The XV of France must approach the match against New Zealand on Saturday (9:00 p.m.) at the Stade de France, as "
a big challenge
" which "
can only make progress
", explained the scrum captain and half on Friday. des Bleus Antoine Dupont.
Will the result and the content of this match be important for the opening match of the 2023 World Cup against these same All Blacks?
Antoine Dupont:
Maybe there will be a little psychological aspect to this opening match, but I'm not sure we have it in our heads, neither them nor us tomorrow
(Saturday)
night. It remains an important match in our construction and in our adventure. But I am not sure that we are projecting so much
(towards the World Cup).
We play against a team that is one of the world references in recent years. We are still a team under construction. Having the chance to face this kind of team allows us to gain experience and improve the common experience.
Like any team, they can be taken.
We know it's a collective that very rarely loses
Antoine Dupont
We say these blacks can be taken. What do you think?
Like any team, they can be taken.
We know that it is a collective which very rarely loses.
We saw the debauchery of energy and the quality of the game of the Irish who made very few mistakes last weekend
(success 29-20)
.
We know that it is the sum of all these efforts that can allow us to be in a position to win against this team.
You already faced the New Zealanders in November 2017 with a 38-18 defeat at the Stade de France, but this is not the case for a good part of your teammates. What message do you want to send them about this meeting?
It is true that we are not many to have met them.
But it remains a rugby team, even if we know how much they could have won.
You have to see it as a great match, a big challenge that awaits us, as we have had in recent years.
It is a step.
And being able to face the best can only help us progress.
Interview during a press videoconference
