“Does this team still manage to surprise you?
This quest for records, for exploits, to be the first in everything drives this team so much. You have to want to do it but you also have to realize it and they did it. They have never disappointed me with their commitments. When they commit, they achieve their intentions. What I like is the path and the content. When the result is like tonight, we are obviously delighted. We benefited from a very weakened Bordeaux after two energy-intensive matches. We had a very average match last week (in the semi-finals against La Rochelle, 39-32) but we managed to end a fairly remarkable season.
Is it a perfect season?
I don’t know if it’s perfect but we responded very often with a magnificent group. 59 players used, 37 different markers, but also a lot of frustrations to manage, I am thinking this evening of Mathis Castro-Ferreira, Théo Ntamack, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Dimitri Delibes who were not on the match sheet this (Friday) evening… This frustration is difficult. But we had a very successful match up front and obviously when we are dominant up front, we manage to play well with our qualities at the back. Again, process and content are more important and when it wins, it’s even better. They were electric since Wednesday evening, I felt them determined. We’re having a season beating the best on both counts, we’re going to enjoy the next two or three days (smile).
Did you have fun on the sidelines?
I take pleasure in winning. The comfort of the last few minutes makes things a little less stressful. The magnitude of the score is disproportionate given the opponent who will be part of the worrying landscape in the coming years. But we focused on ourselves, we took the gamble of cutting the boys after the European Cup final (won against Leinster on May 25), there was a lot of work from the entire staff to be in shape when it counts. We were not satisfied with the content in the semi-finals but tonight, by taking the score very quickly, we made the task easier for ourselves.
What did you think of Antoine Dupont’s match?
He made two crappy plays, he surprised me but not in a good way (laughs). He’s a player… We called on him sporadically during the season and each time he was with us, he was a great player. Its status is no longer to be defined. I released it ten minutes before the end of the match, I hope that Jérôme Daret (the coach of the French 7s team) will thank me. Few players have the ability to revolutionize their sport, and I think Antoine is capable of doing it in the few years he has left. We will perhaps put it in the 13th by the way (smile). »
