Q: Did you grow, through your personal history, with these France-England matches?

A: "No, not especially. We talk a lot about the Crunch, it's true. But it's a match like any other. We approach it like other matches against the big nations. There is no particularity on that. France-England are always great matches, they are always very hard to beat. This weekend, they are going to give us a lot of trouble. We are going to prepare well to make a big match."

The opener of the XV of France Romain Ntamack (c) and the center Gaël Fickou tackle the English center Manu Tuilagi, during their match of the Six Nations Tournament, on February 2, 2020 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis MARTIN BUREAU AFP / Archives

Q: Historically, the English like to get into the heads of the French.

How do we prepare for it?

A: "We don't really prepare for it. You know, we take everything very lightly. We don't pay attention to everything that is said around. We don't talk too much, we play our matches " What we want is to be there at the weekend. We don't pay attention to the provocations outside. We know the English. At international level, there is a lot of tension, a lot of rooms. We're used to it. The players are under tension but the group knows how to manage their moods very well."

Q: A word on your direct opponent Marcus Smith.

A: "He's a very, very good player, he's exploding with England. He's a key part of their game, he's a very dangerous player. He's doing great performances with Harlequins , we know that we have to watch him, that we focus a little on him because a lot of balls go through him. He has very good players next to him but he brought this little side of madness to the game. "English team. With him, they put a little more play, a little more offensive. We analyzed him on the video, we have to be very compact to defend next to him."

England fly-half Marcus Smith hooks Welsh hooker Ryan Elias during their Six Nations Tournament match on February 26, 2022 at Twickenham Stadium in London Glyn KIRK AFP/Archives

remarks made at a press conference

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