In Marcoussis

A new start for Les Bleus

“Of course the objective of (the World Cup) 2027 is in the back of our minds. But that means tournaments and tours beforehand, with the obvious aim of winning them. Right now, it’s Japan, the All Blacks and Argentina. These are nations we don’t play very often. It’s always stimulating and interesting to play these teams. Especially the Japanese, who play a very open game. We’re expecting a lot of travelling this weekend. And obviously, a big battle.”

France, a rank to regain?

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far. Even if it was marred by that World Cup defeat. But that’s behind us now. And now we’re looking ahead. We want to maintain the same standards as before and go for more. We’re not asking ourselves too many questions. We’re just very happy to be here with each other, giving our all for the jersey. We want to start winning again. We’ve kept to the same working method. We’ve made a few adjustments to rectify what didn’t work in previous seasons. But, overall, the main lines of work are the same. And we’re trying to work on continuity rather than breaking something that was working rather well.”

Reunion at the Stade de France

“Of course, it’s a stadium we love to play in. But last year’s Tournament campaign, with matches in the provinces, was also interesting, with a different kind of public. And I think we were able to reach more people than when we only played in Paris. But, in fact, the Stade de France suits us quite well and we really enjoy playing there. (The bad memory of the defeat against South Africa in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup) Inevitably… If that’s all we remember, we’re disappointed. But there have been others, some nice ones too. I think that’s it, the page has been turned. And rather than looking back, we’re trying to look forward to 2027. Of course, we’ll have to learn from what didn’t work in previous years. But when it comes down to it, there are a lot of good things to keep. While respecting all the stages we’ll have to go through before 2027.”

The new Bleus lifestyle charter

“It’s been very well received by the group. We talked about it at the beginning of last week, to set the framework and then move on to pure rugby. It’s something that was presented by Jean-Marc Lhermet and Raphaël Ibanez last week. The whole group has taken it on board. Now we’re ready to go, with just one objective: rugby and the three matches on this tour.”

The return of Antoine Dupont

“It was a very important goal for him to have the chance to compete in the Olympic Games. Which he did. And to win. It was an incredible thing for him and for French rugby. He was cut, but he came back just as strong, if not better. So it’s obviously a pleasure to have him back for us at club level. And having him with us in the French team is obviously a big plus for us. (…) I think the 7 has opened him up a little. Even if he doesn’t need to be open to rugby… (Laughs) But he’s seen new rugby and he’s been able to develop new skills. Antoine has the intelligence to find the key to any situation. And that’s his great strength. It was only natural for us that he should return as captain. That’s what he was before he left with 7. When he comes back, knowing that his level is the same, if not better, there’s no debate about it.”

The blossoming of Alexandre Roumat

“Alexandre is a player who is very intelligent and has the ability to blend into different positions, whether it’s number 4, number 6, 7 or 8. He can play any position. He’s a player who’s full of confidence, who’s exploding, both here and at the club. I’m very happy for him because he’s worked hard, he’s learned from his journey. It’s not insignificant what he’s achieved today.”

Competition in the third line

“There’s a lot of emulation, a lot of competition in the third row position, but that’s the case for all positions and it allows everyone to push their limits and go for the best. To perform as well as possible and to be lucky enough to be in this team. I don’t see that as a disadvantage, but rather as an advantage that allows me to push my limits and go for a longer course. There’s a great sense of emulation in the group, with new faces who also want to live the adventure and be part of the group. That’s normal, it’s the law of sport. We haven’t decided on this weekend’s line-up yet, but there will certainly be some changes. In any case, the good thing is that all the players who are here, all 42 of them, plus those who went back and forth during the first week, everyone is 200% committed.”