Once in 1990 with the selection of the Côte Basque-Landes committee, twice in 1994 during the historic tour of the Blues in New Zealand, Guy Accoceberry can boast of three victories against the All Blacks. Matches apart in a career and a feat of which he considers Fabien Galthié’s troop capable of two years before the World Cup.
France Bleu Gironde: a word on the composition of the Blues and the will of the staff to favor the common experience …
Guy Accoceberry : it is a coherent reasoning for the hinge, for the pair of centers, for the third line. On a match like that, automatisms are necessary, the detail will be important so I think that the staff prefer to be reassured with this type of association. I would have done the same except at one post. I would rather have tempted Matthieu Jalibert (editor’s note: at the opening) and put Romain NTamack on the bench then of course bring Romain in to be more in the management. Matthieu is more capable of exploits than Romain who is more in the collective. And to beat the All Blacks we will need some personal achievements because we see that for the moment the collective game of the France team is not yet sufficiently efficient. So we rely on players with strong individual potential and Matthieu Jalibert is one of these players.
We meet the best, we want to perform, put on our business card that we beat the Blacks. We must not miss it.
Willing also to strengthen a team sometimes heckled by the Argentines and the Georgians?
There were good phases against Argentina and Georgia but here we will have to have this aggressiveness over 80 minutes. This is why Fabien Galthié hardened his third line, especially hardened his midfielder. We always fear the All Blacks and the big teams in this sector. With Gaël Fickou and Jonathan Danty in the center, we are well equipped, at least defensively. We will see how these two players are used offensively, but it is very thick.
What value should we give to this test two years before finding the All Blacks in the opening match of the World Cup?
The context, in two years almost to the day with the same match, in the same place. For some the first haka. For the players who will be there on Saturday and in two years, this experience will help to prepare well for the opening match of the World Cup. Prepare for this deadline. It is experience that we take and the following times we approach it in a different way. It is mostly psychological preparation.
Does playing the All Blacks mark an international career?
Completely. It’s the best team in the world, it’s a team that every rugby player dreams of. We meet the best, we want to perform, put on our business card that we beat the Blacks. We must not miss it. Especially, when you can take the chance to beat them, which can be the case on Saturday, you have to take it because that doesn’t happen often in a career.
What makes you say that France is ripe enough to beat the Blacks?
The quality of the players of this generation in important positions. It’s a team that has shown for two years that on the bases, the conquest, the defense, they have good arguments. She is also capable of flashes. At any time we feel that the Dupont, the Penaud, the Jalibert can cross the field. There is a real collective, a real coherence. The staff has managed to create a real team, we feel that there is emulation, competition. And then there is this 2023 goal. Playing a World Cup in your country knowing or feeling that you are one of the favorites, which was not the case in the last World Cups, it triggers a lot of things. All this makes the team mature. Now he has some adjustments left, a title to go for for example in the Tournament, significant victories, such as beating the All Blacks, to cross the last small stages which are often the hardest to cross.