- Title: France and Tonga prepare for a "physical" match in Kumamoto
- Date: 5th October 2019
- Summary: KUMAMOTO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 5, 2019) (REUTERS) FRANCE SQUAD ENTERING KUMAMOTO STADIUM LES BLEUS TRAINING RUGBY BALLS VARIOUS OF LES BLEUS HUDDLING ON PITCH FLAGS OF TONGA, WORLD RUGBY AND FRANCE FLYING LES BLEUS TRAINING JACQUES BRUNEL CHATTING WITH ASSISTANT COACH FABIEN GALTHIE VARIOUS OF LES BLEUS TRAINING CENTRE, GAEL FICKOU WALKING ON PITCH/WINGER YOANN HUGET WALKING MEDIA FILMING FRENCH SQUAD'S TRAINING FRANCE CAPTAIN JEFFERSON POIROT IN NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM TALKING TO JOURNALISTS NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY REPORTER TAKING NOTES NEWS CONFERENCE TAKING PLACE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRANCE CAPTAIN, JEFFERSON POIROT, SAYING: "We want to make things easy for us with this game, I was talking about our opponent's aggressiveness and how physical they can be, so we know that we need to bring something to counter that in order to impose our game. The trap for us would be to think that we need to be careful and avoid injuries. But I think no one is thinking that and we all agree that we need to be aggressive and push forwards." NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRANCE CAPTAIN, JEFFERSON POIROT, SAYING: "What we need to do for that game is to be present in all fields of play, we shown some very good things in the past but sometimes not so good things, so the aim of this game, before the key game against England, will be to show that we're present in every aspect of the game." VARIOUS OF TONGA RUGBY SQUAD GATHERING AND HUDDLING TONGAN PLAYER PLAYING SOCCER TONGAN PLAYERS FEET TONGAN PLAYERS PLAYING SOCCER/TENNIS VARIOUS OF TONGAN PLAYERS PLAYING SOCCER/TENNIS TONGA NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) TONGA ASSISTANT COACH, GRANT DOOREY, SAYING: "I think there's enough pressure in the modern world and particularly in test match rugby for guys to be always on. And we're just trying to make sure that we get the balance of when they are on, they are on, and when they can take a couple of minutes to relax and enjoy each other's company and focus on the fun, because 90% of these guys or 100% of these guys and coaches, we're here because we are doing this for the team and we want this team to perform well. So it's just a little bit of fun and you would have seen plenty of smiles there at the same time." VARIOUS OF TONGAN PLAYERS TRAINING ON PITCH MEDIA FILMING TONGA'S TRAINING VARIOUS OF TONGAN PLAYERS TRAINING ON PITCH VARIOUS OF STADIUM LIGHTS
- Embargoed: 19th October 2019 11:56
- Keywords: France Tonga Kumamoto Jefferson Poirot Rugby World Cup
- Location: KUMAMOTO, JAPAN
- City: KUMAMOTO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Rugby Union,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZTK18F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Three-times finalists France head into their World Cup clash with Tonga on Sunday (October 6) battling a rising injury toll and hoping to avoid a repeat of their stunning upset by the Pacific islanders at the 2011 tournament in New Zealand.
Before Japan's 'Miracle of Brighton' win over South Africa four years ago in England, Tonga could arguably claim the biggest shock in World Cup history when they felled the French 19-14 in Wellington.
Prop Jefferson Poirot will become France's third captain at the World Cup, with regular skipper Guilhem Guirado on the bench again and number eight Louis Picamoles, who led the side against the U.S., rested.
Poirot spoke at a news conference in Kumamoto just as England and Argentina kicked of their third game in Pool C.
He said he expected a physical match as the two teams meet in Kumamoto, on the island of Kyushu in the south of Japan.
France's preparations for the match at Kumamoto Stadium have been overshadowed by injuries, with fullback Thomas Ramos and hooker Peato Mauvaka ruled out of the World Cup on Friday (October 4).
The squad's tournament-ending injuries now number four, with winger Wesley Fofana and prop Demba Bamba having already exited.
Should France click, their classy backline could pile on the tries.
Tonga, however, were buoyed by their strong second half against Argentina and may feel they can revive the glory days of 2011 should they maintain the intensity against what appears a brittle French side under pressure.
(Production: Yoko Kono, Lucien Libert) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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