Oliva (Spain) (AFP)

"I have a little finished the season on the kneecaps," said Saturday the flanker of the XV France Arthur Iturria, injured in the final of the Top 14 and restarting fully in Oliva, Spain, the preparation of the Blues for the Cup rugby world (September 20th - November 2nd).

Revelation of the season after choosing to shift from second to third line, which allowed him to settle in the selection (7 consecutive titles), the Clermont has "not very well lived" this grueling exercise (28 matches ) and intends to learn lessons for the future.

Q: How do you rate this physical preparation?

A: "It's my second day (at full speed), it's hard, I've had 5 or 6 prepas professional in Clermont, which are still considered a little hard, and it's still something else here I do not know if it's because the season was very long, or the heat, but it's hard. "

Q: Your end of the season was complicated to digest, with this injury to a thigh just before the final against Toulouse?

A: "The season was very long, I did not live it very well, I already had a full season but with the international level more (Iturria took part in the 8 matches of the Blues, Ed) was the first, I ended the season on the kneecaps, it could have lasted a little longer, 80 minutes more, but it did not hold, it made me feel a bit moronic but I I just tore a hamstring, I'm happy to be able to use today and I hope it will hold. "

- "I'm learning" -

Q: Were you able to stand back during this recovery, and measure the impact of your job change on your career?

A: "It took me a lot to play third row, that's for sure, now with hindsight, I would manage things differently, I'm only 25 years old, I'm learning all the seasons. learned that it was not much of a good thing to be in top form in September, that it was the end of the season that mattered, I may have been a bit too much at home alone because I had a season before so I did not want to repeat the same mistakes, to see if it's better to really cut in the offseason as I was able to do with this injury. arrived at the wrong time but it allowed me to blow. "

Q: You have played nearly 30 matches in all. Have you asked your club management to play less?

A: "They made me run at the end of the season, I did not play a lot, I could not keep going, I always had a problem, they knew it, I was tired, I did not I was not the only one in this case, and I'm not the one who played the most in Clermont: I'm the 5th play time. Vahaa (mahina), Camille (Lopez) and Damian (Penaud) are still I'm complaining, but I think it can explain my injury too. "

Q: Still, this season remains very positive ...

A: "The season was great! We made two finals with my club and I had good times in the French team despite the results, I was nothing in the third row at the international level - I'm not a lot today - and I was very proud to be able to evolve in that position. "

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