Guillaume Gille, after the victory of the Blues in Poland: “We were there”

It was a serious reunion on our part and a match taken by the right end. In this not obvious context, with a lot of travel, few training sessions together, this match could have taken a completely different turn and in the end, the boys approached this meeting really well and validated the difference that exists between the two teams. Pleasant and satisfying.

Leading 22-11 at the break, is it almost unreal with 76% shooting success?
It’s true that offensively it’s really very positive, we put their heads under water very quickly, with the game on a very effective large space. In attack, we found very frank situations with a lot of efficiency. This is what makes me say that we had little training time but for the Poles who change configuration, staff and who have a lot of absent players, this little working time was felt much more with them than with us.

We cannot find a unity, a cohesion in the game with a single training session but despite everything, we were in much more favorable conditions than the Poles. We had the merit of being very effective from the start and that dampened Polish hopes.

Leading by eleven goals at the break can explain the start of the second period when France took 10 goals in 13 minutes (21-28), one less than in the first 30?
It’s complicated after such an excellent half-time to reproduce the same thing. The Poles came back with more efficiency, more aggressiveness. With their young guardian (Jastrzebski, 9 stops)they had a few saves, they were able to score wide-open goals again.

Defensively, we were less present in the duels, to be together again, connected. Inevitably this second half leaves a taste of unfinished business, a little tasteless compared to what was produced in the first. But despite everything, there are things to take away: we opened the bench, we saw almost the entire squad apart from Aymeric (Mine). It was a great meeting in qualifying matches that should never be underestimated. Europe, there is such a density. We were there.

Why Aymeric Minne did not return, for his return after his absence at the World Cup in January due to injury (ankle)?
It’s a choice because in the expected torque, we were a bit weak at a time, it wasn’t putting it in very good conditions.

This victory virtually ensures qualification for France. How are you going to approach the return match, Saturday in Aix-en-Provence?
It allows us to plan this return match by imagining work, game level tests, team configurations. The idea is to continue to build on this base and allow everyone to be able to express themselves.

This match was also totally different for the wingers, Dylan Nahi (10 out of 12 on shots) and Benoît Kounkoud, who also returned after his withdrawal from the World Cup (foot)…
We have to remember where Benoît is coming back from with a major convalescence, a return for a few matches with his club (Kielce in Poland). Obviously he knows that it was not enough in terms of efficiency (1/5) but we must give him time to find his bearings, his efficiency, his confidence. All of this is being built. This is the reality of wingers judged on their shooting efficiency but it’s not just that. And on the other side, Dylan Nahi had an excellent match, a lot of shooting efficiency and defensively, in the forward projection, he was very valuable. »