Rugby – Jacques Brunel (Blues coach): "We are familiar with the current form of Fickou" – Rugby

"Is the start of Gaël Fickou an athletic choice or also linked to the brainchild of Geoffrey Doumayrou?
The concussion played. Geoffrey had the right gesture, there is not much to say. But we know the current form of Gael and we took the chance to start it, because we had the obligation to

preserve a little Doumayrou. Both are related.

Does Fickou have an important card to play?
Absolutely. He had a very good start to the season. He deserves his place. First of all, we tested continuity with Bastareaud-Doumayrou. But we knew very well that Gaël would come back at a certain moment. And here he begins.

Did you come back a lot a week, with your players, at the end of the match against Springbok?
We can regret what happened, but rehash would have interfered with the preparation of the match against Argentina.

"Overall mental preparation, I do not believe it"

The disappointment, the despair of the elderly like Maestri, Guirado, Bastareaud, can they act as a lever?
I hope. The frustration is horrible, that's true. It has happened to us several times at the end, I hope it will work as a lesson. We heard a lot about mental preparation after this game. I believe in it individually, but not collectively. The nations that do it have done so for a long time. The MFF can not do it in common, taking into account the distance of the players and the distance between the rally.

France and Argentina will compete in Japan in September 2019 for their first World Cup match. Saturday's match is crucial for this meeting?
If there are lessons to learn, it will be after the match, maybe. I always said that there would be little influence on the World Cup.

You preferred Yoann Huget to Benjamin Fall to replace Damian Penaud, injured, to the wing …
Yoann Huget was very successful at the beginning of the season. He was not chosen because he was hurt but he recovered faster than expected. Benjamin Fall has played a lot since the beginning of the season and it seemed a bit boring. "

Arnaud Requenna, in Marcoussis