Damian Penaud Breaks French Try-Scoring Record Despite Defeat, Set to Feature Against Fiji
Bordeaux, France – Damian Penaud etched his name into French rugby history this past Saturday, surpassing Serge Blanco’s longstanding record for tries scored with the national team, despite a 32-17 loss to South Africa.The winger now boasts 40 tries in his career with Les Bleus, exceeding Blanco’s previous mark of 38.
French coach Fabien Galthié highlighted Penaud’s innate talent during a press conference Thursday, drawing parallels between the current star and the legendary Blanco. ”Yes, there is an innate sense of space,” Galthié said, as relayed by RMC. ”On the first selections in the 90s, Serge Blanco caught my attention and came to see me: ‘There you go, you know what the big thrill is.’ Damian Penaud has something of Serge,it’s very Latin,French. This ability to find space intuitively.” He also noted that Louis Bielle-Biarrey shares a similar quality.
Penaud is one of nine players retained in the starting lineup from the South Africa match for Saturday’s fixture against Fiji at Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux (8:10 p.m.). The match presents an chance for France to refine their offensive game, an area Galthié acknowledged needed advancement following the springboks defeat, stating his team “had a lot of chances during the first twenty minutes of the second half, which [they did] not transformed.”
The Fiji match also serves as a crucial preparation step ahead of the November 22 clash against Australia.
