How is your break after the World Cup going? It’s going very well. I enjoy moments of rest that are quite rare in a career. It was important for me to cut. Better safe than sorry, take a break before being forced to do so by an injury. I’m resting, I’m trying to recover well and treat my little injuries in my shoulder, knee, hamstrings. I’m going to miss eight matches with Stade Rochelais, it’s horrible, I’m the first to suffer in front of the TV. But eight games are nothing in a career…
Physically have you been able to regenerate? My knee already hurts less, it’s much better. I also had a capricious shoulder, I no longer feel it. Same for an ischial lesion, I no longer feel it either. It was important to get all that out. I follow a physical program every day, I have a sports session to do with a weight training session to really try to come back in January in better shape than I was a month ago. We’ll see at the end if I was right to do so. It was important that it was me who imposed a period of rest rather than being forced by the injury to have to stop for six months or more. I think it was a good decision.
Does the sluggish start to the season at Stade Rochelais worry you? Not at all. We only lost one home game. Last year, we lost two or three. Of course, we must not let the gap grow too much, but we are eighth in the standings, seven points behind first (Stade Français, Racing 92 and Castres tied on points, Editor’s note). The season is still long, there are still lots of things going to happen. What do you think of Antoine Dupont’s decision to participate in the Olympics with the French 7s team? It’s very good for him to have the The opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games is just huge. If he can do it, he should do it. We saw it after the World Cup: some played the weekend after, others still haven’t resumed. It really is a feeling. He needed to play, he felt fit, he felt prepared. There’s no question, I hope it goes well for him.
The creation of a Club World Cup will further add matches for international players. What does this inspire you? I think you shouldn’t do anything. Apparently, we are not trying to reduce the number of matches at international level. Quite the contrary. The League must make decisions, such as the one which has just been announced, to freeze for example the salary cap (capping of club payroll) to have sufficiently large and quality squads, in order to have periods rest and work. Decisions must be made to protect the players and allow them to not have to play throughout the season.