Rugby World Cup: The French XV gets lost before a match

Present at a press conference this Tuesday, Fabien Galthié announced the starting XV which will face Namibia this Thursday, at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille. An enclosure which brought back memories to the coach of the XV of France, who recounted a rather surprising experience lived in the Marseille city.

Accustomed to playing at the Stade de France, the Blues took advantage of the preparation matches and this World Cup to tour French territory, notably going to Saint-Étienne and Lille. This Thursday, it will be in Marseille, in a Vélodrome which has often been synonymous with very good memories for the XV of France.

Rugby World Cup: Is a revolution on the agenda? https://t.co/gpi9VStGhA pic.twitter.com/UhrmqcWr8b

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Galthié fan of the Vélodrome

Asked about this meeting in Marseille, Fabien Galthié admitted to being very attached to the Vélodrome stadium. “ I love it, I’m a fan » declared the coach of XV of France, during the press conference this Tuesday. “ I only have great memories, I don’t have a bad memory at the Vélodrome against the Blacks, South Africa, Australia, England as a player. With Montpellier there was a half against Racing, a victory with Toulon against Toulouse, with the current French team against South Africa ».

“One time we got lost”

This was also an opportunity for Galthié to tell a relatively little-known story, concerning a visit to the XV of France in Marseille… which did not go as planned. “ Once, we got lost. The bus does not find the stadium, we arrive in a hall, it was a Société Générale reception » he confided, facing the journalists present. “ We were still not in the locker room, we changed on the bus and we were back in the locker room a quarter of an hour before kick-off. We walked around the stadium and there was such energy that we were hot »