The stillness is punctuated by the dull thud of boot on ball as Freddie Michalak practices his place-kicking. It’s a soothing rhythm. Training is over and the only people who remain are the French outhalf and one of the management team, who scurries to fetch the balls behind the posts.
On a sunny day the setting is idyllic. The beautifully presented playing fields of The Trinity School of John Whitgift, named after the founder, a 16th-century Archbishop of Canterbury, are quintessentially English, incorporating rugby, soccer, cricket and hockey pitches and tennis courts.
The school offered its facilities to France for their sojourn in London. France might adopt Trinity’s motto in return: “Who perseveres, conquers.”
France may not have been overly enamoured by the delights of south Croydon but it’s doubtful whether they’d grumble about their training facilities. The media are ushered into a modern pavilion and quickly disperse to different areas where players wait for the vacant semicircles of chairs to be filled.
Inquisitors
Mathieu Bastareaud’s physical presence fills the room; in contrast, sitting 30 feet away, his likely centre partner for the pivotal Pool D match against Ireland, Wesley Fofana, blends into the human mishmash, indistinguishable in size from some of his inquisitors. One trait the players share is that both are softly spoken.
Bastareaud obliges a request for an interview in English, the only proviso being that “you must speak slowly”. He is a charming interviewee, rarely without a smile.
The centre is asked about the footage that showed an incandescent France coach Philippe Saint-André excoriating his players at half-time for their below-par performance against Romania. No soundtrack was required.
Frustration
Although he had made 13 changes from the side that beat Italy, Saint-André didn’t expect such a disjointed display.
Bastareaud explained that the players understood the coach’s frustration and, ahead of their third match in Milton Keynes against Canada on Thursday night, they’ve worked hard to address the performance issues.
“I think the game against Romania wasn’t perfect but it’s important that all the players got a chance to play and that happened in those two matches [against Italy and Romania]. We know that we didn’t play well but we have worked hard in training since. We know that we have plenty of progress to make. “We have a game on Thursday against Canada and that’s what we need to focus on. It’s important that we are happy with the way we play [in that match] and after we will think about Ireland.”
The last few words are accompanied by a grin, which is not that commonplace in the French camp as they begin to feel a little more flak from the public back home; the media criticism is now more pronounced, according to one member of the cadre.
The 27-year-old admitted: “It’s hard when you know the feeling in France is that everyone is not with us. We said, ‘we are alone.’ We started on July 5th to prepare for the tournament and we’ll finish it together, as a group. What the French people say, the media [say], doesn’t matter. We are focused on us, and what we do. There is no point in paying attention to anything else.”
The bond is strong within the playing group; there is a determination to play and train hard, but also to enjoy the tournament. Bastareaud elaborates. “I feel like a lucky man to be here. It is my first World Cup ... and maybe my last. We don’t know whether in four years time we will be in Japan.
Raining in England
“It’s about being happy to be here and enjoying that time. It’s good, the one time it’s not raining in England. Wales beat England – perfect,” he laughs.
His English is good but Bastareaud explains why he’s watched so much of the tournament so far.
“Normally I never watch rugby on television. In England I just understand this programme so I watch rugby.
“[I’ve seen matches involving] Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. I tried to not watch Ireland but it’s difficult. Argentina too and Wales against England.”
He acknowledges the good performances of other countries in the World Cup so far but believes that France can reach those levels.
“It will be hard but we need to be more confident and believe in us [as a team]. We saw before we can do the impossible; so yes, we can beat New Zealand or Australia but we need to at our best and get back to enjoying our rugby.
“All the time we win one or two games and then lose a match. It’s not good for the confidence. We need to win a string of matches because that will lift the morale of the team. We started [our latest winning sequence] with England at home, after Scotland, then Italy, Romania, I hope Canada, and after maybe, Ireland?”
A final smile and he’s gone.
