Pape: 'Scotland will be tough'
Veteran France lock Pascal Pape dismissed Six Nations opponents Scotland’s poor record over the past few years and said he anticipated a really tough match at Murrayfield on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Stade Francais star – who was one of France’s most consistent players at the World Cup climaxing with the 8-7 defeat in the final by the All Blacks – said the Scots may have lost their first two Six Nations matches but it told a false story.
“Sometimes they beat very good teams. Before the World Cup, they beat South Africa,” he said referring to the November, 2010, victory.
“They had a good World Cup (even though they went out in the pool stage for the first time).
“In the Six Nations they lost their first match at home to England (13-6) when to my mind they deserved to win the game. They lost to Wales (27-13) without deserving to. This team has not had the luck to win for the moment but they remain extremely dangerous.”
Pape, capped 34 times since making his debut in 2004, said that while others might predict an easy win for the French, who won their first game 30-12 against Italy before their second one was called off against Ireland, he and the rest of the French camp were not expecting a walkover.
“It will be a very difficult match, with a lot of rhythm,” said Pape.
“We know Scotland’s qualities, the speed with which they launch counter-attacks, the manner in which they manage to keep the ball, their lineout which is one of the best in Europe alongside that of the Irish.
“It risks being a complicated match but we have been warned, we know what we have to do and our objective is to win not only this one but all our matches.”
Pape, twice a member of a Grand Slam-winning side (in 2004 and 2010), said that the intimidating atmosphere at Murrayfield would only serve to fire up the French.
“Murrayfield is part of Six Nations mythology,” said Pape. “With their national anthem being taken up by their supporters it is pretty impressive.
“We feel that we are in Scotland, there is this infatuation with the Scottish team. For us the players, they are magnificent experiences and it is for this type of experience that we do this job.”
Pape said that it would be useful to be together with the rest of the squad for the next month without a break thanks to the Ireland match now being played on March 4.
“Four weeks if everything goes well! Nobody is certain of staying, it is after all a selector’s choice,” said Pape, who has scored three tries for his country.
“We all know that we have to put an enormous effort into every match and that the French team belongs to everybody.
“But I hope we spend four weeks together because that would mean we had good results and that we have won matches.
“Ninety percent of the players were at the World Cup. We all experienced living together, of supporting one another.”
AFP
