Is this a founding victory for 2027?
Fabien Galthié. That’s for sure. This victory does us a lot of good. Especially as the scenario wasn’t ideal for us at the start of the match. Tatafu was injured very quickly, causing us problems in the conquest and in the scrum, some balls were lost, and an interception cost us a try… But the team pulled together. They were very, very strong in their weakest moments. It’s also good what happened at half-time. We solved the conquest problems and Antoine (Dupont) rectifies the way we’ve been playing. It’s very positive because you pay yourself very quickly.

How did you achieve this victory?
Efficiency is what counts. We were up against a well-oiled team who had been together for six months and were playing their 13th match. We, with three weeks’ preparation and just one match against Japan (victory 52-12)We didn’t start out on an equal footing. But our roadmap was quite pragmatic. The very negative scenario in the first half didn’t give us any trouble, and the players didn’t give up. It’s a very positive result after only three weeks of working together. It’s a prestigious victory.

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We had some very strong and very pleasant emotions.

Fabien Galthié

We saw an embrace, a strong emotion with your staff at the end of the match…
We’ve worked hard to get to this point. It shows that we made the right decisions and that the work proposed to the players is proving to be right. You can let go sometimes. We’ve had some very strong and very pleasant emotions, 100% joy, pleasure and happiness. We’re very proud of the players. They’re just discovering them, and I’ve been with them for five years. They’re really special guys.

What does it mean to beat the All Blacks three times in a row?
It’s done, it’s written. You can say what you like, but they come three times and fall three times. It’s very satisfying. It’s good to take these victories.

We try to be very accurate in our team compositions. We work very, very hard at it. Our aim is always to build the best possible team to win, and nothing else.

The year 2024 has not been linear. Does this victory validate all your choices?
I think you’re being hard on us in 2024. England have lost seven times, Ireland three times. We’re the best European nation in 2024. Your judgment is harsh… We’re going to close our year against Argentina and then we’ll see. We’ve got six days to prepare for this final test. It’s very special, just six days after facing the All Blacks. We’re going to have to recuperate well and count the available players. On the whole, I think we’re having a solid 2024. The matches weren’t always successful, but the team pulled together, despite a lot of injuries and rotation. It was a year of transition after the World Cup, which was both very rich and very difficult to get through.

This week has been marked by the Jalibert affair…
I hear your comments… We try to be very fair in our team compositions. We work very, very hard at it. Our aim is always to build the best possible team, the best to win, and nothing else.

Interview at the press conference