Philippe Saint-André
There is no excuse for what happened in Italy. When you lose the possession 16 times in the collision, you can’t win a game at this level of competition. The boys now have to show some spirit, some solidarity, and perform in front of their fans in Stade de France on Saturday. Our ambition needs to be shown on the field, we maintain faith in the 23 players. It’s up to them to set things straight for our first home game.
Besides Pascal Papé’s injury, the only change you brought to the starting line-up is Mathieu Bastareaud in for Florian Fritz. What are your reasons?
I told Florian this is not a punishment, we win and lose as a team. We just thought this change would help the team adapt strategically to the Welsh rush defense. Moreover, we now have a 10-12-12 combination that’s used to playing together in club rugby.
We know Florian’s strength, he is very important as part of the group, and he will bring a lot to the table when he comes on the field. He is not responsible for the defeat, which was a collective failure.
Jamie Roberts has a crucial role in the Welsh system, he allows the team to get some go-forward even when they have slow ball. Mathieu played a great game in Hcup against him. The Welsh backs, in midfield as well as on the wings, are very powerful. Mathieu can match that.
We need some rage, some will to go forward, to win the collisions, to keep the ball in hand… Having regrets at the end of a game is not acceptable, and we’ll do everything we can to prevent it from happening again.
It still feels like you have some anger, 4 days after the game…
Of course I’m angry! We had a 5-point lead and the opportunity to win that game. Not only did we not get the win, but we gave it away, and tried to find individual solutions instead of collective ones! This is high level competition, and we have to get back on our feet. Rugby is and will always be a fight before anything else. Let’s win this battle.
Did you give the players, especially the 13 players who kept their starting spot, a kind of ultimatum?
It’s not 13, it’s 23 players. We kept the same group for that second game. We were in the lead against Italy, then did some changes in the team. Therefore, the 15 that started are not the ones who lost that game! We win and lose all together. We lacked in strategy, in collective precision… We feel like there was some improvement during the week. But what’s important is what will happen on the field on Saturday.
How did the players and yourself handle this long week full of frustration?
In my opinion, characters are revealed in defeat and hardship more than in victory. This is when you really learn. We’ll see if we have enough spirit to react after this defeat, if we are able to find solutions as a team, as well as efficiency.
Were you tempted to bring other changes to the team?
We were obviously not satisfied with the team’s performance, and with some individual performances as well. We could have changed a lot of the players. But they are aware of what they’ve done, of their personal statistics… They’re lucky enough to get a second chance. It’s up to them to take that opportunity.
What gave Jocelino Suta the edge over Romain Taofifenua?
Jocelino had the chance to take a break during a few days, and he’s shown good form when he returned here. He also knows our systems better after being with us in November, and it made sense to us to give him a starting spot. Romain is young, and still learning as a player at this level. He knows what he has to work on to get to the point when he can start a game in international rugby, and for now I still see him as an impact player.
What part of the Welsh performance did you show your players?
I guess it depends on whether you see the glass half full or half empty… You can either show Ireland’s first half, where they dominated and were very clinical. Or you can show Wales’ second half, a full performance, with a lot of pace, three tries… We actually focused a lot on ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, on being more precise and efficient.
Anyway I was very impressed with the Welsh performance in the second half of their game, they won the collisions, got some quick ball. I have a lot of respect for this team, and we’re preparing for a very tough confrontation. There are no easy games in 6 nations.
The Welsh and ourselves will probably be in the same state of mind after opening defeats. But maybe playing in front of our fans will give us the edge…
Benjamin Fall
What are your impressions after learning you were starting this second game?
It’s always a pleasure to know you’re going to start. Even after a good game, you never know if you’re going to keep your spot. There is no such thing as a perfect game, and therefore you can always do more. After the defeat last week, we were all very disappointed and frustrated. We all want to perform on Saturday to put that opening game behind us.We want to put a lot of things in this next game, aggressiveness, motivation… We know the Welsh, they can play with great style, keep the ball in hands. We will have to make better decisions than we did last week-end.
Did the staff change anything in their approach after the opening defeat?
Of course, there’s always something to change, to improve…
I obviously was personally cited after the last play of the game in Italy. I tried to stay on the field, but I thought I could play one-one-one… I made a mistake and was very disappointed.
Did the atmosphere change among the players?
The first few days after the game were a little hard, because it was all very fresh in our heads. We have a tendency to question every choice we’ve made, especially after seeing the game on video.
But there still is a good atmosphere, and we’re all looking forward to our next confrontation. It’s very important for the life of a group, to keep our heads clear, and stick together in victories as well as in defeats.
The final victory is still possible, even if starting with a defeat isn’t ideal. There is no secret, we’ll have to win the next four games.
How does Patrice Lagisquet help you evolve as a winger?
He teaches me a lot every day, help me find the perfect timing in backline. It’s a pleasure to have someone like him, with the career he had, give me advice on my positioning, offensively and defensively. It’s a sum of details that can make a difference in the end.
You gave a lot of ball to the Italian team last week and were quickly punished. Are you scared of what the Welsh can do with turnover ball?
Of course, we are very aware of the strengths of the Welsh backline, with fast and powerful players. They can play with a lot of pace from their set piece, but we think we can manage that.
We’ve worked all week long on our defensive system, to avoid the kind of tries scored against us last week.
the key for us will be to prevent the Welsh from getting momentum, because that’s when they can really hurt you, when they keep the ball in hand and get some go-forward. That’s what Ireland did, with a very solid defensive performance. They put a lot of pressure on the Welsh, and that’s what we need to do as well.
The first 20 minutes of the game will set the tone for the game, and if it goes well for the whole competition for us.
Frédéric Michalak
Is important for you to have the support and trust of the staff?
It is. They’re giving us a second chance, but we may not get a third one. Trust is important but it’s up to the players to earn it and perform if they want to keep playing for their country.
We analyzed our performance, and I think we all understand what went wrong against Italy. We now have to correct our mistakes.
Will it help you to play alongside two club teammates in the backline?
This is the national team, and the context is necessarily different, as well as the system. But it could help in some situations where I’ll be able to find them more quickly. I know their respective styles.
We’ve seen you struggle after kickoffs…
There were a few short ones in Italy, where no one rushed to compete for the ball. We have to work on our organization, find the perfect timing because getting possession after our own kickoffs always gives good opportunities.
Have you spent a lot of time studying the Welsh defense?
I have been trying to find some weaknesses in their rush defense, and we may be able to exploit them. But I know they’re capable of adapting their system during the course of the game, which means we’ll have to do so as well.
This kind of defense is always a problem, because you have to play further from the gain line, especially if you want to send the ball to the wings. I’ll have a lot less time to analyse each situation, but there will be solutions to be found, with the boot, with the wingers coming to get the ball on the inside…
Is the victory your absolute priority for this second game?
It will be our goal, before anything else. If we can win and take a few opportunities to develop our game, we obviously will. I think we have the structures and the skills to do so, if every player finds his place on the field. This can only come back with practice and competition.
What did you have in November that you don’t have any more?
A first victory, and probably winning our one-on-one confrontations. Our defense was also more efficient back then. Maybe our physical form was better at this time.
We saw that the Welsh struggled more in the first half against Ireland, whereas it was harder for us in the second half. We’ll see on Saturday if they are currently in a better shape than we are. But if we can put them on the back foot, they shouldn’t be able to develop their game.
Yoann Huget
How do you feel playing at full-back?
Playing on the wing feels more natural to me. But I’m starting to get used to playing at 15. I try to bring some solutions in the backline with help of the wingers.
The defensive aspect is a little different but I haven’t encountered too many problems so far.
Do you think you should have used the boot more often against Italy?
It s difficult, because they always had two, three or four players hanging in the back, waiting for the opportunity to counterattack.
How did you feel when you heard your name in the starting lineup?
A little relieved, obviously. You can never be sure that you’re going to keep your spot, even after a good performance. I want to keep working to be able to beat Wales.
We feel like the staff trust us, and we’re doing some good work in practice. Now we have to show that the defeat in Rome was an accident and nothing else. A defeat in Paris is not an option for us.
Philippe Saint-André insisted on the Welsh rush defense during his conference. Is it something you’ve been working on a lot in practice?
Obviously. We analyzed it on video, and realized that, when they build up confidence, their outside center and even their wingers, tend to rush up very quickly in defense. We will have to find some solutions and maybe exploit the gaps they might open for us.
It is something the Welsh do very well. It helped them get back in the game against Ireland, and it’s also the defense they used last year to get a Grand Slam. They do it perfectly, with a great sense of anticipation in midfield, that often allows them to tackle a player as he gets the ball.
On a personal level, I may have to stay a bit closer to Mathieu (Bastareaud) if he needs me, although I’m pretty sure he will be able to make some progress whatever happens! There are a lot of solutions in this situations, I can come play between the centers, inside the flyhalf… We’re working on a lot of things.
Do you think putting pressure under high ball could be a useful weapon for you, like the Irish did?
They’ve had some problem, and it is something we may try as well. But we also want to keep the ball in hand and move it around at our own pace.
Do you think that Wales will pose the same kind of problems Italy did, in terms of keeping the ball in hands and playing at a high rhythm?
We were not surprised to see Italy at this level, and Wales will probably be an even bigger threat, with amazing players in every line. They can play at a very fast pace, and we don’t want to have to put up with it for long periods of time, otherwise winning will be very complicated for us. Our priority is to keep the possession as much as possible.
Louis Picamoles
What do you think was the main problem against Italy?
I think we lacked a collective and individual will to go forward in every collision, to inject some pace and control the tempo of the game.
Instead of reacting as a team, we tried to find individual solutions and ended up losing the ball in the contact. It’s difficult to explain, because I didn’t feel like nervousness or anything on the field…
The staff put a lot of faith in the team, bringing very few changes. Do you feel the need to show yourself worthy of it?
Of course! After a performance like the one we produced last week-end, everyone wants to show what they are really capable of, and we’ll have the opportunity to do so on Saturday. It’s a second chance for us, and it’s up to us to take it.
I don’t think we lost ourselves between November and now, even if we didn’t put any of the past ingredients in our last performance. We need to stay confident, keep working, and I’m sure everything will come back to us.
We are sure that this team has a lot of potential. Each and every one of us has worked very hard to get here. We are indeed hurt in our pride, but confidence is still here, and we want to show more than what we did in Italy.
One of the problems encountered last week was defensive reorganization on turnover ball. Would you say this will be one of the keys against Wales, a team that enjoys fast-flowing games?
We know that losing as much possession as we did in Italy, there will be no winning against the Welsh. Keeping the ball in hand will therefore be one of the keys for us. We will have to keep a clear head, especially in the collisions, and avoid attempting impossible passes.
We are working on every aspect of our defensive system, like we de before any game. We don’t have that much time to prepare, and do everything we would like to do in perfect conditions. Hopefully we will be better organized if we do give away possession at times.
Will a victory be enough or do you expect more from this opposition?
For now we’re not speaking in terms of winning or anything. We need to focus on ourselves, and enjoy ourselves on the field. We can do everything right and still lose against a better team on any given day. For now we’re focused on enthusiasm, pleasure, attitude, all those things that make a team what it is.
Both teams can be referred to as injured animals. What will make a difference between them?
It’s difficult to now know what will make us win or lose in a couple of days. Our priority is to play a good game, to gain even more confidence, and to avoid leaving the initiative to the Welsh. We know what they can do when they gather momentum, which is how they get most of their victories. If we can do this, everything else will follow.
Dimitri Szarzewski
You are the most experienced player in the team. What is the general state of mind in the group?
I think we have now more conviction than we did last week, concerning our system and organization. But our number one goal is to win this game. If we can get a victory and play a good game, we will. However, our priority is the win.
In this context, does it matter to you that your opponent is in a long losing streak?
Of course, it is somewhere n the back of our heads. Both teams are going through rough patch and lost their opening game. All of this should make our confrontation a tough one, and the Welsh will want to take a stand. But we also want to show what we are really made of, in front of our crowd. This is going to be quite a game.
Have you been working on the lineout more than usual?
We work on it on a daily basis! There are some details we need to sort out. Every throw we lost last week is due to our own mistakes, except for the first one. We have to be more careful, more focused and more accurate in everything we do in that aspect of the game. Our individual involvement must be the best we can. Everything went well in November, and it should have been the case against Italy if everyone had had better concentration.