Flanked by Grégory Alldritt, Fabien Galthié was not very cheerful after his players’ victory against Fiji (34-21) this Saturday evening in Bordeaux. However, the coach believes this scenario has already been imagined and regrets his team’s lack of discipline when leading 21-0.
How was the result of this match, satisfied or disappointed?
FABIEN GALTHIE. This happened as we expected, with the Fijians causing us problems. We are very happy with this win. We led 21-0, then 21-21, then 13-0 after that. We made mistakes that gave them possession of the ball. The team reacted well. The changes that have occurred are good. It was a very difficult game but we wouldn’t have expected anything else. Of course, when it comes to content, there is always something better to do. We are trying to improve, finding the right dose.
Why are the Blues impressed on loan?
No. They are sometimes borrowed and excellent in other ways. In a match, there is everything.
“Discipline, a clear point of progress for us”
What happened at 21-0 that got you up?
That’s discipline. We were whistled (punished) 9 times this time. After that, stop. This is definitely progress for us.
The hinge formed by Maxime Lucu and Romain Ntamack seems very passive…
They are very, very good. Max, in a very tough game, knows how to play fair. Romain worked hard in defense. In this complicated period, we saw him defend more than attack.
How do you explain your team’s decline? ?
At one point, we got confused handling and scraping. So we spent too many players. We need to play together to experience this stressful and precarious situation and find collective harmony. It was only our second game.
“The French team has fulfilled its contract”
For you, is France XV making progress?
Fiji is capable of beating every team in Europe. Especially with the competition, the Pacific Cup, they play all season long. It is a choice that has a lot of value. We must measure the enemy. The French team has fulfilled its contract.
The Blues still seem to be suffering physically…
The physical condition of players is not our responsibility. They are in a club. We sometimes combine physical preparation and rugby into training, but I can’t judge. You have to ask them.
