Maxim Luku. “France XV play rugby that works and wins”

How did you approach this first stint on French soil?
Maxim Lyuku. It was a meeting that I had to approach as seriously and calmly as possible. In Toulouse, in front of friends, family… I wanted to stick to what I do best and not play first. Because that’s not my rugby. I tried to be at the service of the collective, to put in order the things we prepared.

What instructions did the crew have for this meeting?
After facing two great nations, don’t fall into the trap of hoorah-rugby. That’s not our game philosophy, we work hard on a pre-made game. Based on the weather conditions, there was no need to do anything. There are two or three bubbles, I know we could play them. Counterattack balls. It’s 50-50 whether we play or not. But since the start of the second half was a bit difficult, it was better not to press and push the Japanese to play with a slippery ball at home.

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Is it disappointing not to package the game more?
No, because it’s rugby that works and wins. What we work on during the week. Of course, given the quality of our players, we know what we are capable of. We are not closed by that. But then, when there are jump balls, if we delay, if we don’t pass quickly, it’s better to play with our feet… I understand that we want to play because it’s Japan. But it shouldn’t be easy.

Tell us about your act that culminated in this offer to your captain and, above all, to your childhood friend, Charles Olivon, who, like you, comes from the small Basque village of Saint-Peix-sur-Nivel…
It goes by very quickly. We are at war, the ball is out of whack. I take it, I see it open, I take it. Then I realize that the Japanese defense is still raging and I hear Charlie’s voice screaming next to me. I knew it was him. We’ve known each other since childhood, so I didn’t want to go too far… It’s important to play with him. But try 100% senpertar (Names of the inhabitants of Saint-Py-sur-Nivel, Ed.), it is an even stronger moment.

“Things have not been working at UBB for several months. Maybe it’s not a miracle solution, but it probably needed a change…”

What state of mind do you find your club, UBB, in which head coach Christophe Urios was sacked during the international break?
I wanted to have fun and gain confidence with the France team to return to the best possible club. Bring this joy and this fury to victory to get the team back on track. The club is in trouble, but not necessarily dead. We are not far from what we want. You just need to get everything in order

Was this change of the chief of staff necessary?
I don’t know if it was necessary… Thoughtful solution. It has not been working for several months. You never string two wins in a row, there are some downright bad performances. It may not be a miracle solution, but it probably needed a change.

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