Act 1 validated. For Fabien Galthié, who had a turbulent summer, this great performance against Japan is a good return to the heart of things: sportsmanship. Even if they decreased in intensity towards the end of the match, it still remained a very satisfactory performance which was to be expected.
It was also a good way to see how the executives of the French XV were feeling, who have not played together since the 2024 tournament. It was finally a good warm-up before the arrival of the All Blacks. For Fabien Galthié, present at the press conference after the match, the victory against Japan had multiple interests.
It was a leap into the unknown because it was our first official match of the season. We have no time to waste. Victory was needed. We knew that the Japanese were going to impose a lot of speed on us. First it's a won test match and then a good preparation match. And it was important because this match completed two weeks of preparation. With certain players, we hadn't seen each other for a year (…) I'm not sure we'll score eight tries each time in the coming weeks but offensively it looks like our roadmap. There was a bit of waste, we're not happy with everything but overall it was very positive.
Mauvaka, a perfect example to follow
What Fabien Galthié was able to see is that certain executives, or at least certain players who were already there during the last tournament and on whom he is counting, shone. Peato Mauvaka in particular, who has been in the oven and the mill and held different positions. “I gave everything,” the hooker told the press. We could only see that! Fabien Galthié also, and the coach hopes that his players will be inspired by his (very good) example for the future.
He is in good shape, building on the momentum of last season with Toulouse. He is a very, very, fit player. We see it in training. What he does in training he reproduces on the field. He is a very good performance leader for us. I would like us to follow him. I would like us to take inspiration from his physical state. At that level, it matters. Today he also helped us out. He started as a hooker then moved to third row. He played a complete match.
To summarize
Act 1 validated. For Fabien Galthié, who had a turbulent summer, this great performance against Japan is a good return to the heart of things: sportsmanship. Even if they decreased in intensity towards the end of the match, it still remained a very satisfactory performance, which lays a good foundation for what comes after. The coach also highlighted the performance of several players, including one who was a leader and an example to follow.
