Q: In what state of mind do you approach this Six Nations Tournament?
A: "There is a lot of joy, excitement. It's a legendary, magnificent competition. We are in a special position, we may have a different status but we have to accept it. There are a lot of very good teams, they have as much chance of winning as us. We have to continue what we've been doing for a while, that we continue to have fun and win matches. I don't think the approach is different. We won so we want it to happen again. We know the difficulties it is to win such a competition, we also know the joy of winning it. The desire is even more tenfold."
Q: Despite everything, we imagine that you have the World Cup in mind.
A: "Of course we have the World Cup in the background, we all have it in the back of our minds. We know what 2023 means for French rugby. But, honestly, we don't hardly mentioned anything about this preparation. The objective is the Six Nations Tournament. We must not make it a stage before the World Cup. Already, because it is important for us to defend our title but also, because if we look too far, we are not in the present moment and it would be the best way to be wrong. Obviously, everyone thinks about it, but our N.1 objective for the month is the Tournament."
Q: What does this Italy team inspire in you?
A: "We've all seen their exploits, we can say that. They won in Cardiff, they beat Australia... We don't talk about it, but they also won pretty well against Samoa. It shows their progression, their dangerousness. They have new players who are very efficient on the pitch, they have an increasingly oiled system. The France-Italy are always special matches. It is a more than dangerous team.
Statements taken at a press conference
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