For your first selection for the French national team victory over the All Blacks . How did you experience these unique moments?
Romain Buros: It was intense! Honestly, I think I lost quite a bit of energy in the warm-up, which is probably why I started cramping up around the 60th minute. I tried to reassure myself and I wanted to do a lot of things, running and catching, but in the end it wasn’t useful because these things need to be done during the match. In the warm-up, I did exactly what Thibault Giroud (UBB physical trainer) tells me not to do (Smiling). After that, I tried to enjoy myself as much as possible, because it’s still sport. All in all, I had a pretty good time.

And you managed to score a try on your international debut…
I’m obviously happy and very proud to have finally been able to wear this jersey, and happy to have won too. What’s more, that little try helped start the revolt, and it was hard to imagine anything better. I’ve been waiting for this selection for a while, but it was really worth it given the scenario.

In the Top 14, hitting hard happens in 2-3 minute sequences. This one lasted 80 minutes.

Romain Buros

Surprisingly, the All Blacks didn’t really test you on high balls…
Yes, although we’d worked hard on that, in view of the new rules which favor this kind of footwork. They had kicked a lot in their last two games (against England and Ireland). So we were a little surprised. But they were almost always on the front foot, which may explain why they kept the ball so much.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s counter-attacking try gave you a real boost…
I think it hurt them because they kept the ball for a while, but then they lost it and took a counter-attack because they also spent a lot of energy attacking. And Louis, we know him and his speed, it’s hard to resist him. So that served us rather well.

Is it a dream first?
Yes, it’s hard to dream of a better premiere. I’ve waited a long time for it, and I think it was worth it. It’s been quite a week leading up to the match. On Monday, I saw that it was likely, then it was confirmed on Wednesday… But it’s been an intense three days in terms of stress. After that, I tried to relax and enjoy myself. It worked out pretty well. In those conditions, I’m happy to have managed to play pretty much my game, even if not everything was perfect.

What surprised you most about the international scene?
I wasn’t surprised because, to be honest, I was expecting it. But it’s true that in the confrontation zones, they hit very, very hard, and above all they hit for a very long time. In the Top 14, hitting hard can happen over sequences of 2-3 minutes. But it doesn’t usually last 80 minutes… (Smiles) That lasted 80 minutes!

Was there any frustration when you were called up for the Blues but not selected for the matches?
Frustration, inevitably a little because you’re a competitor and you want to play. But I think it’s also given me a lot of strength of character and enabled me to work a lot too. And today, I’m happy that it’s paid off.