Crestfallen France coach Fabien Galthie has revealed the deep-seated emotional wounds inflicted on his team by their shock World Cup quarter-final loss against the Springboks.
The Springboks defeated Les Bleus 29–28 in the Stade de France in Paris, securing their spot in the semi-finals by overcoming some extremely startling calls made by referee Ben O’Keeffe.
The outcome, which saw France eliminated from their home World Cup despite being the clear favorites to win the Webb Ellis Cup, shocked the rugby community.
FRANCE SCARRED FOR LIFE BY SPRINGBOKS
Galthie has now spoken out about the emotional wounds the loss has left on him and his French team, three weeks after the canon-like occurrence.
“Becoming the world champion was the only goal after four years of steady improvement. If we had lost in the semifinal or championship game by a single point, the disappointment would have been the same, Galthie told Reuters.
Playing for France in a World Cup requires not only being prepared to win but also to endure the experiences you’ve had. The world champions are the only squad that has truly experienced a lot.
We must accept that we will always be scarred as part of our path. Everybody has engaged in some form of self- and group-examination regarding what
“One point is nothing, but one point is everything,” he said.
“Tactically, I’d use the same strategy if I had to do it all over again… Despite the facts of the game and the match scenario, our aim was to play for the win right up to the last action, whatever happened.”
