Basta, Battering & Backlash Incoming!

We’re joined by France legend Mathieu Bastareaud to pick the bones out of the battering Les Bleus suffered at the hands of Ireland in Marseille and discuss whether we’re going to see a backlash at Murrayfield this weekend. We talk World Cup hangover, media pressure, Posolo Tuilagi and more. Plus, Basta looks back at his France career, tells us what it was like being part of the Galacticos at Toulon, fills us in on his new role at the club and we pick our MEATER Moment of the Week…

Use the code FRENCHPOD10 at checkout for 10% off any full price item at Meater.com

Listen to our full-length episodes wherever you get your podcasts: https://linktr.ee/johnniebeattie

Welcome back to the French rugby podcast with me Tim Groves ex Scotland International and adopted Frenchman Johnny BT and we’re going to be joined shortly by France Legend and Johnny you’re partner in crime I think Jud by how much time you spending together nowadays best mates mat aastro is coming

On for a chat about his own career Fabian galtier where this current FR side are in the revolution much WR I’m sure plus of course we’ll be analyzing what went wrong in marsill as France were humbled by Ireland and what might happen as they travel to murrayfield

This weekend you’ve been busy Johnny at the start of this week we had a weekend often yes how was it oh glorious uh not sure my misss enjoyed it any more or less than a normal weekend when I’m way working but my it was just

Nice to be able to sit have a beer watch Six Nations weekend Friday night then all Saturday um bit of post-traumatic stress disorder but the old PTSD after Scotland’s performance on Saturday France on Friday night um it wasn’t all easy watching but it was just really

Nice to be detached sit down relax have a beer and enjoy it a cracking weekend to watch as a casual fan or as a keen rugby no like yourself but from a French perspective it was not good so this is supposed to be one of the best front

Sides we’ve seen at least for a good long while but that was their worst home defeat in the championship for 100 10 years since 1914 so given some of the sides we’ve seen in between that were quite ordinary and didn’t lose by that big a margin what went wrong and is it a

Case of this iseland side is probably one of the best sides we’ve seen in the tournament for a good long time as well but from a French perspective yeah what happened well I think pre-or cup people in the northern hemisphere wanted to see Ireland France as the final so that was

The game that people wanted two teams in the northern hemisphere Fe top of their game Flying Ireland have been on top of the game for maybe 36 months you know number one side in the world France resurgent new coach new generation of players um it didn’t happen and for

France and for French supporters they didn’t get the home World Cup win that they wanted they didn’t get anywhere near as far as they wanted so I think for a lot of people this was you know this is the chance to show the Revenge this is what we wanted take all that

Rage out the you know the physical the psychological the scarring for the players this was their chance to start with a bang but there was one team for me that you didn’t want to play against in the opening game of this Championship it was Ireland um extremely well organized uh Federation run so

Players are rested they’re fresh they’re ready to go really well coached uh Top Class individuals uh and well rehearsed and and given that context against the French who have lost tibo jiru their physical prep coach uh they’ve lost their backs coach uh they’ve lost their forwards coach Kim gazal everything

Behind the scenes had kind of shuffled against the uncertainty of we’ve just lost this home World Cup and I think that that game against Ireland who were exceptional like let’s not get away from that fact Ireland were great and played very very well and were smart and how

They knocked France back didn’t allow them gain line kept them on the back foot and some areas of France’s game were absolutely disastrous like look at their lineups seven lineups lost like when was the last time that you saw a French side do that um but that comes

From new coaches coming in new systems new Personnel Gabriel lag started as well who we haven’t seen the international circuit for years so there’s all these little things that went on behind the scenes it was a sort of perfect Storm that was left to brew and then the performance and the result was catastrophic for French fans for the team and for French rugby in general so it hasn’t been a great week the backlash over here has been um fairly monstrous shall we say to say say the least um and

They’re not happy and look this now le Fabian galtier game coming this weekend at marfield this is the first chance potentially under his Reign yes they’ve just had their first and worst home defeat in 110 years in the championship but the first time potentially they lose three on the bounce which really would

Not be good on game two for French rugby to be out of the six nations would be a bit of a shock so loads of bits swirling around that sort of meant that it wasn’t an easy game day uh they probably weren’t ready I would say physically or mentally

And they were made to look very average we’ll come to some of the back Clash as we go through the episode but we got to talk about the red card obviously we don’t know what would happened if they have remained with 15 men Paul viler is

Obviously a friend of the show and you kind of mentioned it last week how much he’d be wanting to finish on his own terms and the emotional side of things so it was tough to watch that but he made two errors that would just big tackle technique tackle High errors

Wouldn’t they look he’s a big physical imposing presence and I mean that like you can take what we talked about it previously but wanting to make your mark is one thing but getting it right especially in that position and the type of play that Paul’s rowned for big physical clear

Outs um and he missed that World Cup because of injury he wanted to make an impact he wanted to make his presence felt he just got it wrong twice and that happens right people get it wrong but again that just compounded the scenario that already wasn’t looking good for the

French side you look at all the components you know defensively like the try they shipped where Jonathan Dante’s basically left clutching straws they weren’t getting their folding right weren’t their numbers but then your lineup is then even further destructured your your scrum and your mall is underpowered so

Like Paul’s R obviously had a big impact on the game there were less left to play for probably 60 Minutes of that game with 14 men which doesn’t help um but yeah just sad for him um that his return ended on that note a red card he

Probably misses the next few games um and you now got Manny mfu you got P tagi coming in alagu as well from tulon who looks like he might be on the bench this weekend hasn’t been named yet but he’s been training with the squad um so yeah

Just very disappointing for him um that his comeback went in that manner it was really sad to watch and we’ll come to where France go from here a lot more obviously with match bastro shortly but do they need to go back to basics a little bit or is that too simplistic

Because they were built this France iteration on a good defense a good kicking game those kind of basic skills that you can rely on when there are big pressure moments and that all seemed a little bit off against Ireland who obviously are the best drilled side in

The world arguably but that Shan Edwards defense just seems like it’s a little bit misfiring they they’ve ceeded four or more in four of 8 to1 games sha Edward Wales and France three of those have come in the last five matches with France so there’s something going on

Isn’t there yeah but then as to continue we talk about this all the time that that’s the beauty of rugby and sport is that you’re continually trying to evolve I mean you cannot win a game of rugby if you’re line out like the statistic chance of you winning a game of rugby if

Your line outs of 50% is n on zero so like you have to sort your line out you’re scrum they weren’t getting any dominance or penalties from that um defensively that’s the really interesting one you’re a man down everyone’s exhausted but you have to also credit the Irish attack the the

Ways that they opted to to get their first phase options you know simple plays like from scrum they were attacking blind sides getting behind the French pack pinning them back getting them on the back foot and then never allowing them that upper hand once France were on the back foot they never

Got a chance to to Sprint off their line and come up and and make dominant tackles so the Irish attack was also very cute and very effective um but there are simple elements of their game even things like Antoine dupon not being there and again I don’t think he would

Have made that much of a difference in terms of the general game plan because they were so much on the back foot and they had no ball but his kicking game you saw how Ben White’s kicking game had a massive effect on Wales in the first half at Cardiff Antoine jupon reled so

Much pressure with his kicking game when he’s there um so yeah line out simplicity being back to the full compliment of 15 blocks uh getting over a gain line simple templates that they use so well but like ultimately the weekend they had no decent ball to play

Off and you’d expect back to 15 you also would expect a big emotional reaction because classically any French team whether at top 14 produ National or International that loses at home you’re poking a bear you’re waking a beast you’re making a team very angry and you

Can guarantee they will come out with an emotional reaction this weekend and they want to set things straight so yes Back to Basics um but across the board they have to be much much better because that’s what we’re used to seeing right that’s what we’ve seen since Fabian galti took overs incredibly high

Standards well drilled line out scrum starter plays multiphase and defensively also their kicking game very pragmatic but they were out kicked as well by Ireland so every single asset that they were out thought outworked or out thought by Ireland um and they’ll need to raise their game for marfield this

Weekend out kicked and also in defense do they have issues under the high ball because South Africa exposed them I mean there were a lot of high bombs in that quarterfinal but a couple of tries came from them and again against Ireland but this is what I’ve been saying all along

About playing if I was if you’re playing against the blitz defense there’s no point running into it unless you can knock them back on the first phase your best option is to kick and what we’ve seen is South Africa at the World Cup exploiting Back Field um and we saw as

Well Ireland like opting to run the ball back 50 meters then going sort of I and high ball and creating 50-50s in the back field where we saw Damian Peno struggle a little bit muana is by going to come in this weekend I don’t know Tom

Ramos as well like all these guys will be under pressure so teams have seen now different ways of exploiting or targeting the French side but it’s up to the French side as we said to continue to evolve it’s a big old physical game of chess get smarter uh find different

Ways to attack and defend properly and work your way into the game so yeah they’re going to be attacked in different ways that other teams have now got their number in certain elements and it’s up to them to to improve right we’ll get mat bastro on very shortly to

Get his take on what happened in Marseilles and where France go from here look ahead to that Scotland game at murrayfield a lot more but there was a busy round of top 14 Action as well at the weekend so let’s have a very quick chat about that and see potentially if

That’s where your meter moment of the week comes from Johnny it wasn’t from the top 14 okay any mentions M have you seen anine dupon offl yes that’s what I thought was coming oh outrageous Antoine dupon against my old Side by on and again seven tries they noted up Anton

Jupon was playing at 10 H I mean some of the boys were exceptional rumar Jack Willis Richie Arnold all imposing bonus Point win but there’s one phase of play and again we’ll share on our stories on Instagram but he charges down teber in the back field picks the ball up and

Then no Luke out the door I mean nonchalant as like pass to [ __ ] who basically jogs over to do down but all Antoine jupon the work H the skill set the belief in his and again he probably could have walked over himself but he just yeah flicked into PK like Sublime

Piece of skill but that isn’t my meter moment of the weekend you mentioned he was playing 10 Johnny did you see the clip as well of him sat in the number nine spot in the change room and grow us to say may Belong One Antoine would you

E would you yeah it doesn’t bother me again that’s that’s just scrum half being SC man you’re in the wrong C it doesn’t matter um but Antoine like clearly in half time he looked like in a world of pain as well like physically exhausted and you know you got your

Normal place where you sit he’s normally in the nine and he comes in and P hey mate like you’re 10 can you just nudge up imposing themselves these scum halfs um but yeah ridiculous mate my meter moment of the week is from a new kit on

The Block and a moment he had after the game I thought he was absolutely phenomenal again for people watching rugby in France he’s probably a little bit of an unknown but Joe McCarthy yes I mean he was monstrous and I again not watching Lester that off ler

That often you know you think Ryan who co- Captain previously at the World Cup you think he’s going to start but Paul lonnell and Andy far of other ideas in comes Joe McCarthy and the way that boy gets around the field how he carries how

He impacts his work at the line out his steals um he was exceptional and again listening to the French commentary here they’re like who is this kid because he was just that good everything he did sort of touch the gold um so worthy of the man of the match award but the

Moment that I thought was touching and very nice you might have seen this he gets presented with his man of the match award and his brother’s in the stand his his brother’s got down syndrome and he’s over time with his family celebrating the win and you know picks up that medal

And drapes it around his brother’s neck and I thought that was you know a really nice moment the performance aside was phenomenal but to share that with your family that are over um to see you win in Marseilles against France and then to to give that to your brother I thought

Was very very cool so that is this weekend’s me meter moment of the weekend hard to argue with that hell of a performance and an emotional moment with it after the game that was Johnny’s meter moment of the week and meter is the world’s number one Wireless meet thermometer recently making over 20

Million Cooks better with their gamechanging app and completely wireless Bluetooth meat probe you can use it on a barbecue in the oven or in a pan and you can get your hands on one at meter.com plus you can get 10% off any full price item all you have to do is enter the

Code French pod 10 at checkout that’s French pod 10 and you get 10% off any full price item at meter.com very quickly on the top 14 Johnny because we want to bring matcha in Bordeaux won away in the big one on Sunday night ton first ever win at sad M

It ain’t great for tulon at the minute mate we’re not going to talk to Basta too much about tulon because I was down and again we’ll chat about what we’ve been up to but I was down with him in tulon yesterday which was Monday and yeah it ain’t great they

Should have won that game I mean Bordeaux are very good and they hung in that game but interception try from mados Tambo how quick is he by the way he hasn’t had much game time this year because of Peno and BB a bordo but he was phenomenal de

Porter the outside Center scored at the death um but if you look back mate in the manner of the tries like ton have the ball in bordos 22 they set up a mall to basically kill the game there’s 65 seconds left and they spew out the back

Of them allall bordal pick up three passes they get down the wing and they win the game deporter wins it for Bordeaux I mean it’s historic for Bordeaux but there really is a little bit I don’t know it’s a wee bit crisis nature too long at the minute but it’s a

Bit School boyish and how they lost that game and the type of tries they’re conceding so yes bordo were exceptional they hung in the game you look through that Squad tatfu uh tapuai I mean they have some phenomenal players de Porter is going to be an absolute star as well he actually

Came out yesterday and said disappointed to be released by France I still want to play in the Six Nations I’ve got what it takes like totally backing himself really confident but for too long mate it’s not not great um they just don’t look settled they don’t look cohesive

What they’re trying to do um and that’s another loss at home so all is not well I’d imagine this week there’ll be a few meetings if you listen to Danny Brennan they should probably go to the beach bar they should probably have a few head-to heads and sort themselves out um but a

Huge historic Rob bordo I mean it’s historic it’s very very cool and you look through that team Tammy funa Kane Douglas Tapo like some of the names they’ve got um during the Six Nations weekends they’re outrageous team on paper so well done to them and they are now level with

St France and to lose on 41 points at the top of the table because rasling who have led the table all season they were well be at perp would they they were a bonus point for ppon as well so that’s a big old win very impressive for them the

Other one that stood out this weekend was the away win for cast in po um which I didn’t see coming but there’s maybe a shift you had popel Lang who’s been playing 10 he moved to fullback and that left Lou LeBron coming back from injury

To step in at 10 kashian btio they were phenomenal in the centers and Santi Arata was a menace um as he always is so a big result on the road for cast as well 44 33 away from home that’s a big old result for them um so yeah it’s

Always interesting these Six Nations we can sides that don’t lose too many people they sort of manag to squeeze these wins out and when other sides are losing a few more players um and yeah bit of a shift in the in the table so be interesting come the end of the Six

Nations window right let’s bring our guests on now and we can have a chat with former Six Nations Grand Slam winner top four te winner three-time Champions Cup winner Matthew bastro joins us how you doing hello I’m good I’m good in you thank you very much for

Joining us and we’ll come on to France shortly and a bit about your career as well but you’ve been spending quite a lot of time with Johnny recently haven’t he so has he been treating you well yeah well he’s like my my second wife we work a lot together

Yes I feel more like his agent to be honest yeah yeah yeah yeah M and agent that’s it mistress and agent we’ll take that um Johnny was telling me that yesterday he had you playing the bag pites which is interesting but I also want to hear about when you went to the

Mo Rouge because this the thought of you and Johnny doing the can can together is something that most people can’t get their heads around how was that uh it was very physical very physical and uh I didn’t expect that I think I just coming

For you know a chat in the m r because it’s a famous place in in France and when I saw the um the performer I say whoa we are in trouble and she she show us some uh some skilles I say whoa why I understand why I sto my career in May I

Can’t too physical but that’s thing I think for anybody that knows the Mulan Rouge you don’t go to the Mulan Rouge expecting to have a conversation you go expecting for to get physical in one way or another but it was great fun I me yesterday as well I mean playing the bag

Pipes on the beach in two on that was also a very nice experience and a good surprise and how is Johnny with the back pipes matcher because he’s Scottish so I’m assuming that he’s really good with the back pipes he can play a tune yeah yes he good he good I think it’s

Uh it’s just you know second uh Second Skin you know it’s easy for him very easy put it this way Basta and I are the same level that’s all I’m going to say and that was my first time that was his first time geez it’s harder than I

Thought like I kind of took it for granted as a bit of a national sport but um like my lung capacity clearly have a long capacity of a couple of Chris packets um because it’s hard work really hard work we also had Phil Fitzgerald don’t know if you remember Phil

Fitzgerald he came down to join us I played with Phil we had one test together played for Scotland a against Georgia in 2008 but he played for T long for like 15 years yeah he’s now a lawyer still working there lovely guy uh and he came down and

Joined us for lunch and a bit piping as well he’s a real Piper and so it was good to have him join us too yeah when he come um uh in in t it was in the academy under 19 or something like that and uh he just fell in love with stong

And he stay he play for the for the senior team he was Captain two time French champion of the second division and uh yeah he’s still he’s still here and he help um help the the club sometimes uh we when we have some bad guy uh doing some commission UPC

Commission help some guys well what he’s alluding to is when there’s a disciplinary panel for Basta which has happened a few times Phil’s the one that represents him which is quite nice yeah yeah so we’ve covered the can can we’ve covered the bag pipes we should probably

Talk rugby so mat Ireland are a well oiled machine we know how good they are but what did you make of the game in Mars from a French perspective um we was uh we was in shocked we was in shock because uh we all know it’s going to be a a tough

Game uh but I think after 5 10 minutes we was all like oh it’s going to be very hard and because we we don’t have we didn’t have ball um in defense we were poor in defense uh it was very very difficult and uh after after at the half time we said

Oh we are we are very lucky to just you know seven points uh to the to the Irish boys and um and yeah after the the red car we say oh we can’t we can’t win today but U um I’m I’m sure at maybe at with 15

Player 14 player is going to be the same result uh because Ireland was in another level at at this moment we were talking about it before you came on but Ireland was probably the worst team to play against as your first game after the World Cup do you get the sense there’s

Maybe a little bit of a hangover for the players both mentally and physically after their World Cup exit we don’t we did not have this feeling in France because uh you know uh in who was uh you know good in the Champions Cup uh with

Tus uh lelle in the at the end not in the beginning uh we was uh pretty confident you know and uh we said oh I think it’s a it’s a it’s a chance it’s the best occasion to to switch on new things after the the the L in um in

World Cup and uh it was a good opportunity again Ireland but um I think it’s it’s start changing two weeks before the game we when the medor start uh talking every day about the quarterfinal every day oh do you think uh the play um you know

The the pain uh of the of the after the lose against sou afast um as the player still thinking of that the super uh the CLA was change you know it was very very I think it was very difficult for the player to stay focus on Ireland

When all the people around the player ask about South Africa and Fabian gy has obviously done a very good job with this France side over the last four years they were so close at a home World Cup they were playing great rugby that’s just one game but he will obviously feel

The pressure this week you know him is there is there a danger that things will all imploded he will do certain things to get the players backs up or is this just a one-off and we’ll see a backlash this week and France will be back to

Their best you know in France uh it’s it’s it’s very different because you know when we lost a game we won’t change everything we won’t change everything and we we forgot is the first game of the six Nation you you you can always win the six Nation uh

So I think uh the confidence on Fabian G um um change little bit uh but we we all know if we if we if if we win in Scotland nobody um Talk on on on the is uh lost again so play the players and friendship need

To to just maybe uh stay focused on the game um and uh take take care of of them each other because uh you know after one game lot of uh uh critical on the Press about players coach uh um strategy everything just after one one game I think it’s because uh during

Maybe four years they they play so so well so well so now the fans and uh the Press are very um very critical yeah yeah they are very critical now because uh during four four years the they eat good food with the French team and now when you have maybe one

Time two time Pro food you are very critical they’re used to those high standards so when there was a dip in performance at the weekend there was a big reaction over here from the media from all the written media from all the like from social media as well every all

The comment all the comments and supporters were really harsh on the French team but there must be an appreci as well Matthew for the rising standards that the French team has had over the past Four Seasons because like we’ve had like different eras under different coaches before and it was a difficult

Period for French rugby whereas this is just a one-off game but the consistency in performance under Fabian has been much better and it has been well received right yeah and um you know we say in France we have a short memory we have a short memory uh

Me I was I was there when it was very difficult for the French team it was uh you know just we we finish maybe four five as a six nation was a terrible situation for the French team and uh and G arve with um a young generation and during fourth season

Um you know they put French team like where um where in the position all the all the amateur and friends want to see the French team compete with the best Nation so uh after one game you can’t you know uh um you know ask Revolution change the coaching uh

Bring back some player out some player it’s to it’s too easy it’s too easy it’s a new adventure uh it’s a new adventure uh okay it’s it’s a same uh coach um maybe 80% of the player was in the world cup but it’s a it’s it’s a new new

New cycle new cycle for the next World Cup um and but in front we are not passion so and Johnny’s been coached by Fabian out here and has told us what he’s like so from your point of view Fabian was your coach wasn’t he right at

The start of your career at stad for and then towards the end as well at tulon so give us an insight into what he’s like as a as a coach and as a man fa is maybe the best coach I had during my career um me gave me the opportunity to play in

Top 14 when I had 18 years old in Paris and uh for me it’s it was a I was lucky because uh at this moment in Center you had Liber meina Stang there was mamas there was all in national team and me I just come from my uh um um young young team

Of Massi in third division and uh and he gave me the the confident and I start my first game against tulus and uh to lose so it was a it wasn’t a good present because we lost but uh it’s like that but he’s he’s a better I think he’s the best

Technician I know I had a lot of great coach like Bern laort Bern laort is is I think he’s is the best I know for leading um the the players you know the men you after one speech of him you want to to go to you know to to to the war for

Him and uh it’s the management is very different and um after um it’s why it’s why I think a lot of people have confident of Fabian because they is the best so we we are not uh um you know we are not um um in danger but we are just after the

First station of the of the World Cup we expect you know it’s uh uh just uh um you know a mistake this lose or because of the referee and this game against irand maybe show us what we don’t want to see uh you know uh some you know the the problem on

The high ball uh you know some problem like that so sometime it’s uh very hard and difficult to to watch to see the Varity uh in front Johnny what matcha says there Echoes exactly what you’ve said about f faan g the best coach you’ve had technically brilliant but

Just listening to that comparison with Bernard leaport perhaps Mana management is the area one area perhaps where he might not be as strong as some other coaches so in that respect this will be a huge challenge this week won’t it because he’ll have to manage those players and

Get them back up you have to manage those players but I imagine and I imagine Basta will feel the same like there will be a big internal reaction from this group of players in that they’ve had that big disappointment at the World Cup now I think everybody was

Waiting for reaction to see something in Marseilles it didn’t come now I think from the player and that doesn’t have to be Fabian that drives that I think that from the players from Greg aldr from the captain from the senior players group from Gail fiku Joe danty they will all

Want to show a different face this weekend a different side of their game and prove something and so I imagine mat for you as well after having watched that game and that loss against Ireland now the French side they will expect a big reaction surely after losing after

Having lost at home there’ll be a dangerous and different animal at marfield this weekend yeah for sure for sure because uh um you know since four years it was like um um a fairy tale you know it’s like a fairy tale no um every everybody was um behind the

Team the fans Partners everything was was you know perfect for the player and now I think it’s the first time uh this team are under under pressure of the of the press and and um of the people you know who love this team so now they have to

To to show their their character in uh in in in edinb but we we are not me I’m not uh afraid uh I I know they’re going to be here after uh uh yes I’m confident they’re going to show another face but we we have to

To be humble because we’re going to play Scotland and Scotland um a magnific team with um my man’s the Scottish Messi Scottish M the S um wake me up at as the challenge Cup Final uh in Dublin my I didn’t take a contact like that a lot of my

Career but it wake me up and they have lot of um good players lot of talent so it’s it’s going to be a good game and um for us for the French team we we are waiting when I expect lot of characters lot of another face than highand and uh I

Think me if I’m if I play for Scotland I say I think it okay the losan Ireland the they play very bad against Ireland but I think this is a good moment to uh play against French team and you know um put him under pressure and uh maybe uh you know in the

In the I think the first 15 minutes uh for for this game will be very important because uh if we are under pressure and uh you know under under the high ball we will start lost Collision the ball you start you know thinking about last last week you say oh maybe the same

Things and it’s very different so if you were Fabian GTI and you’ve got Al alatas and you got the coaching staff there what would you be saying to your group of players and where do you think you could apply pressure to this Scottish team to beat them in edra I think um in

France we we talk uh a lot Stu with all the strategy the deposition uh game you know like uh we after after the LA after um South Africa uh we all start to to to speak about strategy how to play without the ball put pressure on the on the on the

On the opponent team but I think we are the the best when we have the ball when we uh play with intensity uh we have we have the chance to have some magical player like poeno Ramos Jal bear so just let this man play let them to play uh I

Know the T the tactic is very very important but you have this uh the talent in the in the team just make sure they are confident for um you know show their talent in the during the game and uh we all we we watch the game

Wales in Wales for the Scotland team we saw the second half when the when Wales puts intensity uh and and the passion it was hard for Scotland but at the same time I I don’t think Scotland going to be the same mistake so it’s why I think it’s going to be a

Great game before we come on to talking a bit about your career mat you this weekend selection will be interesting wi it because we friend of the show Paul Viller is obviously going to be missing Roman t f still out would you start P solo toang me yes because I I love this

Type of player but uh he’s he’s young he’s young I think we we we we have to we have to keep a process with him uh I don’t burn him too soon uh last week it was uh his first C against Ireland he he did did a good a good

Entrance and I think he he he still learned he still learned so let him let him time the six Nation learn and maybe this summer uh picking I think the tour is AAL Argentina Australia Argentina Argentina and you pick him for the the summer tour

And you give him um you know stter stter role but um I I will be happy if if he starts but I don’t want uh you know the they burn him too soon because it’s a huge game uh top 14 and French team and uh you know he play uh every weekend is

Um he play with Pino it’s not the same team it’s not the with all the respect I have for Perino that’s not the same level no you don’t play for the top you know the top place in top 14 so maybe the the the

Gap uh can be too too hard for him and we all know uh when you play your first C you are you you are Superman because you have the adrenaline you can do can run maybe for two days when you play your first C so we have to be passionate with him and

Uh don’t don’t burn him to soon let’s talk a little bit about the past now you’re newly retired 54 France caps do you have a favorite game a favorite memory from your career uh uh I think my first cup my first cup against Wales in

2009 it was a crazy story because uh I wasn’t on the squad and one player got injured the week on Tuesday and me uh I finished the training with uh with Paris I supposed to go to school but I was tired I say I don’t go to

School and my coach and my president start calling me and I was uh I was um I was scared because I said oh they know I didn’t go to school it’s I’m I’m in trouble and um I didn’t answer I didn’t answer I said or um

Thinking about what um I would say to to to them you know the the next day or um um I’m sick or something like that and after I say no okay I I call back the the coach and I say oh maybe because he

Won’t tell to me I want he wants me to play this weekend and he said oh what are you doing I say um I don’t feel good maybe maybe I’m sick he said ah you’re sick so you can go to the French team I said French team he said yeah

Yeah yeah Z need you one player is in ger so you are called by for the French team okay oh oh I was in in panic in shock say oh you feel better now yeah yeah yeah I feel better yeah and but the game was uh was perfect

For me uh I play with I think one of the greatest Center in the in the history J everybody was uh nice with me and uh I did not when they call me maybe because at this time they don’t call 30 or 42 player they call just 20 23 players

So I know I’m going to play but I didn’t know I’m going to start so um maybe maybe one one training session and he gives a team I say oh okay it’s something serious but yeah one of the my best memory and after the for sure the the Grand Slam in

2010 uh because I real realize uh what is it to to win something with a French team and uh I remember the when I was a kid and I watch all the all the player D do all the all of my idol uh to this and me I’m the now I’m the

Same place uh yeah good feeling yeah very special and I thought you were going to say your favorite memories were actually just beating Scotland because I’m fairly sure we played against each other six times and I won none and you won six so that was no contest as well I me like

Your International career was phenomenal Grand Slam what an achievement but then also on the club level I mean it was the club side of everyone’s dreams that you played with you started with st fron but finishing with tulon essentially the Barbarian side of the club landscape playing with Johnny Wilkinson Matt GTO

Littered with stars you won the Champions Cup three times so what was that like I think I’m the maybe I’m the luckiest player in the in the history because uh uh inste F and T I played with maybe the the best players uh you can have uh in St I play with Sergio

Par Juan Martin herandez Christo Domin play like that and uh some League Legend like maras uh and when I sign in tulo I was uh I was little bit nervous because uh when you play with um you know you arrive and and you have to play with Johnny

Mago B all of this Legend the the won the World Cup um you feel you I felt very small very small and uh I just say it’s a Well I think it’s a good occasion for me to learn to learn from them and it’s why

It’s it’s what I’m am it’s what I I did all the all the time I was with with them and uh for me it was my the best memories in my career is at this uh uh period of my life because uh every time I go to training I learn something every

Time every time uh I learn from journy from Matt I learned from Chris ma car man bis every time every day it was a Liston so um and me I remember I was the youngest in the in the in the gym and I I have the same sensation when we you know when

You coming out of the and just before you go on the field I just watch around me I was like whoa it’s it’s a Dream It’s a dream because you play with the one one to the 15 30 23 all all of Legend

So um I was lucky to to be part of this uh generation very modest I think they would all say they were lucky to play with you as well give you the ball get on the front foot Ste the ball back yes of course yes of course yes they was

Lucky there was lucky because uh uh when sometime we we had in a bad situation they give me the [ __ ] ball to me they’re wa weit mat here’s the ball get us over the front yeah yeah yeah oh we have BL oh [Laughter] B absolutely and you talk about learning

Just very briefly we all know you as a as a worldclass International Center and then at the end of your career you clearly Embrace that learning because you become a back rower so just talk through how difficult that is we know you went through a lot of injuries as

Well towards the end of your career which must have been mentally very difficult to get through but physically that transition from going from a center to a back row as well that shows a lot of character to do that yeah it’s a different R it’s not the same when you

Play backs and you play forward it’s it’s not the same thing and uh I remember after my first game I said oh I have to apologize uh a couple of time um um I scream on you guys because uh it’s very difficult because you have to you have

To lift you have to you have to leave run to the to the Rock uh and um you know uh know the the call in line out uh Know Your Role uh go everywhere on the on on the beitch it’s not it’s it’s like a marathon it’s like a m and

Uh um it’s why um I put lot of respect on the on the forward now because when you play backs uh when uh you know it doesn’t work you it’s easy to say oh oh what your lay out when I work for that when I sometime because every time every time and every

The forward was late uh when we do the collective training they are late because of the line out and when they miss a line out we all say when hour for that and the a that and the a that so after when I play for the fourward I I

Say oh okay I understand because it’s too difficult we have a so many calls for for for the line out and you have to keep it in your in your memory so yeah but for me it’s a it was uh I was La in school you know because um it’s so

Different backs and forward and me I was happy to learn something new at this you know stage of my career and it was a good good opportunity when they asked me if I want play back said N I was like oh you you you respect me uh because you

Think I’m I’m too I’m too old I’m not I don’t have the level anymore to play center so I was like yes they don’t respect me but after I take time to think of that I said yeah maybe it’s a good idea because um I’m I’m less faster than before and

Uh and if I want play uh longer maybe it’s a it’s a it’s a it’s a good it’s a good deal for me and uh and after a couple of training when I I try I said I like so let’s go I like show me the four-year contract and I’ll sign I

Like it yeah you and I love it as well but there’s the thing it was a massive because obviously outside Center is an incredibly difficult position to play in but your biggest I think the biggest thing you gave and you mentioned like for Johnny Wilkinson he had a front row

Ticket to the Basta show if there was ever a problem front football we need a Basta you can get it and then you just give it from a different position you giving it from number eight but I love the way that Tim finally we have confirmation from Matthew that

Actually the forwards and we knew this already but we’ve got now got a back that’s played forward has confirmed it that the forwards work harder they’re actually smarter there’s more to deal with um and it made me always think as well whenever I was doing scrum practice

Or lineup practice and I would look over and see the backs doing like kicking practice and just kicking the ball but I was like oh man I would love to be a back it’d be so much easier so it must been strange for you having gone from

The kicking practice and then going oh [ __ ] what am I doing over here pushing scrums which is not funun for any position front row is different but back row isn’t fun either but the one man when we look back at those two long days we’ve touched on some players the one

Man that everybody also loves talking about is Murad miss balal your old president and again you telling me a couple of nice story but like you must have some great stories which involve him as well from over the years at tulon M is it’s a great character you love him

You hate him but it’s a you have to respect him what he achieve in t long what he what he did for the club for the city you have to respect that after you love him you at it’s for him it’s it’s the same and me I remember after the first

Championship we won in Dublin and uh we said we don’t go out because we had we have the semifinal against tus uh the next week and we stay in the hotel and we celebrate in the hotel and maybe at 2 a.m. 3:00 a.m. uh we lost the

Trophy no trophy in the hotel we try to we we we don’t know and we ask the the security why is the trophy he said oh M take why you takeing so we have to go in the find The M room and we take back the trophy maybe

For two hours and he he he called the security of his Security man he said bring back the the trophy he said okay we let the trophy to to Mor but after all the bills all the C beer we put on his room Bill we put we put everything on his room and

Uh the the in the morning before he said oh I don’t understand why why I have to pay that it was all like and it’s a different era now at tulon and you are the team manager now so how are you finding life after playing in that role and give us an idea

Of what your job kind of involves on a day-to-day basis oh yeah it’s um it’s a it’s totally different for me it’s it was a good opportunity uh me I wanted to maybe play another season or stop and Coach under 18 but uh I felt my body was you know it

Was too difficult for me to for play another season so um I wanted to you know to to coach the under 18 and the coach Min asked me if I want to to to stay with uh with him with as under team manager um you know team manager uh it’s you

Know I know Tom withford you know but you never know all the job you have to do as a team manager so for me it was a you know it was a I take that like a new challenge new challenge and uh and uh and stay close to the to the team to

The new player new New Generation Um I I try to to give uh you know some um um advice uh what it mean to play for tulong uh because tulong uh is not the it’s it’s a play is very very um different than another another play in

France uh you have lot of pressure uh from the fans uh you know we say every time it’s like Mar in in football uh the people here are very um passionate they love rugby they love uh their club and they don’t like um when you when you cheat and

Um and when some me I remember when I signed for I had maybe one year of uh for My adaptation as the as a city and and in the city in the team so me I try to facilitate for the player uh to thing like that and uh and

You know and give some uh identi to the to to the team you sign for to okay now you are you are in to this is this is this this and this and not this and um I try to to give some Heritage to the new to to the new

Player um we all know it’s going to be the same than the my generation they have to create a new story but me I have to I am I’m here to help them to create that with some uh I think some standard you you need to have for play

For to and there’s no better man for the job that that’s the point that’s why Pierre has asked you to come back you are the link between the staff and the players the history and the players you’re there also like for the general mental health for the installation

Getting them settled pastoral care the whole nine yards so it’s a massive job and and I guess the question to you is like you’re doing this all for everyone else I know your Miss is about to drop with kid number three as well I’ve been in the same situation it’s it’s a hard

Stint at the end when you do finish so how are you finding in general the transition from playing to a completely different role has it been easy are you finding it difficult are you enjoying it uh in the beginning I uh um I take maybe one one or two month

To take my place because when you do when you play during maybe 16 17 years you do you you you did this uh every day every single day when you are in your office alone in your office for the first time in your life it’s totally strange but

Uh like I said I take that like a a challenge I I change you know my routine uh my routine days now I more time for my kids you know to bring my kid to the school uh take my K take my kids to the school too

So uh for me it’s it’s I think that like a very good opportunity to to have this job and and uh the pre you have pressure but the pressure is different it’s very different because uh me it’s all the organization the logistic around the team uh so uh you have the pressure of

The if the flight is is is late or the bus uh is late or something like that uh when you are player you are just focused on what you have to do and and uh that’s that’s okay that’s uh it’s okay I’ll I’ll deal with that my wife is little bit um um

Um um she she’s not happy because they never are they never yeah yeah she she’s not happy because she said that but you you travel like like when you play I say yes because I have to be here I said but it’s like when you play

So what I what I win in in in this story I said you say when I asked you you say me yes so now it’s too late and I’m assuming you’ve told her about this weekend oh yeah yeah yeah yeah I have to walk I go to I go to Scotland for the

For for the game you call that work you go to the Scotland with Johnny yeah yeah I say I go for work Johnny will’ll show you a good time I’m sure and call it work but finally Mata obviously it’s early days you’re doing bits in the media doing some corporate stuff with

Johnny as we just mentioned team manager at tulon you also said you wanted to coach the under 18s at tulon so have you had a chance to kind of map out what you might like to do in the future or is it a case of just trying lots of different

Things at the moment would you like to be I mean rapael ianz is the team manager at France is that the goal would you like to be a head coach a possessional coach no um you know uh at this at this moment of my career I

Didn’t know if I GNA come back for play or not with my injuries so I open you know I put on the table all the opportunity I can have it’s why I start last last year coaching uh little bit under um 18 and I like that

But it’s like the same when they asked me for the team manager and it was new and now I like that so um sometimes you have to to take some decision at this moment I’m a team manager of Tong I don’t have time to cach the under 18 but maybe in two years

Four years if I if I won’t stop I know and um I know I can have the opportunity to do this in too long because uh um they are very uh nice with me but I don’t have a a goal to be the team manager of the French team or no I’m I

Just want I’m happy to to to be in in Tong I just want uh uh anything anything I can do uh for you know put to Long uh like when I played in the top place in Europe uh and you know recreate something uh and uh that we I think we

We lost uh those years and um now it’s my only goals now Mata thanks so much for coming on and talking to us and good luck this weekend with the um work if we can call it that it’s a work it’s a work it’s a work hopefully you get to see a France

Win anyway at murfield yes yes but is is gonna be a tough game when I lose your work wife will show you a good time in Edinburgh anyway so it’s fine yeah yeah your only your only role is to make it back mate because you’ve got number three dropping next

Week is to not drink too much whiskey enjoy the game make it back safely and get home for the birth of your third child so mate well done thanks all for joining us and uh looking forward to this weekend should be epic yeah thank you thank you thank you we covered a lot

Of bases there with mat here but your work husband Johnny work wife I don’t know what we are whichever way around you are yeah we’re we’re gender fluid these days I don’t know what we are um he’s probably big spoon though let’s let’s not kill ourselves he’s a big old

Boy um but great to have him onck he’s he’s a great egg and loved by everyone over here he’s just and again he had that sort of when he was playing like the image of like big like baddy you know big bass that like he’s he’s a big

Softy really nice boy um and yeah like again doing different bits so working away with tulon he’s obviously been a legend of the club legend of the French team he’s Now setting up his own bits um I was filming with him yesterday so if you go on YouTube if you’re a

French if you can speak a bit French and tap in Basta show you’ll find his new show he did week one with Baptist Saran to preview France Ireland we did this week French to preview um Scotland France he’s dipping into different bits and and like all of us just finding his

Feet but um a top man and an absolute legend of the game so let’s carry on looking ahead to Scotland France then you’re obviously gon to be there with Basta what did you make of Scotland last week Johnny much has been said about it in the days afterwards what did that

Second half from Scotland say to you about them it it’s hard um I I think it shows what we already knew about Scotland which is that they can be absolutely fantastic and on their day give everyone a run for their money and then they can be Not Fragile but they’re also you can

Take them you know if you’ve got power and you generate intensity like Basta alluded to you can pressurize them on the gain line they then get squashed and they they panicked a little bit and C gave away penalties I think it some like 14 or 15 on the Trot um so there’s

Nothing we didn’t know when they have ball and they’re up against easy opposition easy Gatlin own his mission that first half that’s the worst 40 minutes rugby he’s ever produced as a coach they were shambles they won no line out ball no platform their kicking game was embarrassingly poor and it was

Easy for Scotland you had Ben White his kicking game superb uh Finn Russell as well superb and Scotland didn’t really have to do much to click into gear and when they did they’re outstanding second half and this is where the PTSD came in um 26 unanswered points you’re 27 nil up

If that’s New Zealand or South Africa it’s a a 60 or 70 point game I don’t care who the opposition are they just fot on the throat and they they crack on and they and they demolish you um where Scotland allowed them a foothold back into the game and Wales took it 26

Unanswered points in the second half so Jackel and Hyde and it doesn’t move us any further forward um again for the historians they’ll look back in five games time and it doesn’t matter what happened it’s it’s a box tick they won that game first time in 20 years and that they’ve won in

Cardiff so that’s all positive but the sort of manner is it the manner of it still doesn’t leave me completely convinced that Scotland are able to dying at the top table consistently with your South africas your new zealands your Frances and your irelands that’s still my um worry that being said

They’re at home this weekend where they have a recent decent track record against the French um they will feel confident um but I worry about this French team going over there um that they have been proded and it’s a sort of hornet nest that’s about to be

Unleashed um and if there is one area that Scotland won’t be able to cope with France it is that power game it is UPF front gain line collisions dant fiku Midfield it’s Greg aldri coming around the corner it’s atonio at scrum time it’s that power um a little bit less so

In the second row now looks like they might go with walkie and gabri lag if they don’t go too laggy but that’s the one bit that worries me for Scotland um is that power game you mentioned that obviously Scotland got their injuries as well Richie gr Crosby out but Grant

Gilchris Ry Doge back so arguably they might be improved in that respect but certainly if that is the the swap it’s it’s not losing too much perhaps in depth on the bench France’s selection we mentioned it a little bit with mat you said it there if it’s Gabriel

Aren wuki is that underpowered a little bit would you not go for someone a bit more physically dominating and you mentioned halagar who might might be on the bench yeah um but Scotland is sort of much of muchness the only danger I would say like Crosby being out as more

Of a physical presence darge then brings you the turnover presence of an out and out open side which they maybe didn’t have last week so that is if France have a bigger pack do you may be lacking speed therefore there’s opportunity for somebody like Doge who is exceptional

Over ball to generate that turnover ball that’s so hard to defend against so like Doge for me brings a real point of difference for Scotland um for France it’s weird I mean yes maybe if you’re removing a big old unit like Paul valmy at five you’re bringing inwa

But then you’re maybe probably boosting that line out that was shocking against the Irish so you maybe have a little bit less power but you’re getting back your set piece and your ball at source which you didn’t have last week which gives you a foothold in the game so I don’t

Know everything to be balanced then obviously you got too laggy and maybe Matias as he alluded to Hal coming off the bench but they’re very young this is the thing like Manny mafu would been more of a sure thing I would say like more game time more experience more

Knowhow around big games having been there and done it for to lose where too laggy and lag it’s a different level they’ve been playing at this year um so yeah maybe a little bit in power shift out the starting team but they need to short to short up their line out so you

Could see why they would bring those two boys in to start in the second row and are you predicting a France backlash are you predicting a Scotland win where is it going to be more than the loss is it that physicality again or do you think Scotland can play around France I don’t

Know you look at for instance the triy that Scotland generated um where Finn Russell essentially walked under and gave Duhan vanura two-on one and and that comes from the distance of pass from nine to a cell eliminating Defenders and then a second phase is repeating the same with that pod of two

Ofu Hugh Jones and friend Russell at the back that’s their pivot and that’s how they generate space if they were allowed to do that Mari field I think it could be difficult for France if France get the upper hand physically and with their Blitz defense at fifth at the full

Compliment with 15 men on the field I think they could beat Scotland at Mur field but like weirdly I think Scotland going to this game is favorites Um which I probably wouldn’t have said generally wouldn’t say but I just think given there hasn’t there hasn’t been too much change to the Scottish back room staff the players all know each other Inside Out France has a little bit of transition on certainty and therefore that knocks confidence either they come

Out Health leather and they obliterate everything or they come out and they get things wrong and against Finn Russell you don’t want to be over reading over chasing and getting things wrong and that’s where feel they might just have one or two opportunities that they create by defensive Creeks as we

Mentioned the defensive record four tries in the last couple of games uh and I feel like that might be exploited by um by Scotland also you look at how they wanted to kick against the Welsh I think Scotland will go to the air try and pressurize the French back three and

They won’t give them anything so I think it’ll be a tough came tight but I think Scotland might just Nick it which I know want appease or please our um French followers and fans but that’s where I’m going this weekend and a very quick word on the other games you were pretty

Scathing about England last week so I’m guessing you weren’t too impressed by them against Italy do you think they’ll beat Wales at Twickenham yeah I do um and I think they’ll have too much um and I still don’t think they show that much and they’re probably paying playing

Within themselves with the systems and structures and attacking templates that they’re using but I still feel even at maybe 85% of their full capacity they will beat Wales at twickers and then I actually the other team that I was really pleased for and impressed for were Italy under Gonzalo

Cada I mean they’re going to Ireland they’re not going to win in Dublin but that was a big positive statement performance I know they lost the game but touching distance of beating England um and I was really chough for gonzal cada coming in new coach well received

By everybody uh positive display um so it was really enjoyable to watch them play some nice stuff against English as well thanks Johnny big thanks to Matthew bastro for joining us and thanks to all you guys for listening make sure you hit subscribe leave us a nice review if you

Can check us out on Rugby pass and on YouTube and we’ll be back with another episode next week Johnny cheers [Applause] Mate