The third line Grégory Alldritt during Italy - France, February 6, 2021 in Rome.

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Matteo Ciambelli / Sipa

  • Asked this Tuesday about the health crisis that affected the XV of France, the players united with their management.

  • Unsurprisingly, sensitive issues have been evacuated, four days before the shock in England which can open the doors of the Grand Slam to the Blues in this VI Nations Tournament.

So it fell on them.

For the first post-crisis media release of players from the XV of France, this Tuesday by videoconference, Grégory Alldritt, Dylan Cretin, Anthony Bouthier and Anthony Jelonch were sent to the fire.

It was fast enough so that there were no burns: ten minutes per pair, Alldritt - Cretin first and Bouthier - Jelonch then, four days before the shock against England at Twickenham.

Obviously, more than the prospect of a first Grand Slam since 2010, there has been a lot of talk about this health bubble which has burst badly.

Promised sworn.

If it splashed the FFR to its summit, it did not leave traces in the team ... "The group met Sunday evening and on Monday we attacked our week of preparation, details number 8 Alldritt , who would undoubtedly have been captain against Scotland if the February 28 meeting had not been postponed.

We are all very happy to be back with Marcoussis and to prepare for a big game.

"

" Nothing has changed "

For these sensitive questions, it was the older ones who stuck to it: Alldritt for the first duo, and Bouthier for the second.

“Nothing has changed for the staff and the players, the atmosphere remains the same, ensures the back of Montpellier.

We're lucky to all get along very well.

"

But then, what about these nasty noises indicating a supposed mistrust of Fabien Galthié, at the heart of the debates for his absences from the National Rugby Center, then "cleared" by the internal investigation well conducted by the FFR?

"You're the one saying it," Alldritt replied to the colleague who dared to ask the question.

These are just rumors.

We attacked Monday like the first three weeks [of the 6 Nations Tournament].

There is no change.

" 

Returned to their homes on February 26 against a background of Covid creeping in "Marcatraz", the Blues would therefore have found the place nine days later, as if nothing had happened.

At the same time, given the non-event that was the meeting between their president Bernard Laporte and ministers Roxana Maracineanu and Jean-Michel Blanquer on Friday, we could hardly expect another story.

"We had no luck with all these cases"

“There are things that remain in the group, it's part of the XV of France, evacuates Alldritt.

An investigation has come out and everything is said in this investigation.

According to the document in question, no one did anything and the protocol was well respected, even by the coach who defeated several times.

But at the head of state, we made the leaders of French rugby understand, without rushing them too much in public, that it would be welcome to strengthen it.

A rhetorical sleight of hand summed up by the now famous expression "Now it's belt and braces".

“The protocol is already very strict,” relays Bouthier.

It's up to us to follow him.

We had no luck a fortnight ago with all these cases [17 between the players and the staff].

We will stick to what we have been doing from the start.

It can happen anywhere.

It's on the next game that we have to focus.

A feat at Twickenham would indeed be the best way to get out of the storm which has so far blackened the sky all Blue from the XV de France version Galthié.

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