“They have every interest in discussing, and not in public”

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Pierre Berbizierformer coach of the XV of France between 1991 and 1995, has been confronted in the past with situations that are not easy to manage. Not, however, at the Fabien Galthié/Matthieu Jalibert level. For At the time of Rugbythe Haut-Pyrénées spoke about the latest tensions between the two men, and clearly advocates dialogue between them, rather than a stupid and nasty sanction.

Actu : As a coach, have you encountered a case similar to that of Matthieu Jalibert, with a player who, disappointed or not satisfied with his role, preferred to leave the France group before a match?

Pierre Berbizier : Not really, no. I have not had this situation reported as such. But I had to face a very particular situation during a team announcement, with a mood swing from a player…

Berbizier and the mood swing of a player

Tell us…

P.B : It was during the 1995 World Cup. In the group, we played Scotland, the most prestigious opponent, in the 3rd match. Some players thought I was going to field the starting team for the first match, to get them to recover, then field them again against Scotland. I announced that in these first two matches, everyone would play. And during the announcement of the first match, when this player understood that he was not playing the first match, he left the room swinging his chair. A really not simple situation…

What did you do to prevent things from escalating and the situation becoming uncontrollable for you, coach?

P.B : I asked the manager at the time, Guy Laporte, to finish the team announcement. I asked the captain, as well as two people close to this player in question, to go see him in his room and explain to him that with this state of mind, he was flying back the next day. morning (the Blues were in South Africa, Editor’s note). They went to talk with him, and 5 minutes before training started, he came to my room to tell me that he was staying, but that he didn't understand why he wasn't playing. We talked to clarify things. He had a great training session at the back, probably one of his best, and we both left the training ground together. We were 5-6 kilometers from the hotel, I asked him to put on his tennis shoes, and we ran together to resolve the disagreement we had just had.

The case of Matthieu Jalibert

As a former coach, were you surprised by Matthieu Jalibert's decision to leave the French XV group before the match against the All Blacks, when he was expected to be a reserve (among the 5 elements in the stands, Editor’s note)?

P.B : It's very difficult to judge a situation when you don't know all the elements. I cannot allow myself to position myself without knowing what happened between Fabien Galthié and Matthieu Jalibert. I don't know what the criteria for this choice are, was this discussed with him and/or the rest of the group.

Can a player afford to place himself above the French XV institution?

P.B : No. But did Matthieu Jalibert have an attitude to place himself above the institution? I don't think so. Whatever happens, the French XV is the priority and the individual must adapt to the constraints of the team. Did Matthieu Jalibert understand Fabien Galthié's explanation for putting Thomas Ramos in No. 10? Did he misunderstand certain elements? Did he then see himself as number 3 in the hierarchy? We are not inside the group and we cannot judge on hypotheses.

Wednesday morning, Fabien Galthié declared that there was no controversy with Matthieu Jalibert, that he needed to regenerate. How do you perceive this release?

P.B : Fabien wants to calm things down. I think his reaction is quite healthy. The World Cup goal is still far away, and Fabien needs everyone. We don't know what the future will bring, with injuries, poor performance… I really see an intention to calm things down.

Does a coach easily forgive talent? Matthieu Jalibert has no shortage of them, that’s for sure…

P.B : There is talent, of course, but so does the rest. We must respect each other's work. Talent without work, discipline and sharing the constraints of a team has no place. How many talented players have disappeared from circulation?

What solution between Galthié and Jalibert?

Fabien Galthié's next challenge will be to reintegrate him into this French team…

P.B : (He cuts). We don't know that. There is competition. Romain Ntamack should return, Thomas Ramos has shown that he is more than a backup option… And then, will Antoine Hastoy be recalled? Won't other players report? We must also ask ourselves a question: what are Matthieu Jalibert's relations with the France group? We do not have the elements, not even to know if there is any question of “reintegration”. For Galthié, Jalibert is perhaps still part of the group….

Listening to you, we have the impression that you are more in favor of an exchange between the two men to resolve things, rather than a sanction…

P.B : Yes. I believe that it is in their interest to discuss, to put things on the table and to clarify the situation. Fabien really needs to tell him what he is criticizing him for, but also the work that needs to be done to be No. 1 or No. 2, and that Matthieu does the same. It is important that Matthieu knows what is expected of him, and that Fabien knows if the player is capable of investing in this. This will happen through an exchange, and especially not in the public square. This matter is too far outside the framework of the XV of France: it is within them, between them, that this must be resolved.

Furthermore, find the podcast of the show 100% Rouge et Noir on 100% Radio – in partnership with At the time of Rugby – below. Pierre Berbizier was the guest on the show on Wednesday November 20.

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