Ollivon proves point (whatever he says)

WHEN France’s analysts examine data from Friday’s win over ill-disciplined, inconsistent Argentina to complete an Autumn Nations Series clean-sweep, they might find a message hidden in the lines of Charles Ollivon’s tracking map.

- JAMES HARRINGTON

They shouldn’t need to look hard: the 31-year-old back row, starting for the first time since March, carved his words deep into the Stade de France turf. They were intended for an audience of one, Fabien Galthie, but were clear for all to see and needed no translation. His towering performance thundered: Don’t. Dare. Drop. Me. Again.

Ollivon acted the modest role in classic style with a verbal hand-off to the obvious post-match questions. No, he wasn’t out to prove a point here, he insisted, after playing 25 minutes off the bench against New Zealand, and missing the opener against Japan entirely. “The past two weeks have been great,” he said, “we had a great time. It’s nice to finish the series with three wins.”

His performance suggested otherwise, however. He carried hard, tackled solidly, and was both a rock and a hard place at set-piece. He was a player with a point to prove.