The French men’s sevens rugby team, which will play the final leg of its world circuit this weekend in Los Angeles (United States), intends to use this public rehearsal to refine its ranks two weeks ahead of the World Cup in Africa. du Sud, the main competition in the two-year discipline from The Paris-2024 Games.

The Blue Sevens, currently ranked 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 women’s counterparts.

California recalled the tricolor coaching Clermontois and experienced former captain Jean-Pascal Barak and retained Toulouse’s top try scorer (33) Nelson Eppie.

Fijian Ogre and Irish Scarecrow in the program

Skilled Gerzois Pauline Riva’s side face Ireland and then Fiji in Pool C on Saturday before taking on Wales later in the evening.

If this last game is a formality, the Blues have won four of their last meetings against the Welsh, and it will be different for the first two.

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

Therefore, it is against Ireland that France (7-24) lost in the semi-finals at the Toulouse stage in May, the only defeat in six games, and qualification for the quarter-finals will be played. A qualification that brings plenty of reassurance ahead of joining South Africa next week.