losing in Ireland “did good” for the XV of France, assures Flament

The second line Thibaud Flament, basic man of the XV of France, who finished second in the 2023 VI Nations Tournament behind Ireland, assures that the defeat in Ireland “did good” for the Blues before the World Cup rugby 2023 which will take place in France from September 8 to October 28. Fabien Galthié’s men are now turned towards this next big deadline during which they will be keen to shine in front of their audience.

Journalist : Was this match against Wales a reflection of your tournament?

Thibaud Flamingo : “It was not an easy game to tackle, we were coming out of a very big game in England, we no longer had our destiny in our hands. We had to find other motivational levers. We were sometimes very dominant, sometimes very dominated. (…) The challenge of being at the top every game, for five games, is very hard. We experienced it last year, it was but we make ourselves brilliant realize that it’s not easy to do every year. It took us a little while to get into the Tournament. If we had played Ireland later, would we have had a better result? I don’t don’t say. We struggled to be very consistent.”

Journalist : During this Tournament, your game has been criticized a lot…

Thibaud Flamingo “What was missing above all was involvement. We weren’t quite awake yet. We can talk about the tactical, physical notion… but the reality is that we didn’t have still ‘switched’, we had not yet entered the competition. Having a canceled match against Italy, losing in Ireland, it put us back in our place and we reminded ourselves that nothing is guaranteed . It does us good for the future.”

Journalist : We have the impression that you have increased in power.

Thibaud Flamingo : “We had a hard time getting started. We were stung by the first two matches that weren’t completely finished, it was a wake-up call and it launched us for the future. These are scenarios that can happen at the Coupe du world so it’s enriching for the group.”

Journalist: A word about your great performance at Twickenham.

Thibaud Flamingo : “It was a special match. I lived there for four years, it was there that I rose through the ranks of professional rugby. When I arrived, at 18, I had in head of becoming a pro player so it was kind of a flashback of everything that I went through, from when I got to where I am now. It was really a beautiful moment. It was a game that made a lot of sense to me.”

Journalist : You showed yourself installed in the France team?

Thibaud Flamingo : “I don’t really like this notion of installed, not installed. I feel good in the group, I feel good on the pitch. We really have a good group that works well together, that lives well, we do good games and that’s more how I approach it. I really enjoy being here, it’s the case for everyone. It’s great what we’re experiencing.”

Journalist : Do you plan on the World Cup?

Thibaud Flamingo : “A little bit. Not too much. It’s true that it takes up more space because, why, it’s getting closer and it’s our next deadline with the France team. We have it a little bit in mind but we were very focused on our matches during the Tournament. We weren’t too spread out. There, we’re starting to plan a little bit, but the season is still long at the club. So we’re thinking about it more and more but it’s still a little loin.”