our adventure. We feel that the team is more and more focused. There is emulation among the players, even from those who cannot play this game.”
It cannot be said that after the haka, Baby Black shone in their first match.
If vigilance is necessary, blueberries have no complication to do for New Zealanders. There was a time when Baby Black collected titles (6) like their elders but their dominance ceased. First by the English, with Gil Maru-Itogi, and then by the French in 2018 and 2019.
Generational hollow?
Is New Zealanders going through a slight generation gap as rugby has a structural youth competitiveness problem? We can not say that after the haka “Baby Black” shone in their first match against Welsh (victory 27-26). If we remember that the Blueberries swept Welsh during the last Six Nations Championship (67-17), then the question here is the topic of the hour.
However, the French treat this meeting with humility. “The New Zealanders have very good people,” said coach Sebastien Calvet. They are only in their third game while on our team, we will be in eighth with this group. In terms of collective experience, they’re a little behind. But they will wake up sooner or later and get stronger, that’s for sure. »
For the Blueberries, success against the New Zealanders would almost certainly open the doors to the semi-finals, thus providing management with the possibility to rotate the workforce against the Welsh during the third day.
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