A week after being a substitute against Japan, for the opening of this autumn tour, Gaël Fickou regained his starting place against New Zealand and behaved like a boss. And the three-quarter center above all wants to retain the character of the Blues…
This is your third victory in a row against the All Blacks. Is the emotion the same as in the first two?
Beating the All Blacks is never trivial and it's always nice. So, I put her on the same level as the others. It was a very tough match, we know that the New Zealanders are in great shape, that they play very big matches. We saw it against Ireland and England, which are large northern nations. We knew it would be difficult and we didn't give up. The team was resilient, even if we scared ourselves a little at the start of the match. We came back well in the second half and we had great strength of character. It paid off.
How did you turn things around after half an hour of play, when you were down 14-3?
We had two or three occasions on which we were intercepted. We had missed the mark a bit but we weren't far away. I remember a forward ten meters from the line. These two or three small mistakes could have allowed us to leave them at home. Thanks to this, they got back on the ground, regained territory and possession. It will have to be corrected because we have seen recently that Argentina is also a very big team. We will quickly change.
Your teammates emphasize the solidarity observed in the last minutes…
Yes, and that’s what has characterized us for quite a few years. We are in continuity. Sometimes it works out in our favor. Sometimes, a little less. We can clearly see that high-level matches are often played to two, three, five or six points. Today the coin fell on the right side.
Were you afraid of breaking up in the first period?
It doesn't matter, honestly. We didn't feel like we could break up. Sometimes it happens. But this was not the case.
You finished with a Le Garrec-Dupont hinge, with Mauvaka on the third line, with Guillard also changing positions. What does this say about your group?
That we have players of great talent, who are versatile! We know that Antoine (Dupont) can play in all positions, that Peato (Mauvaka) is an extraordinary player and that Micka (Guillard) has been doing a great job for quite some time. This is not trivial either…
You were a substitute against Japan. Was your competitive spirit particularly sharp for this meeting?
No, frankly, I had discussed with the coaches and there are big players who are pushing, like Emilien (Gailleton) and Yoram (Moefana) who are very efficient. There is a logical progression, we cannot play every match and I am reaching an age where I have perhaps done a lot for a while. It's good to give some game time and see other players. There is no ego about it, I supported them and I will always be 100%, whether I am on the pitch or not, substitute or not.
But you reiterated that some things are not trivial. Your three big tackles in the last sequence are not…
Yes, for sure. But I always “sent” myself like a dog. Sometimes it succeeds. Sometimes we are less good. But it is true that, as I said, I feel good at the moment. I am motivated, I have a lot of energy. So, I try to put myself at the service of the team.
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