Matthieu Jalibert will play in front of the Gironde public who saw him grow up for the second test match against Georgia.
The French opener lingers for 20 minutes on his association with Romain Ntamack, who should have a second chance after a mixed first against Argentina.
He is the other thrill player of the Blues.
The one to whom the staff tries at all costs to find a place on the field, because such a talent on the bench is caviar to pigs.
Matthieu Jalibert, who will play in front of his home crowd against Georgia, looks back for
20 minutes
on his association with Romain Ntamack, which should have a second chance after a mixed first against Argentina, according to the latest arrangements in Marcoussis .
How does it feel to say that we're going to play with the Blues in the city where we learned rugby?
It's hard to know how you're going to deal with your emotions on the day of such a special match, but it's a lot of fun and a lot of excitement, of course.
Well, this is not our usual stadium, but I know that many UBB supporters will be there.
Have friends and family already preempted all the places at Matmut Atlantique?
We have already anticipated (smile).
There is a quota but for all the people dear to me, we will find a way.
Those who are not in Bordeaux, I have already invited them for the match against Argentina.
Your relationship with the supporters, with the city, that played in your choice to stay at the UBB?
Yes, it's important to have a positive environment around me.
Bordeaux is both a city of rugby connoisseurs, but a city where we are quite peaceful.
The people are kind, it's kind of fun.
I read a lot in the press about clubs that wanted me, but it was difficult to project myself elsewhere.
I'm lucky to be in a growing club, with a president who wants to build around me, things have always been clear in my mind.
Endless love is that!
And it continues until 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ ❤️❤️ https://t.co/aLfhQw0pT7
- Matthieu Jalibert (@MattJalibert) October 28, 2021
Do you see yourself being the man of one club?
I cannot answer this question today.
It is certain that I knew everything at UBB, I arrived at 9 years old… But in a career it goes so fast, there are so many twists and turns, it is difficult to know if I will stay all my career.
You are in any case the man of a single position, that of opening half.
Do you have the impression of having won your duel from a distance with Romain Ntamack to be number 10 of the Blues, even temporarily?
Honestly, no, I don't see it that way.
I rather see the search for the staff who try to find other associations of players who can bring positive things to the team.
And it's easier to shift Romain to number 12 than the other way around.
For me, it's more a mark of confidence for both of us than trying to find solutions so that we are together on the pitch, and that there is added value for the team.
The media have talked a lot about this duo before and after Argentina, what did you think on the pitch?
Let's say we didn't find each other in the best possible way.
But it is also due to the fact that the Argentines deprived us of fast balls in the first half.
It was complicated to pick up speed and find ourselves in the conditions where we flourish the most with Romain.
It is very difficult to judge our association only on 50 minutes.
Did the staff share the same opinion during the debriefing on Monday?
At the end of the match, we were both a little disappointed with what we had produced, but the video analysis showed that we should not judge too hot.
All the same, we noticed that we had succeeded in setting up systems that we had worked on during the two weeks of joint training.
There were several situations where he did not miss much for the choice to become positive rather than negative: a few automatisms, small placements, connections that come by chaining the matches.
Finally, we were quite happy with what we proposed in attack.
Do you understand that observers are more skeptical after this first mixed?
It is very French, that, to want to throw something after a first test because it did not work as hoped.
The only thing I can say is that in training it's going really well, we feel that we are getting better and better from week to week.
Off the field, we also get along very well with Romain.
The day when we will succeed in finding good automatisms together, it can hurt.
Against the Argentines, you seemed to be free in the second half, like the whole team.
Has your missed clearance on the first downturn never shaken you?
It's a huge mistake of concentration on my part, already.
I was looking to the right, and Matera shifted at the last moment, I didn't see him.
I should have taken a closer look.
It is certain that a test with zero passes like that, it is expensive.
But nobody was angry with me, there was immediately a very positive speech around me.
We felt that as soon as we got our hands on the ball, we found the solution.
And that is confirmed when we put more physical impact in the second half.
🚀 The laser ground pass from @MattJalibert for @peat_mauvaka who goes to the test for the first time with the Blue jersey!
❤️ # XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV #FRAARG pic.twitter.com/whS5YA1VFu
- France Rugby (@FranceRugby) November 8, 2021
Were you still afraid of paying for your "blunder" when you left?
Was there a sigh of relief when you saw that Romain was being replaced and you were not?
No.
I don't focus on that stuff.
If one of the two comes out, it is the choice of the coaches.
I am thinking of the best way to help my teammates.
This match in Bordeaux means more to you than others.
But how can we not think of Blacks right now?
We know very well that the third test will be important and that there are a lot of expectations around the XV of France.
But it would be the wrong goal to think of Blacks right away.
We are going to meet a Georgian team that has a style of play close to that of the Argentines, and we will have to show that we have progressed in our game, that we have found benchmarks that will help us prepare for this famous last test.
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France-Argentina: The Blacks?
Forbidden to talk about it among the Blues
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Fabien Galthie
XV of France
Sport
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