What do you especially fear from this Georgia team?
Antoine Dupont:
We know that at the international level, we cannot afford to take a game lightly.
The last time this Georgia team played nations like Scotland or South Africa it was very close matches for 50-60 minutes.
We know that playing against France remains a special match for them.
We know the fate they will reserve for us.
We have every reason to be focused on this match.
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After Argentina, you challenge Georgia, two selections where there are a lot of players playing in France ...
That doesn't change a lot, except that we know the players a little more individually.
For them, it remains a special match to play against France because half of the team play in France and those who do not play there surely have the ambition to play there one day.
But that doesn't change anything in our preparation.
This is the first time that this French team will play in the provinces, in Bordeaux. What does this change?
I was at the match against the Springboks in Toulouse in 2009. It's part of my childhood memories (he was 12 years old).
If this match had taken place in Paris, I would not have been able to see it.
This allows everyone to see these matches.
In addition, the atmosphere is always great, the stadiums are full, the public is very motivated.
These are always very warm atmospheres for us when we leave Paris.
This allows children and all the fans to watch a game not far from home.
It's super cool !
To read alsoXV of France: it is necessary to preserve the soldier Dupont
For the past two years, you have been playing a lot in each game, between 70 and 80 minutes
. Are you preparing for it specifically? And how is it going with your scrum-back teammates?
We train all season to be able to chain matches and play as much time as possible while being in good shape. Two years ago I was complaining that I wasn't playing enough. Now I won't complain about playing too much. On the contrary. Afterwards, the competition - whether for my position but also for all the others - is very healthy. This brings emulation to the group. We have also seen that when those who are supposed to hold on paper were missing, those who were there were as good or even better. It reshuffled the cards. This is what has also been our strength over the past two seasons, we have shown that in all positions we have supply. This can only pull the team up.
Your teammate in Toulouse, Matthis Lebel, will honor his first international cap. Are you going to have specific words for it?
I am already very happy for him that he can know his first selection.
He has performed very well since last year with our club.
He could have had this opportunity this summer (in Australia) but our journey with Toulouse did not allow him.
He was in the stands during the first one but, despite that, he had an exemplary attitude.
He did some great training, he was able to prepare well with guys around him that he knows.
It will be a great first for him.
We know it's a feat to beat the All Blacks.
It also shows that it is possible
Antoine Dupont
Fabien Galthié insisted on the fact that the collective must help the Jalibert-Ntamack pair to perform. What do you have to do?
The association made a lot of talk about the game against Argentina. I think it was our three-quarter line that struggled to showcase itself, especially at the start of the match because of the Argentines who were very present physically. The context was not favorable for them to produce a good rugby, to have good balls, to play in the advance and to have spaces. It will be up to the whole team to redouble their efforts, to be more precise, more rigorous, more intense in all the phases of the collision so that the three-quarter line can have good balls and express themselves. I hope Romain and Matthieu will have some very good balls to play on Sunday. The rest, they know how to do.
Did you watch
Ireland's victory over the All Blacks
?
Yes of course. The Irish had an exemplary game where they kept the All Blacks under pressure for most of the game. Despite this, we saw that the New Zealanders, with crumbs, were able to keep the score. And they could even have tipped the game a few minutes from the end on an action where they go up almost all the field. We know it's a feat to beat the All Blacks. It also shows that it is possible.
How was your second week as captain of the XV of France?
I learn about it every day.
It just happened as naturally as in the first week.
Everyone quickly "switched" to this game.
There was no need to recall the vigilance that must be had in the face of this Georgian selection.
By seeing their last matches, we saw the physical intensity that they are able to put, with players who are constantly in the advance.
This immediately put us a foot in the preparation.
It set the tone for the week.
This preparation happened naturally.
Interview by videoconference
