In Marcoussis

In what frame of mind do you feel the squad is for this tour, this first match since the outbursts in Argentina last July?
Laurent Sempéré: We’re all here with a strong desire to get back into the sport, back on the pitch, back competing. We felt a lot of excitement, that’s the predominant feeling. Now, as the match approaches, there’s also a collective need to perform. We’re torn between the need for structure and serenity as we approach our first match, and the excitement of getting back together and having the chance to play rugby again.

How fit are the players?
The players show up for training. And outside too. They have a strong desire to perform, to think only of the pitch. It was vital for us to find them in that frame of mind. Because we need to be able to speed things up so that we can quickly find common points of reference on the pitch.

Some of the older players seem to have been left out of the starting XV – Fickou, Ollivon… – while some of the younger players seem set to start against Japan. Is this a turning of the page or a desire to challenge them?
It’s not a page that’s being turned at all. It’s a group that continues to move forward. 42 players are here, but there are others we’ve worked with beforehand. That makes around sixty players in all. We really want to federate more high-performance players and move forward with this group as a whole. We’re not thinking about the 15 who will start against Japan, or the 23 who will have the chance to play, but about the 42 and all those who are at home. The important thing is to work with the whole group. Everyone will have their part to play, everyone will be important in this construction.

“There are some players who will be lucky enough to start the first game, others who will finish it, and others who won’t play the first but will perhaps return the week after or the week after that.”

Is there no more premium team?
There are players who’ll be lucky enough to start the first game, others who’ll finish it, and others who won’t play the first one but who’ll maybe be back the week after or the week after that. Honestly, we’re working with a group of 42 and we don’t necessarily take anything else into account. We look at the form of the moment, what the player can give us, what’s best for the team. That’s what prevails among the staff, but also among the players. In any case, that’s what we wanted. To find ourselves at the start of this November tour with both players who had emerged during the summer tour and those who had finished the Six Nations Tournament well.

But it can be a real headache. In the third row, for example, Alexandre Roumat seems to have got the better of Charles Ollivon…
It’s a luxury to have a choice. The profiles are different, and we make our decisions based on the way we want to play and the team we’re up against. Complementarity too. Who we’re going to start the match with, who we’re going to finish it with.

What do you think of Tevita Tatafu, Bayonne’s young right-back, who is set to make his first international appearance against Japan on Saturday?
First of all, we’re delighted to have him with us. He’s doing really well with Aviron Bayonnais. He’s getting a lot of game time with his club, which has helped him improve week by week. He’s a player we’ve been targeting for several months and who continues to progress. He’s going to challenge himself at international level. I think he’s seeing that he hasn’t yet reached his limits in terms of his game.

What are his main qualities?
He’s got great physical strength. But he’s also capable of moving the ball around and not just playing in the middle. He’s a fine player. We’re working hard to develop his physical condition so that he can take on a series of tasks. What’s more, everyone knows about his position in the scrum, which is extremely important in his position. Like Uini (Atonio), he doesn’t just use his weight. He’s also very strong technically. They’re similar in many ways.

When subjects need to be raised, Antoine (Dupont) doesn’t hesitate to put his finger on them. He speeds things up by bringing people together. For us, the staff, it’s much easier because there’s no hesitation.

Antoine Dupont is back at last. What does he bring, not to the game, as we all know, but to the group as captain?
He brings serenity to group life. He asks pertinent questions that reassure the others. When subjects need to be raised, he doesn’t hesitate to put his finger on them. He speeds up situations by bringing people together. For us, the staff, it’s a lot easier because there’s no hesitation.

The French national team will return to the Stade de France for the first time since the quarter-final defeat at the 2023 World Cup. Has the page been turned for good?
It’s part of the history of this team and of French rugby. We have to deal with it. Turn the page or mourn and move on, not with that, but thanks to it. Beyond that, we’re beginning to have a group with a great deal of collective experience. From the great joys to the big disappointments. It’s really interesting to work with a team that’s been around so long. It’s a very mature group. Today, there’s a good balance between this collective experience, the maturity of a good number of players who have over 50 caps – which is remarkable – and the players who arrive and bring their freshness and energy. That’s the balance we’re looking for.

Interview at the press conference