“There is too much disappointment to be lucid in the analysis”

2024-02-02 23:50:22

Couple David Reyrat

Published 5 hours ago, Updated 4 hours ago

The Blues coach delivers his analysis after the defeat against Scotland. NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP

The coach did not hide his disappointment. But he postpones the time for criticism until later. And promises a wake-up call against Scotland next Saturday.

In Marseille

This is the first time since you have led the French XV that it has lost at the start of the Six Nations Tournament…
Fabien Galthié : A defeat to open the Tournament is not positive. But it is a defeat with its share of negative charges, with a very particular scenario. A difficult first period. A first yellow card, a second, five attempts conceded… It put us in a difficult situation very quickly. It’s a moment to experience collectively. A tough moment but the Tournament continues. We have four matches left to play. We will prepare for it.

How do you explain this heavy defeat?
Ireland plays its game and we play with fourteen players almost the entire match. At the start of the match, we weren’t too bad. Afterwards, we play almost the entire match under pressure with this yellow card, then this red card. Is it a lack of energy. We will think, try to understand. We will have to do a more precise analysis of our service. But not right now. Monday. Tonight, we need to raise our heads and digest on an emotional level. We’re going to spend time together. I told the players that this was not the time for reflection. It’s recovery time. There is too much disappointment to be lucid in the analysis, there are too many things to review and share. We will try to do things step by step…

But your team lacked intensity and speed against Ireland.
It’s clear. The offensive performance was not there. There was too much waste, turnovers of fallen balls. Less speed than usual. We did not prepare accordingly. We had prepared to increase speed, to increase intensity, to dominate collisions. But playing at 14 against a team that masters its subject did not help us. We need to raise the cursor. Offensively and defensively.

Read alsoThe notes of the Blues after France-Ireland: Lucu transparent, Willemse still at fault

I can’t imagine today, apart from the packages, any other changes in the group for next week.

Fabien Galthié

Did some players lose their place in the French team after this heavy defeat?
That’s not what I told the players. On the contrary, I told them that you should definitely not have these thoughts when you are on the ground. Tell yourself this is going badly, I’m going to pay the consequences. Especially not ! I can’t imagine today, apart from the injured, the crimes (Taofifenua, leg infection, Wardi, wrist injury, and Willemse, suspended, Editor’s note), other changes in the group for next week.

However, can we speak of professional misconduct for Paul Willemse?
No, I can’t say that about a player who steps up to defend the line. These are technical faults. We know that contacts to the head are punished very harshly. And rightly so.

Comments collected at a press conference