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'The last 20 minutes were horrible' - Thibaud Flament on playing Ireland
By Ian Cameron
France second row Thibaud Flament says that Ireland were without a doubt the best team he has faced playing for Les Bleus in the Test arena.
Andy Farrell's men produced a scintillating display of attacking rugby back in February to secure a memorable 29-20 victory over France in the Guinness Six Nations.
The win ended Fabien Galthie's unbeaten run in all competitions and sent a statement of intent to the rest of the Six Nations.
Flament, who has been France's standout second row and a selection in the official team of the tournament, was speaking on The Offload Podcast and was asked about the loss to Ireland and how they ranked against the international opposition they have faced.
"Like everyone, it's s*** to lose. It was good for us [France]. We didn't start off the tournament really well in preparation. Maybe we were a bit too confident from where we were coming from, winning all those games.
"It was a nice reminder of what we have to do and how we need to be in the right mood to win games. It was s*** to lose on the day but it was really beneficial."
Flament was asked if the current Ireland team is the best team they'd faced internationally and his answer was unequivocal.
"Yeah, I think yeah. Without any doubt.
"First of all, they have world-class players in all positions. They all have really good knowledge of their game, of their role. They're very connected as a team as well. They play well, they play quick. They're physical.
"They really put us under a lot of pressure, especially in the first 20 minutes. We were quickly behind on the score, in the game. They put us in an uncomfortable position. They're just a better team really.
"They're very good on the front foot and they just kept coming at us. The last 20 minutes were horrible because we were behind at the score and they kept attacking us. We were still in our half, defending them. They just felt unbeatable on the day."
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Latest Comments
The difference between Fassi and Le Roux?
Almost 100 tests. Fassi is growing from test to test and is already world class. It’s going to be difficult for Damian Willemse to usurp Fassi at 15 and may find himself destined as the utility back on the bomb squad.
South Africans love hating on their fullback. A proud tradition since Percy Montgomery (before he won us a World Cup). So I don’t pay much mind to the noise that follows anyone who puts on the 15 jersey for SA.
15 is a high risk, low reward position. You don’t dare drop a high ball, certainly don’t shank a kick into the stands. In fact if you’re not kicking 60m torpedoes into the opposition corners - stay at home.
And miss tackles? After everyone else on the team has let a break through - best you not miss!
Only Andre Joubert strikes me as a fullback that has been better than Willie. Yet Willie has been widely panned on a regular basis. Irritating.
Fassi is great. And I’m sure he’s learning a lot from Willie.
Go to commentsNo, Penney's win rate as a Super Rugby coach BEFORE he was given a 2 year contract here, was 23%. He came in with a very poor success rate at SR level.
This loser vibe was borne out over the SR season where we won only 4 games while losing 10. Finishing 9th in a 12 team competition & missing a QF spot was next level DOWN.
There's zero evidence that suggests we will win 10 games (70%) as you predict. I understand there may be new assistant coaches coming on board. At this stage, we can only hope for the best.
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