In Marcosis

Has the stress slowly increased since the beginning of the week?
Gregory Aldrit: No more stress now. We are still in Marcos, the schedule is the same as for other weeks, we are in our routine. As we get closer to the competition there will be more pressure, and we see supporters in Paris (The Blues will be staying at a hotel in St Cloud on Thursday afternoon, editor’s note).

Read this tooGregory Aldrit, essential bulldozer of the XV in France

What do you think of the England team?
This is a team with great players. Lack of one player against Ireland They still had a hell of a game against Ireland. They have character, they have a big scrumptious, they have a huge success … we know it can be complicated. Crunch is always a complicated match. There is a special context around this game.

“It is very bad for us that the English have nothing more to look forward to …”

Gregory Aldrit

They made a strong impression in the squad against Ireland
They have a very big pack, but we have nothing to be ashamed of when we win. What you have been doing since the beginning will continue to do well. Saturday more efficiently with less accuracy and concentration in all areas.

The English did not expect much from this tournament.
It is bad for us that the English do not have the ultimate victory or pressure. If we change the situation, we will be the first to want them to lose a Grand Slam in Twickenham. All the inspiration for them was found …

Read this tooXV of France: Sean Edwards, Englishman helping the Blues

Are you afraid of their provocations?
By playing matches, you gain experience. Emotionally, we did not do well against Scotland two years ago or against Argentina in a few encounters. Learned for the next game when we went out …

“Fatigue has been well managed since the start of the tournament. There were two actual recovery periods for the head and body. ⁇

Gregory Aldrit

Do you feel very tired at the end of the match?
I feel good. With Friday evening’s game in Cardiff we have an extra day of recovery at the end of the match, which is not trivial. The match was handled well from the start. There were two actual recovery periods for the head and body. This allowed us to cut better and regenerate better.

You know Antoine DuPont from the youth team in Och. The status of the best player in the world, how does his captaincy feel …?
As usual. He does not change. He is a very good captain. There is a lot of waiting but he responds. It is up to us to support it, to transcend ourselves.

Do you have any message for those who support you?
We can’t wait to find them after two trips. Many of them came to Edinburgh and Cardiff, which we greatly appreciated. We look forward to a great evening in Southend de France. Glad to see this excitement, and messages from all the supporters we receive. It carries us. As all Marseilles sing in competitions. Supporters let go, and we hear them on the pitch, which benefits us a lot.

Statements taken at the press conference