Toulon (AFP)

"I hope there will be life in Mayol and I believe in it": The captain of the XV of France and third line of Toulon Charles Ollivon hopes to be able to replay in Top 14 at the beginning of September, with spectators and not in camera -closed.

In an interview with AFP, Ollivon also said he was pleased to have found his teammates, at the start of preparation on Monday.

Q: How do you feel physically after a three month break?

A: "We resumed training on Monday. It's good to see the guys again and to resume a rhythm. I feel good and very happy."

Q: How was your confinement?

A: "In a fairly simple way. I stayed at my home, in Carqueiranne. We had a whole physical program to respect that we received every day by the physical trainers of the club. I came out of two months of Six Nations Tournament, so the change was quite radical. At the beginning, it felt good to be able to cut, to release the pressure ... I took advantage of that time to recover but, afterwards, the urge arose We train and we can't wait to get out again like everyone else. We also had ambition for the end of the season ... "

Q: How did you stay in touch with the other players?

A: "We had WhatsApp groups where we had to present a little what we had done with videos or photos of our performances to be able to compete and keep this competitive spirit. We could not see each other physically but we could put a few coins on us and laugh with some challenges. "

Q: How is the recovery at RC Toulon going?

A: "We had a screening test to be able to resume as well as other tests like at the start of the season. We then carried out a progressive recovery, in small groups of nine players. This allows us to be well separated, respect the safety instructions and only dismiss a small group if a player becomes ill. The groups arrive every half hour and we have two workshops per day. There are predefined areas in the weight room and everything equipment is constantly disinfected. We should operate like this all June. We hope in July to be able to train by group of twelve to fifteen players and, in August, to be able to train all together. The month is divided between three weeks of training and a week of rest. The training is already biting but it feels good to start again and to have aches. "

Q: What is the predominant feeling in the group?

A: "We had a lot of ambitions for the end of the season. It is a certainty. But the desire prevails today. We had this frustration of not finding each other and of not playing together. Today , there is bound to be desire and pleasure. In any case, what we achieved last season will be useful to us. We must focus on the achievements of last year and on what we are going to do now. We remain focused on training hard because it will be a heavy and busy season. "

Q: What do you think of a possible resumption of the championship without spectators?

A: "I never played behind closed doors but I hope that we can resume as before, as I heard. I hope there will be life in Mayol and I believe in it. The contribution of the Toulon public is very important. Anyway, we will not have a say so we can just prepare well. "

Q: How were the negotiations to cut wages in Toulon?

A: "The discussions were clear, direct and very frank. The agreement was quick."

© 2020 AFP