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'We fell into the Uruguayan trap': France stumble on 'false rhythm'

Paetao Mauvaka attempts to claim the ball for France. Photo by Christian Liewig - Corbis/Getty Images

Uruguay came out of the gates firing against France in their first match of the Rugby World Cup, coming within just a point of the lead in the 52nd minute before a Peato Mauvaka try assisted another fourth-quarter shutout to secure the win for Les Bleus.

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After conceding a try just 92 seconds into the Rugby World Cup’s opening game, France were first to get on the board in round two, with Malvyn Jaminet claiming three points in the third minute.

Two minutes later though, Uruguay scored in the corner. Los Teros had clearly identified the same weakness as the All Blacks, since the opening try was by way of a cross-field kick and scored in the left corner.

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“Their quick first try surprised us,” French flanker Sekou Macalou said after the match. “We found ourselves chasing the score.

“It was their opening match, we knew they were going to be hungry. We didn’t underestimate this team, we knew it was going to be complicated. We got the scenario we expected.”

Points Flow Chart

France win +15
Time in lead
73
Mins in lead
5
91%
% Of Game In Lead
6%
27%
Possession Last 10 min
73%
7
Points Last 10 min
0

The tight scoreline throughout the contest was anything but expected for many spectators. France’s win over New Zealand just six days ago furthered their case as a favourite for Rugby World Cup glory, only for Fabien Galthié’s side to nearly hand the South Americans their fourth-ever win at a World Cup.

“There was a false rhythm,” Macalou added. “We fell into the Uruguayan trap. We should have got on top of the game to tire them out.”

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Both scrums struggled and without a sturdy set piece to dictate what areas of the field the game was played, Uruguay stayed in the match.

The 52nd-minute try to fullback Baltazar Amaya was a hard-earned seven points and stunned the Stade Pierre-Mauroy crowd.

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The response from France came through a charge-down, relieving the pressure of the moment just minutes later.

“In rugby, when you think you’ve got something, you lose it in the next match if you don’t take care of the little details,” France head coach Fabien Galthié told reporters.

“We started off with a disciplined performance that enabled us to win the match against New Zealand. Tonight, we put in a poor performance in terms of collective control.”

“We were nervous, desperate to make our mark, score quickly, yet we were always very diligent.

“On the other side, we faced a team who fought hard on the ground, who were very aggressive on the ball carrier, in tackles. We were surprised at first. And then you have doubts, it’s the type of match we call ‘trap matches’.

“You have to put the right ingredients in the right place at the right time  – maybe we got things a bit mixed up.”

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Comments

3 Comments
T
Tim 662 days ago

O’Keffe saved the french at scrum times. How many times did he penalise Uruguay when it was a clear reset or french bringing it down

C
CT 662 days ago

Uruguay can be proud of their performance

N
Nigellas 662 days ago

Absolutely! I thought for a moment they could beat France…


Here is hoping Namibia puts in a similar performance against the All Blacks.

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E
Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

Florian Grill, President FFR 20.5.2025


https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360695274/french-rugby-boss-says-les-bleus-stars-could-tour-they-target-series-win-against-all-blacks


“French rugby is indeed based on a unique model, built around the Top 14 - a championship of exceptional intensity - and an ambitious national team, This demanding model places a significant physical and mental toll on players throughout the season. We therefore have a major responsibility: to look after their physical and mental health and to ensure they have essential rest periods. In this context, the selection for the July tour is based on two clear principles. First, an in-depth analysis conducted by the French team staff evaluates the players’ physical integrity, fatigue level, and current performance level in order to build a squad that is both strong and mindful of the players’ balance. Second, the formation of the group also respects a regulatory framework, jointly defined by the FFR and the LNR, which notably states that players who participate in the Top 14 final are not eligible for selection for a summer tour. However, exceptions are possible and are currently being discussed with the LNR.”


So there’s a few things to take from that where it’s clear that the Top 14 fixtures are at the core of the issue. It appears that the 2000 minutes or 25 games parameters are likely to be part of the “regulatory framework, jointly defined by the FFR and the LNR” but it’s also clear that this has been considered alongside a bespoke analysis of each players situation, for the purposes of NZ tour selection, and NOT applied in a rigid and homogenous style. Factors including the level/intensity of matches played, timing of match load across the season, injury profile and date of season end will all have been reviewed, alongside many others no doubt.


The comparison with Englands experience is particularly relevant since it also highlights the current difference between the two countries’ league relationship with their union. The RFU have reached an (expensive) agreement with the GP that has taken many years to evolve and, critically, hands full season playing control of a designated group of 25 Test players to the England coach. The French agreements do not operate in the same way, where playing control sits with the clubs outside of the Test windows and this is key to the issues.


The difficulty for France however is that the Top 14 needs the weekend numbers that it needs and it’s not immediately clear how they can reduce them. The extension of their final has happened in conjunction with reducing 6N/AI overlap but they still haven’t managed to fully eliminate this. While it’s not clear how these issues can be easily or quickly resolved, it is very clear that the problem can not be simply defined as France disrespecting international rugby.

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