Elected man of the match after the victory of the French XV this Friday evening against Argentina (37-23), the Toulonnais returned to the success of the Blues. He said in particular that he had a lot of fun.
Charles, how do you win the match?
Charles Ollivon. Already, we are entering the match better than against the All Blacks. We put a little emphasis on it this week because we were disappointed with our start against the New Zealanders. We knew, moreover, that with the Argentinian “grinta” and their desire to have a big match in France, it was going to be essential to start well. I think we were 30-9 at halftime. So, it’s not bad. We made a few mistakes but overall we managed to achieve our highlights. And then, in the second half, we relied quite a bit on our defense. They imposed long sequences. They have good players. It’s a hell of a team. We saw again what they did on this tour. They had big matches. They are well established. I think it’s very good. We had a great time this evening.
You had fewer possessions than the opponent but, defensively, were you satisfied with the team’s efficiency?
We can be even more disciplined (10 penalties and a free kick conceded, Editor’s note). We missed a few tackles too (167 successful, 26 missed according to Opta, Editor’s note). But our defense allowed us to recover a lot of shots. There was a good opponent facing him. That’s good but we always want to go further. It’s good to realize that we are strong. We can have confidence in what we do.
How have you lived these last two weeks?
These last two weeks have been great. I enjoyed myself. We played the Blacks last week. It was also nice to prepare for this match against Argentina. The week went by quickly. In the locker room, I chatted with the guys and everyone had a great time. It’s nice to end a tour in France, here at the Stade de France, in front of our audience.
Also read
The notes of the Blues after France-Argentina: hyperactive Ollivon, the rage of Villière
Paradoxically, this is the first time that you have started as number 8 in the French team…
It’s true. I joined this position in 2014 but never started. It was a long time ago. It was good. I enjoyed it there too. It reminds me of my years when I was in Bayonne (smile). I recently played with Toulon at the end of the season in this position. I didn’t really do the covers (defensive) because we have a system that wants that. But honestly, it’s nice. This is a nice post.
Was it a challenge?
A challenge, I don’t know. Fabien told me about it Tuesday morning at breakfast. I was happy. Afterwards, there aren’t a lot of differences. I was also in the sideline lineup. It’s a fun position to play.
You made 19 tackles…
My shoulders don’t hurt (laughter). Everything is fine…
You mentioned the key, it is a sector which has been faulty…
I don’t have the statistics with me. I think we lost two balloons (3 in fact). We have to do better, that’s for sure. Afterwards, we score our first try after a throw-in. It was a tactic we worked on this week. There is good and bad. We also stole a touch…
