Sébastien Chabal, 2e ligne de l'équipe de France a le potentiel pour devenir le meilleur joueur de la Coupe du Monde. The Independent de Londres fait un article sur lui. a suivre...
If all goes according to plan France will meet
New Zealand in the final in Paris on 20 October. Les Bleus are in Pool D for "death", but it is Ireland and Argentina who face the last rites. France, who open the World Cup against the Pumas in Paris on Friday, should have a relatively easy quarter-final against Scotland or Italy.
Sébastien Chabal, the hirsute warrior in the back row, says France have "30 Zinedine Zidanes", a curious statement, since if the coach, Bernard Laporte, has instilled anything into a notoriously temperamental Tricolore psyche it is discipline. In 2003 they were strongly fancied to beat England in the semis but lost their heads and lost 24-7, Jonny Wilkinson landing five penalties and three drop goals. Laporte is determined it will not happen again, and in an impressive build-up, the English and Welsh players were struck by one thing: verbal provocation that would usually induce penalties against the French drew a blank. Zidanes they were not.
There is another difference. "It was a huge event when France won the football in 1998," Chabal said. "There were 10 million supporters in Paris and it was unbelievable. If we can do the same we will have the support behind us. It is good for our heads and our confidence. We are fit and we look good on the pitch but we will have to play the games to know the truth."
Victoire historique hier soir de l'équipe de France de Rugby, un esprit Coupe du Monde souffle sur la France... Rendez-vous pour France-Angleterre le Week-end prochain !