Saint-Denis (AFP)
The XV of France opposed to Ireland on Saturday (9:05 pm) in Saint-Denis, in a decisive match for the victory of the Six Nations Tournament, will have to “remain calm and serene” without being dispersed by the result of England, estimated Friday his captain Charles Ollivon.
QUESTION: How will you manage the pre-match knowing that the English will have played before and that will define a result to be obtained for the tournament?
ANSWER: "It is certain that when the kick-off is given, we will have the result of the previous match in the lead (Italy-England at 5.45 p.m., note). Until today, that has not changed at all our preparation. We are there to win the match, to win the Tournament. We have to remain calm and serene and that we prepare well for this match without leaving in all directions, because we will need all the energy needed to do a good result. "
Q: What would winning the Tournament mean in building this fairly young team?
A: "This is our first Tournament together with this team even though the story started before the World Cup. So it would be something huge but we will have time to settle down after the match for debrief all that. But of course we are + focus + on this event and that we are there to win, quite simply. "
Q: Do you think that in the face of adversity Ireland will move a step above the level of Wales and what can you fear from them?
A: "What can we fear? We know them. They are complete in all areas of the game. They are a team with a lot of experience. We can see them playing for a few years. They have mature players, a hinge with a lot of experience too. On many points, we must be wary of this team. But sincerely, we must first focus on ourselves, on what we do, on what that we worked all week and that we did well. There is the opponent but there are also us. We have to believe in our chances of applying everything we have worked on this week. confident."
Comments gathered during a press briefing
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