Virimi Vakatawa will start. Are you taking a chance on him or are you sure he is ready for 15-a-piece rugby?
GN: I am not sure of anything, regarding him or any other player. This is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. We can’t know how things will go down on Saturday, but given the circumstances, Virimi’s potential, the fact that he is a big prospect for the future, we want to see him in real game conditions, rather than believing in him, hoping he could be great but never give him an opportunity. This is not a bet, we know has his shortcomings, he has yet to fully get a grip on his role, but the sooner we play him the better.
What did you see in Vakatawa that caught your eye?
GN: He is eager, he could be with us for a long time as he is still young, he has the potential to fit in our systems, which won’t be fully opterational as we didn’t have much time to prepare, he cancarry in the open field as we have seen several times in 7’s rugby…
Was this 9-10 combination an obvious choice for you and what are you expecting from Sébastien Bézy and Jules Plisson?
GN: We believe in the squad we have selected. We know that whatever happens, they will give everything they’ve got, that much I can assure you. This is a very young 9-10 combination, but those boys display amazing talent on a weekly basis, and their profiles can fit perfectly in our systems. Are they too young? I’ll leave that to you. But as far as I am concerned, I know those boys won’t disappoint me, in terms of behavior, because I know they will give everything they have out there. I expect them to be able to take things into perspective, get some experience, because the young players that will play on Saturday must be the future of the French national team.
There are 4 uncapped players in this starting lineup. Is it a concern of yours?
GN: I am sincerely not worried about anything. You have to start one day, we all have. Whatever the job, there is always a first day, some point where you have to start. What matters is to have the right people on your side, to show your worth, to show that you can fit in a team with your will to work. This is the start of something new, I don’t want to wait three years to make some experiments. This will however not be an excuse, if those players are here it’s because they have the potential to do well. I don’t have any experience at international level, but I do have some in Top14, and I know that when a young player has the potential to play, you need to have him play.
Did you know before going into camp that those 4 players were going to start the first game?
GN: We had not decided anything yet, we were in an observation phase, as there were still games to be played in Top14. But those games showed us what we wanted to see. I keep telling the guys, the priority, as long as you are not with us, is your club. Perform with your club, show us what you can do, that’s how you will eventually be picked with us. Little by little, those guys proved their worth, and earned the right to play for their country on Saturday.
A third of players are from Toulouse. Was that important to you in terms of message and understanding?
GN: Sincerely, no. When we picked our squad, it didn’t matter where the boys came from. We are representing all of French rugby, not just Toulouse. The players from Toulouse that we picked are here because we feel they will fit in our systems, but maybe tomorrow there will only be 2 or 3.
What will you say to the uncapped players?
GN: Talking to any man, or woman, is always the same, if you do it with honesty and respect. If you try being theatrical, you take the risk of being a bad actor. The difference resides is the responsibility, because instead of representing a club, a city, they will represent their nation. My role is to be sure they are aware of the expectations, not to put them under too much pressure but to be sure there is a bit of it. You need a bit of pressure to perform.
The first row looks a lot like what it was a few months ago. Is it one of the reassuring sectors from the previous era?
GN: I have always said the previous mandate was not my main concern. However, when you are building something new, you need to look at what has been done before, the positives, the negatives. We do want to build on our first row’s experience, Yoann Maestri is still here, the loose forwards haven’t changed a lot… But we do have a few young guys coming through, Poirot, Jedrasiak, Camara. As for the front row, we feel that experience matters more than in other positions, and given that Yannick Bru is still our forwards coach, we won’t be starting from scratch.
Guilhem, how is this Italian team different from what it was in the last RWC?
GG: A few of their players have ended their careers at international level, but The coach is the same, some players are still here like their captain. As for the rest, we will find out on Saturday.
Who will be the number 1 kicker between Plisson and Bézy?
GN: They will have a kicking session at Stade de France tomorrow. From them, as I usually do, I will let them decide for themselves. They will discuss the matter, and the one who will take on this task will need to be fully confident. I think Seb will be short range kicker, and Jules will take long range kicks, but it will be up to them.
Who’s your vice-captain?
GN: Yoann Maestri.
Guilhem, how do you feel as the new captain?
GG: I am focused on working. We still have to days to get ready for the game. We have been here for a few days, and we are looking forward to Saturday.
Guy, the situation is also new for you. What is your mindset as the game in getting closer?
GN: I have no idea! I’m trying to keep my mind off it, although I’m thinking about it a lot… But I have a role to play, a fairly simple one for I won’t be an actor of the game. All I can do is trying not to forget anything. I am focused on my work, not on being dressed in blue at Stade de France on Saturday. I don’t feel like I should worry about my attitude or behavior, it will come naturally.
Guilhem, do you know what words you will give your team before the game?
GG: Yes. I have spoken to them during the week, so I will keep it short. I am mostly focused on the job at hand.
What has changed for you now that you are captain?
GG: I have more responsibilities, but before anything, I am focused on the job to be done, on what I have to do as a hooker, on the set piece.
Guy, you insisted on the value of the blue jersey. Do you have something special planned regarding the jersey ceremony?
GN: The players will find out soon enough, and I don’t want it to be in the media. Therefore I have to apologize, this should be kept inside the squad, as I want the players to find out first.
This will be the first game since the RWC fiasco. How do you feel the players are, especially the ones that played in the RWC?
GN: I sincerely don’t want to talk about the past failures. We will win and lose, there will be ups and downs, disappointments. What matters is not what happened yesterday. Our oldest player is 30, which means this squad is built toward the future. Everyone loses once in a while, it doesn’t matter as long as you keep improving and getting closer to your goals.
You kept Damien Chouly in you lineup after he was very criticized in the last RWC. Did you want to especially show him that you believed in thim?
GN: I think we can pretty much establish that I have faith in all the players I have selected! If you start playing boys you don’t trust, the team is in danger. Damien owes his selection to his quality, his ability to command in the lineout and such. If he performs, he will be in the team for the next game. That’s what it means to be head coach.
We don’t know much about Italy, but you do know their coach. Did you focus on your opponent?
GN: We have done a bit of homework, but they’ve had a lot of changes too, therefore we decided to focus on ourselves and our work, which is a massive task in itself. We didn’t have enough time to spend energy on them. But I do know that they can match any team, they can win anywhere. We you look at their record, they never lose by that much of a margin. They have strong foundations, and as an observer I think that team has evolved pretty well in that past 10 years, toward a fast flowing style of rugby. They didn’t get great results, but they are constantly improving. We can’t afford to take them lightly, and we won’t.
