Toulouse (AFP)

The Toulouse international full-back Maxime Médard (63 sel.), Who could play his last season at 33, "wants to take advantage of it to the end", and is still available for the France team, he said. he explained Tuesday to AFP.

Q: Despite the particular health context, the Top 14 resumed their rights last weekend.

Is it a relief?

A: "Nothing can replace this pressure that gradually rises before a match and suddenly, yes, it did us all good to be able to replay. The smell of a locker room, the concentration pushed to its peak, the speeches of pre-game: that's why we do this job! We were not necessarily afraid of not being able to play again but we asked ourselves a lot of questions nonetheless ".

Q: You, who are entering your last year of contract, have you wondered even more?

A: "A club is like a business so when you are at the end of your contract, you inevitably have questions. I have an optional year which will be automatically activated according to my playing time. We will see at that time. I am lucky to be still under contract and I think of all those who had to stop their career without having the possibility of continuing. I am still a player and I do not want to tell myself that it is 'is my last match at Clermont or my last thing. I want to enjoy it to the end and not change anything in my daily life. Les Bleus? No, I have not announced my retirement. For the same reasons: I am still player and if they call me I would be the happiest ".

Q: Is Stade Toulouse the main favorite for the French championship title?

A: "We are only on the first day and it is far too early to talk about that. The Toulouse stadium is armed, of course, but there are plenty of other teams that are just as well. is a season where there will be a lot of duplicates. Even more than usual when there should have been less and less but I had a hard time understanding. We will have to adapt to this particularity of our championship and it will probably be a little harder for some teams at this point in the season.

Interview by JULIEN CARRERE

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