In Marcoussis

His role as a substitute against Japan

Gaël Fickou: “I lived it very well. Even if it was a bit cold on the bench… (smile) That’s the life of a group, you can’t play every match. There are some great players in my position who are growing and who have talent. Like Emilien (Gailleton), like Yoram (Moefana), like Paul Costes who are great players. It’s a good thing for me because it puts me in difficulty and that’s what you need to get the best out of yourself. It’s up to me to be good enough to stay there.”

Competition in the French team

“I’ve always been challenged, honestly. Before, it wasn’t Paul Costes or Emilien, it was other players like Rémi Lamerat, (Wesley) Fofana, you name it, there have always been great players in that position. It’s never been easy, I’ve always had to fight. And I’m still fighting, and if one day I don’t have the level, I’ll go home (laughs).”

The All Blacks’ challenge

“I think it’s 50-50. We have as much talent as they do. They’re a great team. They’re performing very well at the moment. We saw that against England and Ireland. We’ve got a big game ahead of us, against a very fine New Zealand team. But we have what it takes to compete with them. We’re going in with a lot of desire and a lot of enthusiasm. They’re a team we love to play. They’re always extraordinary matches, with an extraordinary atmosphere. There’s always incredible support. It’s always a match apart. A bit like the Crunch. It’s one of those great games that the French love to see on TV or in the stadium.”

What’s the reaction to the haka?

“We respect the haka but we’re not afraid. They’re men, we’re men. And we don’t go to war like some people do, we play a rugby match. At first, when you’re young, it’s intimidating. Today, I respect it and I watch it. And I wait for the whistle to blow. It’s always a duel of glances, a bit of confrontation… But for us, apart from respecting what they do, we just can’t wait for the whistle to start.”

Has the fear of a rout disappeared?

“I’ve already taken 50 against them… (smiles) But honestly, I think that with this generation, everyone is alert. There’s no one who thinks they’re someone else, everyone’s humble. We’re preparing for this match in the best possible way. We’re all questioning ourselves, even after the big win over Japan. So we’re aware of the level of the New Zealanders, and we’re not taking them lightly. And we know that if we slacken off for a single second against them, it could cost us dearly. We’ll be on alert for 80 minutes.”

The All Blacks wake up against England and Ireland

“I’m not surprised given the quality of their squad and their coach (Scott Robertson). I was sure that the last Rugby Championship (two losses to the Boks, a home defeat to the Pumas, NDLR) was just a warm-up. I think they’ve needed time to build their team. It’s a new team with a lot of young players. It’s taking shape and we’ve seen that in the last two games. We know what to expect. The last two games against them were great games. I hope this third one will be too. And that it turns out in our favor.”

Writing a new page in Blue

“Every match counts, honestly. Whether it’s New Zealand or Argentina afterwards. They’re going to count as much as each other. After that, of course, New Zealand is always gratifying. Because they’re the rugby nation, they’re the rugby people. Against New Zealand, we know we’re up against the best.”

His busy start to the Racing 92 season

“Honestly, I feel great. I feel in great shape. The break was good for me mentally too. Because it’s been a long time since we’ve been on vacation. Being here allows me to sleep well and recover. And the fact that I didn’t play much against Japan means that I’m hoping to come into the next few games with a lot of freshness. (When you’re a substitute) You don’t take as many knocks, it’s as if I hadn’t played against Japan. As if… (smiles) There’s a lot less fatigue. I’m used to playing 80 minutes, it’s nothing like that.”