She could talk about the hours of rugby and her life which has always revolved around sport. Before becoming a scrum half for Stade Bordelais and the Canada team, Justine Pelletier (28 years old) played gymnastics, basketball and American football. She discovered the oval at university where she first played center. François Ratier, current manager of the Bordeaux Lionesses and former coach in Canada, notably of the Canadian women's selection, had coached her when she was young and advised her to move into the fray. Since then, she has enjoyed it. Just like the rest of the team which is alone at the top of the championship and hopes to remain undefeated by trying to win at their runners-up, Blagnac, this Sunday (3 p.m.).
You are double reigning French champions and again in the lead, do you feel even stronger this season?
Yes I find. From year to year, we find things to improve on. But here, we have had the same coach for two years, an unchanged group and truly top-level recruits, we are in continuity, quality and detail of performance.
Precisely, in the detail of the analysis of the matches, we do not always feel satisfied with the content despite large victories, why?
Because we want to keep our standards as high as possible regardless of the opponent or the match scenario. And there are certain matches this season in which we see room for improvement despite the victory. We still make a lot of mistakes, there are still too many shots that don't go to the end. So this is the way we want to perfect as much as possible.
You have been in Bordeaux for 5 years, how did you end up here?
I responded to a Facebook ad from the club (smile)! The club had just reorganized and moved up to the first division. It shouldn't have been easy to recruit but he said he wanted to become the best team and the reference club in the championship. I had always wanted to come to France and this announcement came at the same time as Covid. In Quebec, rugby was stopped, I could follow my kinesiology studies remotely so I came!
Alone ?
During the interview with the club leaders, they told me that I could come with teammates, I brought three!
What did your small group of Canadians bring to the club?
Rigor to the coach, a little professionalism. The girls followed, there were fewer injuries and we saw the results on the pitch.
What does this French experience bring to your game?
I think that little by little I am putting more instinct into what I do. When I arrived, I was more in a state of mind “I eject, I eject, I eject” but it’s true that just making the pass is not very joyful. Today, I open up more, I try to play around the rucks and create a little more.
You will participate in the Women's World Cup at the end of August with Canada, what is the objective?
Win it. Afterwards it will be a scheduling headache because the French championship is the only one not to stop earlier to let the players prepare for the competition. But that's how it is. We will give our best everywhere.
It would definitely be special to meet France…
The first few times I was stressed but now I love playing against them!
The match
Blagnac (2nd/28 pts) – Stade Bordelais (1st/36 pts), this Sunday, December 22, at 3 p.m.
Related News :