Fujiyoshida (Japan) (AFP)
The appetite will come by eating: the players of the XV of France approach the World Cup in Japan, from Saturday, with the first public goal, given their past results and their pool, to reach the quarter-finals . Then another competition will begin, where everything will be possible ...
36% of victories since the 2015 edition, in England. The beating received in the last two years in South Africa (June 2017) and New Zealand (June 2018) or, in the last Six Nations Tournament, in England (44-8) and Ireland (26-14). With such a track record, difficult to trumpet have as goal to raise the trophy Webb Ellis, November 2, for the first time in history.
"In the past it was said, and it was not good, you have to be ambitious but stay humble, work in our corner and take match after match.We will already try to very well enter the competition against the Argentina, "says Arthur Iturria.
Argentina, it is from Saturday in Tokyo, in a shock already decisive for the qualification in the quarter-finals considering the third competitor of the hen, England. The Blues approach it with apprehension?
"There is necessarily apprehension, but that's what makes us move forward, it's positive pressure, the desire to do well, I do not think we're really worried, we've got Doubts ... But everyone wants to do well ... We have the pressure of our ambitions: already win this game and go out chickens, "says Jefferson Poirot.
- "I hope you'll see" -
The French defeated the Pumas last November in Lille (28-13) and do not see them, in their vast majority, superiors. With the notable exception of Arthur Iturria. "We are not going to lie, today we are inferior to the Argentines (...) We are nobody because we did nothing, nothing proved in a team," said the Basque before facing Italy for the last preparation match on August 30 (47-19).
He has since not "revised (his) judgment". "I say what I think, maybe it's not what others think, now, do I feel inferior, am I afraid of them? do not deceive me: when you take both teams, Argentina has shown more things than we have in recent years.Now, we have good qualities to beat them, "he explained last week in Fujiyoshida, where the Blues have settled down until Wednesday and leave for Tokyo.
In case of victory on Saturday, they would open the door of the knockout phase, and another World Cup will begin.
"You have to think that going out hens will be a very nice thing, but not an end in itself.It will not be necessary to say + it's good we're in quarters +, because this is where the competition will start", says Iturria.
To end, November 2 in Yokohama, with the cup in your hands? There are those who do not hesitate to say it, like Charles Ollivon - "inevitably I believe in it, otherwise I would not have come" - or Damian Penaud: "We are all competitors, so in a corner of the we all want to win the competition. "
There are also those who prefer not to ignore the goal that players have set among themselves, like Paul Gabrillagues - "there are things that remain between us, it's important" - or de Poirot: "After (the chick phase), I hope you will see ..."
© 2019 AFP