France prop Jefferson Poirot has enjoyed a fine start to his France career with two wins from two in this year’s RBS 6 Nations.
But the 23-year-old admits the strong start will count for nothing if Guy Noves’ new-look side cannot kick on for the rest of the Championship.
Poirot came off the bench for his debut in Les Bleus’ 23-21 victory over Italy in round one, before being handed a maiden start on Saturday in a hard-fought 10-9 win over Ireland – the first time France have beaten the men in green in five years.
France have finished outside the top three for the last four RBS 6 Nations Championships in a row and, despite their strong start, face testing trips to Wales and Scotland in the next two rounds.
And the Bordeaux-Begles prop admits he and his teammates must continue to work hard to profit from their first two rounds of action.
“I honestly did not expect this. I wanted to show myself , to integrate myself , to repay the trust I was given,” Poirot said.
“When I was picked, a lot of people around me at Bordeaux said it was too soon and I have answered that.
“Last weekend as a team, we told ourselves that nothing was insurmountable. We felt a lot of tension considering we had not beaten Ireland for five years.
“But we placed a lot of importance on this match – we wanted to wipe away that (history).
“We are delighted to have succeeded in beating a team that were the defending RBS 6 Nations champions of the last two years and who have been getting stronger and stronger in recent years.
“We have won two matches but we have not won anything – if we lose the next three games then this will all count for nothing.”
Click here for the complete 2016 RBS 6 Nations fixture list with TV coverage
