“France has a real favorite status and will have to assume it”

2023-09-05 07:00:00

INTERVIEW. A few days before the France-New Zealand opening match on Friday September 8, former international Imanol Harinordoquy analyzes the chances of the tricolor.

Interview by Malo Comor Antoine Dupont and the XV of France are favorites for the World Cup. © ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP Published on 05/09/2023 at 07:00

Imanol Harinordoquy is a legend of French rugby, a former player notably of Biarritz and Stade Toulousain. He had 82 selections with the XV of France and participated in 3 World Cups. He notably faced New Zealand in the quarter-finals in 2007 in France, and in the 2011 final in New Zealand. He confided in Point a few days before the opening match at the Stade de France, this Friday, September 8.

Point : You who played two major France-New Zealand meetings in your career during the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, how do you approach this kind of match and what are the keys to winning it?

Imanol Harinordoquy: Each context is different, and it will above all be up to the players of the France team to decide what they want to do or not do. We, we had chosen to challenge the All Blacks (the XV of France in 2007 had decided to advance towards the Blacks during the haka), knowing that these were elimination matches, which will not be the case during the match of ‘opening. The players will surely stay in the frame and focus on their game, disregarding the context, the excitement surrounding the match and the atmosphere in the stadium. Our story was special, because we had decided to send a strong message to the opponent from the start of the match, and we should not let up afterwards.

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Is this All Blacks team still as scary as it was a few years ago?

This opening match will set the tone of the competition by pitting France against one of the best teams in the world. Despite their setbacks against South Africa, the All Blacks won the Four Nations and returned to world prominence. It’s a very playful team, you can’t let them have the ball, otherwise it can become very complicated. Don’t be afraid to play, because New Zealanders don’t like to defend. It will be necessary to be rigorous defensively, because the match will be played on details. Today, nothing is left to chance, so you will have to be precise in all areas of the field. Conquest will be a key element for victory, as we saw against South Africa, who were very efficient in touch, on the ball carried and in scrum. We have the necessary arguments to succeed.

You have to use this enthusiasm to go to the end and not be overwhelmed by the pressure

Despite our many injuries?

We can think that the French team will be a little less dense due to the absences of Paul Willemse, Cyril Baille, who is a key element of the tricolor pack, and Jonathan Danty, who was impressive against Australia. We will see how they manage to adapt, because this is also the lot of the competition. There will surely be other injuries, the group will have to show solidarity, but we have the impression that this group is ready, it has been built for four years now in view of this event.

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This is perhaps one of the first times in history where France are favorites for this game against the Blacks and for the competition in general. With a fairly young XV of France and a World Cup at home, do you think this team is ready?

It is a new status that the France team must assume compared to the past, where it was rather considered an outsider against the great nations of rugby. We saw him beat every team in the southern hemisphere, including the All Blacks last November. So, yes, the French are favorites for this World Cup. Even if it’s a new competition and there is a certain balance between the big nations, France has a real favorite status and will have to assume it. You have to use this enthusiasm to go to the end and not be overwhelmed by the pressure.

Your prognosis?

France has a great chance of winning this World Cup, despite the injuries. Now this is a competition, there will be tough games to deal with in terms of fatigue and injuries. Especially when the quarter-finals against South Africa or Ireland come, it could be difficult to recover. We will have to enter the competition well, but I sincerely believe in this team and in winning this year.