Rugby: "I live from day to day without thinking about the future," says Emilie Boulard, the new star of the Bleues

“It's a perfect start,” she smiles.

Emilie Boulard, 21, celebrated her first two caps with the XV of France with two big wins and two tries against Wales (53-0) and Ireland (15-56) during the Six Nations Tournament, and the distinction of best player of the last day.

The back of Chilly-Mazarin will again start for the shock in the final against the English, this Saturday in London (3 pm on France 2).

“She's a young player, she's going to get 'watered' by the English.

But that's how we learn, smiles Samuel Cherouk, one of the Blue's coaches.

She goes fast, is skilful in the air, skillful with the ball in hand and has a good sense of space.

She's ready for it.

She will get there ”.

This unfailing confidence transpires in the character of this slender and ultra-fast player, with a meteoric rise.

Your Player of Round Three… Emilie Boulard🥳

What a tournament she is having!

👏

Congrats Emilie💪 pic.twitter.com/ewrP78aE6C

- Women's Six Nations (@ Womens6Nations) April 19, 2021

How was your integration into the XV of France and your debut in Blue?

EMILIE BOULARD.

Very good.

The girls helped me a lot on the pitch, they put me at ease and it was felt.

I felt pretty free and wasn't too afraid to mess around and tried things.

I tried to make the best possible choices.

Even if in fact I don't think too much (laughs).

I do not take the lead.

The coaches told me they were happy with my performance, although I still have things to improve.

Did you expect to be selected for this Tournament?

I was called to the January camp, so I expected to be in the group.

But playing as the starter straight away was a surprise.

I didn't expect to get there so quickly.

This is only a bonus, especially since there are the victories at the end.

I was able to show a lot of people what I am capable of.

It's a real pleasure.

You are the holder in place of Jessy Trémouliere, crowned best player in the world of the decade.

How do you cope with this competition?

It is going very well.

We work together, she is there to help me, to give me advice.

There is no unhealthy competition, it is only mutual aid.

Tell us about your beginnings in rugby ...

I played for a year at leisure in Chevreuse with my brother and my sister, when I was 10 years old.

But I only really started in a club in 2017, at 18, at Chilly-Mazarin.

Before, I had played in UNSS (school sport) with my agricultural high school in Chartres.

We did two training sessions a week and a few competitions, but in a different format, with fewer players and on a smaller field.

It was not at all the same level!

When I signed up for sports college, I was told it would be nice to be in a club.

An acquaintance of my mother had a contact at Chilly-Mazarin, I called and voila!

So it was in Chilly that you progressed?

It was the club that taught me everything.

When I arrived, I knew rugby but I didn't know how to play it.

I discovered the real training, the fifteen matches for 80 minutes… It is the team that allowed me to progress.

It was great !

Are you a professional player now?

Not at all.

I'm still a student.

When I go on an internship with the France pole, I sign a fixed-term contract for the duration of the internship.

But this is not a pro-federal contract.

It is quite difficult to manage.

Before entering an internship in January, I had just finished a six-month contract with Decathlon, in parallel with my studies.

I am in Master 1 training and performance optimization in Créteil.

What are your goals over time?

In school, I want to have my year.

Afterwards, I hope to continue to be selected with the XV of France, to return with the team of France to VII, to redo internships.

I hope to progress to the highest level.

I live what I do, day by day, without necessarily thinking about the aftermath.

If I stay at three selections it will already be a great experience.

Before that, there is this final against the English who remain on 7 consecutive victories against France ...

It will be a very difficult match against one of the best nations in women's rugby.

There is still this rivalry between France and England.

We worked hard to achieve the best possible performance against them and for France to win this Six Nations Tournament.

Do you feel the pressure before this big meeting?

We feel that the French team is more publicized, it has nothing to do with the under 20s or the French Championship.

There is positive feedback on social media.

Women's rugby is developing, the match will be on France 2, this happens very rarely, it is really a springboard for women's rugby.

It puts a little more pressure before the game, but when you play, you don't think about all of that.

🙏🇫🇷 They have only played together twice, but the chemistry is already working very well!

The #XVdeFrance continues to regenerate and expand its group, and that does not alter its balance!

Before the final, interview with @CarolineBoujard and Émilie Boulard!

#NeFaisonsXV pic.twitter.com/Of1oFPES02

- France Rugby (@FranceRugby) April 23, 2021

ENGLAND - FRANCE,

this Saturday at 3 p.m. in London (France 2).

The composition of the XV of France:

Boulard - Boujard, Neisen, Ulutule, Banet - (o) Drouin, (m) Sansus - Hermet (cap.), R. Ménager, Mayans - Ndiaye, Fall - Bernadou, Sochat, Deshaye.

Alternates: Touyé, Traoré, Joyeux, Corson, Diallo, Bourdon, Peyronnet, Trémouliere.