France prop Uini Atonio knows he needs to have greater self belief as he tries to establish himself in Guy Novès’ side.
The La Rochelle tighthead has featured in every game of the RBS 6 Nations so far, including starting in round two against Ireland.
He is again included in the squad for Sunday’s clash with Scotland and wants to prove that he can be more than just an impact player as he starts to gain more Test experience.
Find out the Accenture Team of the Week for Round Three
He told Rugbyrama: “To start against a team like Ireland who are very strong in the set-piece, which is probably my weakness, was a sign of confidence from the coaches.
“Now I have to believe in myself. There are days when I say to myself I don’t know if I’m ready but I need to be as ready to play 60 minutes as I am 30.
“I’ve got 13 caps but it’s still the same. I’m here to be an impact player, to run into tired players and finish the game strongly.
“I’m trying to improve physically but I’m not a young player who is just arriving in the team any more. I’ve got to progress and help the new guys.”
Atonio was part of France’s World Cup squad along with Rabah Slimani and the now retired Nicolas Mas, but found himself third in the pecking order.
Never miss RBS 6 Nations fixtures, stats or latest news!
His only appearance was against Romania in the pool stages, a game in which he struggled in the set-piece, but Atonio learned a lot from the experience.
He added: “It will stay with me forever. It helped me a lot even if I did three months of preparation for 50 minutes of play. When you are in the stands watching the team concede 60 points, it’s hard.
“But when you have the chance to play, you have to give it everything. If you don’t get the chance, you have to be patient. There were two good props ahead of me at the World Cup. Now I think it’s my chance to play as much as possible.”
Click here for the complete 2016 RBS 6 Nations fixture list with TV coverage
