XV of France – “I understand criticism”, concedes Fabien Garthié

This week you had to recreate a rear triangle, according to injuries. Can you give us news of injured players?

Gabin is a minor problem. He blocked his back during a squat session. He missed two training sessions but will do the Captain Run of tomorrow (Friday). Cheikh Tiberghien, who was planned at the back, was a tear and he left for France. We therefore decided to tenure on a Tom Spring wing, whose father is also Maori.

Can you present them, the new ones?

Giorgi Beria seemed to us more ready. He seemed to deserve, given his training in training. He had also faced Uruguay with us last summer. It is interesting to give him a chance, as well as to Paul Mallez: he is a right -handed by training but he gave satisfaction when he got into play at Twickenham. Its international future is on the left, clearly.[…] Tyler Duguid is a young player who performed in England, even if he was a little tense, a little stressed by this first selection. Alexandre Fischer came in 2020 to prepare matches with us. He should have come to Australia in 2021 but then experienced a passport problem. Behind that, he knew very big wounds but he returned very well. He has since made great performances with Clermont. Joris Segonds is his third tour with us: he was neither cape in Argentina, nor in Australia. He had a big season in Bayonne and challenged Camille Lopez, which is not nothing. He has just chained a second semi-final of Top 14. This is his hour.

Tom Spring ?

Tom Spring, a rather rear of training, should not have been on the match sheet but he had a good season with Bayonne. He has long hesitated to join professional rugby, unlike his brother Max (Racing 92) who was decided quickly. Tom finally left for a double license in Bayonne and little by little, he found his place there. It is a special path.

What about Mickaël Guillard?

There is almost no number 8 in France apart from Greg Alldritt. Marko Gazzotti was forfeited so we give Mickaël his chance, who was good in London. We must now work on this position. On the third line, there will also be Jacobus Van Tonder: he arrived very young in Clermont-Ferrand. He left Bloemfontein and Gray College very early, the famous college in Springboks. He is often injured but when he is not, he is very solid in his performance. He has been preparing for this match for three weeks. […] Régis Montagne began its number 2 season in Clermont but progressed well and finished holder. He is determined and recently lost ten kilos. Baptist Jauneau, for his part, made a very good return to Twickenham. He will count for the future.

How did you find the finalists, when they arrived on Wednesday morning?

They arrived very offbeat and we did not see them much … Tomorrow morning, the players available and not confronting the All Blacks will train in front of a club team here. So we’re talking about 19 players, potentially.

How do you understand this first meeting?

It is a challenge that has been noted for six years. From the end of March, we tried to compose this team with potential young people. The context, we know him. Before leaving, I told them everyone: “The challenge seems impossible to achieve:” Are you? ” »» They responded in the affirmative.

Justin Marshall nevertheless pushed a rant this week…

I hear very well that on the international circuit, we do not understand that we do not present the team that won the tournament or the fall tour. There are 45 players who stayed in France. But when I took the team, I knew it would be like this. However, we almost won Twickenham in 2021 during Autumn Cup, with a similar team. We also competed in Australia in the summer that followed. In 2022, Japan was beaten twice. Last year, we were not in the best conditions to win the Argentina tour but we were more than competitive. We won the first test and beat Uruguay, before we narrowly failed in the third match.

After the 6 nations tournament, many executives had however said to be ready for the summer tour. What has happened since?

Fifteen games happened … when you live eight weeks of tournament … (he cuts) but reality catches up with them quickly: in club, you have to qualify, you have to win. They had the opportunity to say yes but they preferred a wiser decision; They preferred to regenerate. I understand them. I understand that they wanted to challenge the Blacks out of the tournament and that things were different fifteen weeks later. […] You can’t do better. Perhaps, one day, things will change. But first, I must respect the guys who are there and who hear what we say about them.

What do you think of these All Blacks, whose team composition was given this morning?

Of the three New Zealand teams that we have played since 2020, the one we faced in November is the best. There will be some brand absent on Saturday, such as Tamaiti Williams or Wallace Sititi. But they have such a density of training, in New Zealand … And then, here, they are centered on the selection. The super rugby prepares them for the international tour, in a way. It is not the same ecosystem as ours. But we also have great things in Europe, stadiums that vibrate … Now it’s up to us, national team, to find our way.

How do you judge the Scott Robertson paw?

They attack everywhere and all the time. Their game on the foot is offensive, for example. For our defense, it will therefore be a permanent challenge. The All Blacks game relies on an advance in the center of the field and then seeks very effective tilting. The slightest space is used in a remarkable way. There is also, with them, a big power in the fight of forwards: they have a big melee having also allowed them to win in November in Ireland, for example. I do not forget their world class players, either: Ioane, Roigard, the Brothers Barrett, Jordan … Studying their game, it’s great. We don’t get bored.