A few days before the start of the U20 World Cup, Oyonnax second row Antonin Corso presented himself to the press. He is aware of the issues surrounding his teammates but does not want to put too much pressure on himself.
What is the group’s feeling before starting this World Cup?
We are here to win the title obviously. But we don’t put extra pressure on ourselves, it’s actually good pressure. It’s also a new group, even if there are a few players who experienced last year’s World Cup. Individually, I hope to bring as much as possible to the team. We’re all going to spend a month together so I hope the whole group will go in the same direction.
A month of competition is quite long and you will also be playing every five days, how do you approach this busy schedule?
We will have a lot of work with the physiotherapists, with adapted weeks, very different from the 6 Nations Tournament, where we had busy weeks with lots of training. Above all, we will refine the details, do recovery and care. We have great facilities and we sleep in a very good hotel with enough to recover and eat well. The final victory will also require good management in terms of all this to be able to play each match.
Your experiences with the U20 group during the last 6 Nations Tournament and with the Oyonnax professional group certainly brought you a lot?
It’s been a real dream for me this season. I had the opportunity to play three matches with the France U20 group, against Ireland, Scotland and Italy. It’s totally different from what we see in the club. There is more play, the sequences are longer and I think that going through the U20 box makes a player grow, whether mentally or physically. And I also had the chance to play two matches with Oyonnax in the Challenge Cup. I had the chance to rub shoulders with professionals in training and in matches. Once again it’s totally different from the U20s. It’s more structured and takes more time. For a 20-year-old in the second line position, being around the professional group brings a lot of experience.
There is also a strong symbolism of wearing the French team jersey?
Obviously, wearing the rooster and representing your country is really exceptional for me. I didn’t expect it at all at first. It’s a dream, very clearly.
Going behind last year’s winners and not having won the 6 Nations Tournament puts extra pressure on you?
We have a totally different group from last year. Last year it was their story, this year it’s ours. So yes we have a little pressure but we have to use it. She must be a strength for the group. Older generations achieved it three times so why not us?
