It was a coach with emotion in his voice who began his press conference announcing the team composition against Italy with a monologue lasting almost ten minutes. Asked about the criticism of his communication after the victory in Scotland – “perfect content, one of the most beautiful victories” – Fabien Galthié justified himself. And, as his plea progressed, we felt that the tears were not far away.
“I hear the good things said, I hear the bad things said. I am very open to feedback. We are in the light, we are exposed. Everything we say, everything we do is commented on in a good way or a bad way. Everyone is responsible for their words. Words have meaning, they are very important. When we use them, they can be very positive or hurtful. To be as strong as punches. Concerning the way I express myself, commenting on matches or answering questions, I try to do the best possible. To provide a vision, an objectivity, to understand the questions that arise. I’m careful who I talk to.”
“In the last match, against Scotland, I repeat, we must be able to withstand the big moments as well as the painful moments. The sequence of elimination from the World Cup and defeat against Ireland in Marseille was a painful moment for us. But also for our supporters, for the people who believe in us and who follow us. Before this meeting, therefore, we refocused on the essential: men and the hearts of men. The whole preparation for this match was how to do, after having fallen so heavily, with this pain and this responsibility, these very strong criticisms of ourselves, because we are very demanding of ourselves, to take the plane and represent with dignity the blue jersey.”
“This team, for five years, has already shown and demonstrated, and will continue to show, that the players who make it up have virtues that we taught them in rugby schools. We are always supported by our loved ones, our families and our supporters. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people in these difficult times who supported us more powerfully than in the moments when the French team was able to triumph… The pain experienced that week was also a great happiness. Then the course of the match was very complex. In the rain, in Scotland, against a team that is one of the best in the world and after losing against Ireland…, with, on our side, a team to remobilize.
“In the 69th minute we were behind, we lost our captain and we coached the whole team. So a lot of youth and little experience. And we take the score again. We felt that the energy was there, that resilience was underway. This ability to transcend oneself and project oneself once again onto the future. At that moment, there is crazy energy in this team. We are then far from data and strategy even if it is also important. We are deep in the rugby values that we carry and that we want to demonstrate to our families, to our educators, to our supporters. (…) Despite our mistakes, our defensive fragility, we feel that…”
“When Greg (Alldritt) says that it is one of the greatest victories, that I say that I am satisfied with the content, it is because we have just shared in the locker room such a strong, so powerful moment after this complicated week, how happy I am. Because the main thing is not in the content but in victory with inexperienced players who brought us all their determination. Nobody highlighted our coaching, these finishers, it’s a shame. But we, internally, have highlighted them. They said “we are capable of wearing the jersey, of doing what you did for four years” and that’s a great joy.”
“So yes, there are several readings on the content. But, the best thing, and this is the basis of rugby, in the difficulty, we did not look away, we bowed our backs but we kept our heads held high. This is what the French team did in Edinburgh.”
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