“What will be the use of this match against Scotland (Saturday, 4 p.m.)?
It will already allow us to validate our four big weeks of preparation. The preparation for the week was also different, with big training sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is above all a way of launching this World Cup with very important matches in view of the opening match. We will have to be ready, there will be no second chance. We take these four preparation matches very seriously, it starts in Scotland, we are all keen to show ourselves, respond collectively and show that we have worked well.
Are you reassured about your physical condition after the many injuries you have had for a little over a year?
I was not necessarily apprehensive (this preparation), because I had been working for this end of the club season and this World Cup goal for a year. I managed to come back to 100%, it’s a lot of emotions, I’m very happy to be in this group, to work with the guys. It’s really nice because I’ve come a long way. I’m 100%, it’s really good for the head.
“The goal is so huge that no one would have let go”
Did you feel like you had bad luck accumulating injuries?
Pfff, yeah, that was mostly frustrating. But the objective is so huge that no one would have given up trying to be part of this adventure, which is perhaps the adventure of a lifetime. There were more complicated moments but it went well in the end, we have to take advantage of it.
Despite these injuries, the staff of the France team has always shown its confidence in you…
Just the fact of being present in the 42 after such a difficult year, it also rewards the efforts we make on a daily basis. It’s great, we’ll see how it goes in the weeks to come, with the different matches that we’re going to prepare. But in any case, we are all focused on the same objective. »
Jean-Baptiste Gros: “Very impatient to attack the matches”
