Six Nations tournament: losing in Ireland "did good" to the XV of France, says Flament

Europe 1 with AFP 18:48 p.m., March 19, 2023

The second line Thibaud Flament, basic man of the XV of France, who finished in the second of the VI Nations Tournament 2023 behind Ireland, ensures that the defeat in Ireland "did good" to the Blues before the Rugby World Cup 2023 which will take place in France from September 8 to October 28. Fabien Galthié's men are now focused on this next big event during which they will be keen to shine in front of their public.

>> READ ALSO – Tournament of VI Nations: Ireland wins in pain against the English and wins the trophy

Interviewer: Was that game against Wales a reflection of your tournament?

Thibaud Flament: "It was not an easy match to tackle, we were coming out of a very big game in England, we no longer had our destiny in our hands. We had to find other levers of motivation. We have sometimes been very dominant, sometimes very dominated. (...) The challenge of being at full strength every game, for five games, is very hard. We lived it last year, it was great but we realize that it is not easy to do every year. It took us a little while to get into the tournament. If we had played Ireland later, would we have had a better result? I don't know. We struggled to be very consistent."

Journalist: During this Tournament, your game was criticized a lot...

Thibaud Flament: "What was missing above all was involvement. We weren't wide awake yet. We can talk about the tactical, physical notion... But, the reality is that we had not yet switched, we had not yet entered the competition. To play a game against Italy, to lose in Ireland, it put us back in our place a little bit and we remembered that nothing can be taken for granted. It did us good for the future."

Interviewer: It sounds like you've stepped up.

Thibaud Flament: "We had a hard time getting started. We were stung by two first matches not totally completed, it was a reminder and it launched us for the rest. These are scenarios that can happen at the World Cup so it's rewarding for the group."

Interviewer: A word about your great performance at Twickenham.

Thibaud Flament: "It was a special match. I lived there for four years, that's where I rose through the ranks of professional rugby. When I arrived, at 18, I had in mind to become a pro player so it was a bit of a flashback of everything I've been through, from the moment I got to where I am now. It was the most moving Marseillaise I have experienced. It was really a beautiful moment. It was a match that made a lot of sense to me."

Interviewer: Do you feel settled in a team of France?

Thibaud Flament: "I don't really like this notion of installed, not installed. I feel good in the group, I feel good on the pitch. We have a really good group that works well together, that lives well, we play good matches and that's more how I approach it. I really enjoy being here, it is the case for everyone. It's great what we're experiencing."

Interviewer: Are you looking forward to the World Cup?

Thibaud Flament: "A little bit. Not much. It's true that it takes up more space because, inevitably, it's getting closer and it's our next deadline with the France team. We have it a little bit in mind but we were very focused on our matches during the tournament. We weren't too scattered. There, we start to project a little but the season is still long in club. We are necessarily thinking about it more and more but it remains a little far away."