After a gloomy decade, Antoine Dupont’s generation has reconnected the general public with the French rugby team. Grand Slam in the Six Nations Tournament, series of thirteen successes in progress: this year 2022 will remain a great year for French rugby. With his “Anthology of the Blues”, Richard Escot, journalist of L’Équipe, arrives at the right time to allow us to revisit the history of the Fifteen of France, this song of gesture that began in 1906 from a defeat against the All Blacks (8 -38) in the old Parc des Princes.
Preceded by Olivier Magne, his beautifully illustrated book does not follow a chronological line. Explore the themes. It stops first on those who made the Quinze de France its heroes, with this quote from the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig as a highlight: “History does not tolerate any intruder, it chooses its heroes itself and ruthlessly rejects the beings who has not chosen, however great their commitment.” But he also dwells on his “martyrs” those, many whose talent has not always been lucky enough to please the breeders: Philippe Struxiano, Jean Dauger, André Boniface , Jo Maso, Didier Codorniou.
The XV of France and the tournament, the third times of the XV of France, the captains, the XV of France and the World Cup, the styles of play, the coaches, the ten legendary matches, are all stops on this journey of a century. At each stop, we have the pleasure of meeting a great witness: Vincent Clerc, Henri Garcia, Abdelatif Benazzi, Philippe Saint-André, Pierre Villepreux and Pierre Berbizier. The originality of the book is also to open this long exclusively male universe to women. Each chapter is an opportunity to shed light on the women’s XV of France.
As for statistics lovers, they will also find what they are looking for at the end of the book as all the matches of the XV of France and all the selected Azzurri up to the end of the Six Nations Tournament 2022 are listed.
Blues Anthology. Solar Editions. 255 pages. 37 euros.
Memories of old school rugby
Two years ago, Serge Collinet recounted his experience as an educator at the Georges Braque high school, in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, and as a talent scout – Wesley Fofana, Vincent Rattez – in “Rugby at heart, the Braqueboys”. This time it’s his personal experience as a “little gamer” (of the PUC and the ASPTT anyway) that this EPS associate professor shares. It is above all an era that invites us to revisit. When the first division had 40 teams and fights, the real ones, not the simulacra of today’s professional rugby, punctuated the matches. It is a book which, as the afterword says, smells of camphor oil and friendship in which all lovers will recognize themselves. The preface is signed by Émile and Romain Ntamack.
Rugby memories of the past. Passiflora Editions. 196 pages 16 euros.
The golden book of rugby 2022
Do you want to savor the Grand Slam des Bleus again, relive the European epic of the Stade Rochelais or the coronation in Montpellier? This great end-of-year classic is for you. We recommend it all the more readily as it offers the pleasure of reading Pierre Michel Bonnot, former “chappoteur” of “L’Equipe” who is therefore back in service. He is often fierce and jubilant. He’s unique.
The golden book of rugby. Solar Editions. 141 pages. €24.90.
Thirteen ways to beat the All Blacks
How to beat the All Blacks? This is the question that all of France will be asking on 8 September, during the opening match of the 2023 World Cup. In history, the XV of France has only succeeded thirteen times. Thirteen wins in sixty-two games is not a lot. Still, Antoine Dupont’s band has good reason to hope for a 14th success. He has already achieved it in the autumn of 2021 (40-25).
In his book, Olivier Villepreux analyzes the thirteen French victories snatched from the best nation in history. From the inaugural victory of Jean Prat and his companions in 1954 to that of the Blues of Fabien Galthié. The foreword is by Pierre Berbizier, the drill specialist since he beat the New Zealanders once as a player (1986 in Nantes) and above all twice at home (1994) as a coach.
France – All Blacks. Thirteen ways to beat New Zealanders. Solar Editions. 167 pages. €29.90.
Football: the French league in large format
This is the must-have football book for the holiday season. “French league, 90 years of history” of Division A and Ligue 1 by Denis Chaumier, former editor-in-chief of “L’Equipe” and director of “France Football” at Solar. Everything is there, from the beginning of history, divided into seven chronological periods. Stories, portraits, figures and a rich iconography, just enough to know everything about the French championship, in large format.
“French championship, 90 years of history”, by Denis Chaumier, Solar Éditions, 35 euros.
Qatar 2022: to laugh or not
It is not because the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will have been an excellent football year that we must forget the conditions in which it was organised. This little book “Qatar 2022, the other country of football” by En Exergue Editions chooses irony to get its messages across. In pen, Alain Leiblang, a former journalist and who worked in FIFA communication, knows the subject. And for fun (yellow) Gab’s drawings touch well. Not to forget anything.
“Qatar 2022, the other country of football”, by Alain Leiblang and Gab, En exergue Éditions, 15 euros.
Tennis: Federer in more ways than one
The 2022 of tennis, and more generally of sport, was marked by the retirement of Roger Federer. Two books published by Talent Sport retrace this event and the Swiss’ career. His “103 legendary titles” in which Emmanuel Bringuier and Julien Pichené detail all the tournaments won by “Roggeur” and “Tennis 2022”, also by Emmanuel Bringuier which traces the main events of the year around the yellow ball.
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