Rugby sevens. Last trial run for the French sevens rugby team in California

The French men’s sevens rugby team, which is playing the last stage of the world circuit this weekend in Los Angeles (United States), intends to use this general rehearsal to refine its ranges a fortnight before the World Cup in Africa. du Sud, the main competition in the discipline two years from the Paris-2024 Games.

The blue septists, currently seventh in the « World Rugby Sevens Series », have already qualified for the World Cup in Cape Town, from September 9 to 11, just like their female counterparts.

To put the odds on its side in California, the tricolor coaching recalled the Clermontois and former captain Jean-Pascal Barraque, experienced player, and retained the Toulousain Nelson Epée, one of the best scorers of tries (33 ) of the world circuit.

The Fijian ogre and the Irish scarecrow on the program

The teammates of the Gersois Paulin Riva, versed in pool C, face Saturday first Ireland, then Fiji, before being opposed to Wales a little later in the evening.

If this last match should be a formality, the Blues having won four of their last meetings against the Welsh, it will be different for the first two.

Indeed, facing the Fijian Olympic champions, the task is likely to prove to be particularly difficult: the Blues have won only one of their confrontations in 42 group matches against the Pacific players (December 3, 2021, victory 22 -17).

It is therefore undoubtedly against Ireland, against whom France lost (7-24) in the semi-finals during the Toulouse stage in May, its only defeat in six games, that qualification for the quarter finals will be played. A qualification that would necessarily bring a lot of certainty before joining South Africa next week.