The XIII of France, which was 16-6 at the break, lost this Saturday in Halifax (48-12) against Tonga. Nine days before entering the World Cup, the Blues lacked precision and, above all, aggressiveness when Kritian Woolf’s band accelerated. At the hour mark, Tonga put on an offensive display against the Blues who abdicated too soon.

The French team knows what it has to do ahead of Monday, October 17, and its entry into the Doncaster World Cup against Greece. Yesterday, he lacked defensive aggressiveness in his first 25 minutes. Installed in the stands of Halifax, the playing field of Louis Jouffret (he entered the game in the 30th), Micky McIlorum and Sam Tomkins did not miss a thing in this France – Tonga. It took just seven minutes for the Tongans, forward and future Dragons mainstay Siosiua Taukei’aho, to unlock the mark. Logically current and by the player of the Titans, David Fifita. The latter even doubled the dose twenty minutes later. Then, in the corner, it was Manly’s winger Christian Tu’ipulotu who allowed his team to take a 10-0 lead. The Blues tried, but often ran into outside lane aggression from the Pacific boys.

If this warm-up match had only name – Tonga were so formidable – a sharply played sustain saw the Toulouse duo, Éloi Pélissier – Justin Sangaré play their favorite part to reduce the score. A well-deserved test, since the returns of Pélissier, Goudemand and Jouffret brought the mixture of freshness, madness and precision that had been missing until then.

In the second part, if Konrad Hurrell confirmed the numerical superiority in 13 against 11, Arthur Mourgue offered beautiful flashes. Arthur Romano powerfully took on the challenge offered by his monstrous Suli counterparts – Olakau-atu.

Physically well, the Habs managed to score in their second highlight. A pass at the foot of Arthur Mourgue found in César Rougé the perfect shot (22-12). Except this realization upset and woke up Tonga, who added four tries for defensive misses by the Blues. An addition made salty, but very real and of which the adventures of the last twenty minutes must be highlighted so that it does not repeat itself.

FRANCE: Escaré – Yaha, Romano, Langi, Marcon – (o) Gigot, (m) Mourgue – Dezaria, Da Costa, Goudemand – Jullien, Séguier – Garcia (c). Subs: Belmas, Sangaré, Puech, Pélissier, Stefani, Le Cam, Marion, Rougé, Jouffret.

Tries: Sangare (30), Rouge (60)
Goals: Mourgue 2/2

Sin Bin: France: Romano (40), Goudemand (44).

TONGA: Niu – Koula, Hurrell, Suli, Tu’ipulotu – (o) Amone, (m) Lolohea – Fonua-Blake, Otukolo, Taukei’aho (c) – D. Fifita, Olakau’atu – Kolomatangi. Subs: Katoa, Tatola, Fotuaika, Murdoch-Masila, Paasi, Vete, Fonua.

Tries:  D. Fifita (7, 27, 65), Tu’ipulotu (15), Hurrell (46), Koula (70), Amone (75), Olakau’atu (79), Otukolo (80), 
Goals: Taukei’aho 2/4, Katoa 4/5