Beppu (Japan) (AFP)

The best memory of Wales against France will be "this Sunday," Leek XV coach Warren Gatland said with a smile on Friday before the World Cup quarter-final between the two nations.

The New Zealand coach spoke of the great "confidence" of a team that achieved the Grand Slam in the last tournament of six nations and finished the unbeaten first phase.

Q: You have come to the knockout matches ... Is there a risk of giving in to the pressure?

A: "It's just another rugby match, but we know how important it is, there is a lot of confidence in this team, because we feel like we have not delivered a great performance yet. Here we have been good in sequences, in offense and in defense (...) Anything can happen in international rugby If you are good enough, you win but if the other team is better than you today there, you lose. "

Q: In 2015, the Welsh, reduced by injuries, had lost in quarters. This time, can you manage this favorite status with an entire staff?

A: "Yes, and that's what we did." Michael Cheika (the Australian coach) said we were the favorites against Australia and we have come in. It comes by building, gaining confidence and if you put the preparation matches aside (3 of the 4 losses), we are on 18 consecutive victories in competition matches, we have achieved the Grand Slam and we know that the more we progress in the tournaments, the stronger, more confident we are United."

Q: What lessons do you draw from your previous final matches in a World Cup?

A: "You have to come up with a game plan that the players are well aware of and we have done in the past." If you go back to 2011, Ireland was a big favorite in the quarter-finals but we had a plan to put Ronan O'Gara out of the game (22-10 win), we need to bring a little bit different things that the other teams do not expect, against Ireland in the last Tournament we had played with a different strategy, against England too ... This match, we have prepared well (21-13 end of February) .It is to go and annihilate the opposition of the the way you thought about it, but often it's the lost matches that help coaches get ready. "

- "Dupont, one of the best N.9" -

Q: What do you think about this team from France?

A: "We are aware of the individual threats that France has, it is a big team that plays a game based on passes after contact, but they are the ones who have made most of their numbers in this competition, and they have played one game less (the one against England, canceled because of typhoon NDLR) So there are potential opportunities to exploit (for the Welsh) these rotations, but they have some key players. (Antoine) Dupont is probably one of the best scrums in the world, he is very strong and weighs a lot.They have rhythm on the outside but for us, playing against France is to stay on the lookout: about 4 of our Last 7 attempts against France were registered after actions where we insisted + + + hunting, one of their players made a mistake and we capitalized. (...) Defensively, Shaun (Edwards, the assistant charge of defense) was a little more reassembled this I do not know why ... (Edwards has been announced for months as the future coach of the French defense, ed) He was not very happy with the test conceded against Uruguay (35-13) and made it clear to the players after the event in the locker room. "

Q: What are your best and worst memories against France?

A: "The worst memory is the World Cup semifinal in 2011 (lost 9-8) .The best memory I think ... (he turns to captain Alun Wyn Jones) That's Sunday."

Interviewed at a press conference

© 2019 AFP