There has been a lot of talk about the new living environment in recent days in Marcoussis. As for the working environment, on the other hand, little has changed. The players of the French XV experienced a very intense first week of training. Not as much as the heights of torture reached by the preparation for the 2023 World Cup, concocted by former performance director Thibault Giroud. But all the same, his successor Nicolas Jeanjean did not go easy on the lucky conscripts.
“We had a difficult week, which looked like preseason. It's been a long time since they've experienced the training loads we put on them this week, he admitted. They were a little tired at the last minute of training this Saturday (smile). But it was necessary to put this charge back on, and we saw players who expressed themselves well, who accelerated. It was interesting to see that even in a state of fatigue, we had the ability to perform. »
Exploit the full potential
The goal of the maneuver is clear: to maximize everyone’s potential. “We put a big focus on work intensities. Overall, when we play rugby, we exploit 80-85% of the players' potential, whether in acceleration or speed, explains Jeanjean. Our objective is to increase this percentage to exploit flashes, spaces that we seek to find on the ground. This has been the guideline since the start of the rally and it will be throughout this tour. »
After a particularly grueling last season for internationals, the summer break allowed bodies and minds to regenerate. However, the Top 14 and its infernal rhythm have resumed. Some of those selected even participated in the first eight days of the championship. Nolann Le Garrec played seven. Hit in the knee during a session on Friday, the Racing scrum-half passed examinations yesterday. Jeanjean was rather reassuring regarding the Ile-de-France resident's condition: “We weren't very worried because he was walking but we preferred not to take any risks to see the state of the bruise. »
Managing fatigue
Managing fatigue levels is a real challenge for the Blues staff, as much as a headache. “That's the whole challenge of this non-matched preparatory week: finding a balance in the form of our players,” summarizes Jeanjean. This week allowed us to individualize the collective load, to unload some who had accumulated a lot of playing time, and conversely, to overexpose others who needed it. It was an intense week of development. »
The next one, which should lead straight to the first match of the tour against Japan at the Stade de France on Saturday (9:10 p.m.), will be more focused on strategy. But the substantive work will not disappear completely. “International rugby has a very important physical aspect, you can’t have any weakness,” assures Jeanjean. If there is one, you are quickly identified and you yourself are a weakness for the team. »
