Little by little, the players of the XV of France return to the word that should not be said: elimination. On October 15, the French lost in the quarter-final of their World Cup against the Springboks (28-29).
If some spoke just after the meeting, like Thomas Ramos, others took more time. In an interview revealed by Canal, Charles Ollivon, manager of the Blues locker room, returned to this disappointment, but also to the support of the French public: “Towards the end of the competition, you feel that you are only playing for yourself. . It’s so strong and it overwhelms you a little. You know that people are sad, that they cry and you understand your responsibility. It was less present for the 6 Nations Tournament,” he confided.
As for whether he rewatched the match, the vice-captain of the XV of France admitted: “I didn’t watch the match. I only watched four actions, the four tries that we conceded. I didn’t want to look. I have memories, flashes after the quarter-final. There is disappointment and anger but also a lot of pleasure on the pitch because with the guys we found each other, we smiled at each other despite the enormous pressure. I have rarely enjoyed a rugby match as much as I did in this quarter-final. It’s hard to sort it out.”
The Toulon player also confided the feelings that he now has, looking back: “I have zero regrets because I gave everything. Sincerely, I am very disappointed and frustrated with the result, for not having been able to give more to this country, but I cannot have regrets. We may have missed being good, or even very good, on the day, even though we were prepared as best as possible. It is a fact.”
Despite the disappointment, Ollivon admitted that he was already looking towards the future: “To be honest, it’s a little bit in the back of my mind where I tell myself that the World Cup is in four years. Sometimes you have to know how to lose to win.” In any case, that’s all the harm we wish them.
