France-Pays de Wales: “The living environment has evolved and that’s very good,” says William Servat before the tournament

The Six Nations tournament is tomorrow. The 2025 edition will kick off on Friday at 9:15 p.m. at the Stade de France Friday, with this opposition between the Blues and the Wales. A priori largely favorite against the XV of the leek which finished the 2024 tournament with the wooden spoon (5 losses out of 5), the XV of France must succeed in its home entry into a full stadium. After a final training under the fresh sun in Saint-Denis, Captain Antoine Dupont, and the co-coach in charge of the conquest, William Servat, came to express himself at a press conference.

The opportunity for William Servat to return to the change in the living environment of this XV of France, jostled by extra-sporting affairs and alcoholic slippages, especially during the November tour in Argentina. According to our information, the former hooker, in charge of “moments of conviviality” in the staff of the Blues, had been recalled to order on this subject. Asked to know how he had experienced this change, William Servat assured that he had “never been cropped by anyone in the staff or by my hierarchy”.

“The living environment, I was dealing with it. Today he has evolved ”

During the last tour of November, a charter applied himself, notably banish the alcohol of “places of performance”, in Marcoussis or in the locker room. “The living environment, I was dealing with it,” said William Servat. But still under the cover of my management and the federation, everything has been validated. Today, it is no longer relevant, this framework has evolved, and it is very good. It allowed the French team to navigate quietly on the November tour, to have a good atmosphere between our players. We hope it will continue for the rest of the tournament. »»

Asked about these extra-sporting issues which agitated the preparation of the Blues for this tournament, Antoine Dupont assured that he had “not felt any discomfort this week, nor that of before”, marked by the returns of Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, indicted for rape in Argentina before benefiting from a dismissal in December. “We focus on us, on our game,” continued Dupont. We had things to work, it was enough to occupy all our time and our energy. »»

The captain of the Blues now turns to this tournament, after a successful tour in November (3 victories against Japan, the All Blacks and Argentina, in this same stadium in France), facing Welsh who succeeds well (5 victories on 5 games since 2020). “We have always prepared themselves well against them, some teams may succeed better,” said Dupont.

Without venturing to talk about the goal of Grand Slam (“It’s too early”), Dupont knows that the calendar of this tournament, with three trips, in England, Italy and Ireland, risks complicating the task. “But we had mountains several times to climb, we knew how to do it,” recalls Antoine Dupont. This is something that motivates us. »»