“You really wanted to finish the Tournament, is it mission accomplished?
We are very happy to have done what we had to do, score as many points as possible and take the offensive bonus. It could be a tricky match and we were able to stay focused this week. The 28 points conceded is perhaps the only downside of this match. We had set a number of points not to be taken and we exceeded it.
It started as a trap match…
We were perhaps asleep at the start of the match and we let them enter the game. They score from the start but we have a good reaction behind by scoring a try to return to equality. It allows us to get back into the game and build performance, taking points when needed. We were able to secure the bonus very early too, which is one of the positive things.
What is your assessment of the Tournament?
The last three matches have been more convincing than the first two. We were perhaps not at our best level at the start of the Tournament and we paid dearly for it in Ireland. We will have to rely on these last three matches for the future, where we have done very good things.
“I am very happy with this year spent in Blues and now we are going to rest a bit”
You have become the most prolific Frenchman in an edition of the Tournament (84 points)…
It is a pride. I would not have thought of it at the start of the Tournament or even before the match in England (where he scored 23 points last week). When you get closer to the records, we tell you about it (smile). It also shows that we were prolific in this Tournament so we have to rely on this offensive dynamic for the future.
What is your assessment of your tournament six months before the World Cup?
I am not 100% happy with my start to the Tournament, where I could have done better. Like the team, I was able to raise the bar. When the team is in a good dynamic, individually we express ourselves more easily. I tried to play more relaxed in the last matches and in the end, that’s perhaps what made me strong. I am very happy with this year spent with the Blues and now we are going to rest a little, finish the season with the club and then we will have time to plan for the World Cup.
Looking back, what did the defeat in Ireland teach you?
It will be a match that we can see again when preparing for the World Cup or if we come to play them again at that time. Tactically, we were less precise in Ireland, that’s what cost us the match. There will be enough to rely on this defeat on the strategic aspect not to reproduce the same errors. »
Leave a Reply