SHAUN EDWARDS: President Macron drank a beer and I fist bumped Kylian Mbappé! The defense coach takes Mail Sport to the jubilant French dressing room after the win over the All Blacks
We had a great time in the changing rooms after our opening win over the All Blacks.
A few French footballers came and it was great to see this unity. I just came out of the shower and Kylian Mbappe was there. I gave him a fist bump and said “respect,” and he responded!
President Emmanuel Macron was also there. He always has a few bodyguards with him, but they are quite discreet.
I spoke a little French to him and said: “Chaque fois vous attendz, nous gagnon” – whenever he comes to watch, we win. He was there three times and we won them all. The boys gave him a beer and made him drink it in one while they all cheered him on. He was a good athlete.
I’ve really enjoyed the World Cup so far and it obviously helps when you win. It takes two or three days to recover from 9pm games because you can’t sleep for a night. You don’t get to bed until 3:30, so I was tired but happy.
Host France began the Rugby World Cup with a 27-13 win over New Zealand in Paris
President Emmanuel Macron (right) has been a good luck charm for the French team so far
The heat has been a big factor so far. In the past I have said that it is an advantage for Southern Hemisphere teams to come into World Cup contention stronger from the Rugby Championship, but this time it is different. They have their winter behind them – while teams like France, Wales and England have had their training camps in very hot weather.
Friday night was one of the hottest 80 minutes I’ve ever experienced at a game. It was 37°C on the pitch. I saw Floyd Mayweather indoors in Las Vegas and the heat was nothing compared to Paris. The ball was very slippery and there was a lot of fatigue.
Thirteen points was the least we’ve conceded since the 2011 World Cup final against New Zealand, so I was happy with the defensive performance.
So many attempts come from pick-and-gos or shots inside the 22, and we did a pretty good job of keeping them out. A lineout or scrum from five yards out inevitably resulted in a penalty or a try or even a yellow card. The All Blacks did not have a lineout or a scrum in our 22 line throughout the game. That’s the plan: keep them out of the 22nd squad. Defensively we have conceded less than 20 points in our last three games and that is a goal. If we continue to pull out these numbers, I will be happy.
We have made a lot of changes to the team for our game against Uruguay, but we want to maintain the same level of performance.
It was nice to sit down and watch the other games over the weekend knowing we had a win. I prefer watching them in the privacy of my room, taking some notes and always working on them! We had a buffet dinner and I took my plate upstairs and watched the England game by myself. I really enjoyed watching George Ford overcome the drop goals. It’s really good that he finally got the recognition he deserves. He is one of the smartest players I have ever seen.
He could be an outstanding coach one day and I would love to work with him. It was brilliant to adapt so quickly after being reduced to 14 players and think, “You know what, it’s going to be difficult to get tries.”
Damian Penaud (left) scored a crucial try for France against New Zealand
Football stars Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann cheer on France in the stands
I celebrated the opening win against the All Blacks by giving Mbappé a fist bump
I was extremely impressed with England’s defense and their change of strategy. Courtney Lawes was a rock. They completely dominated the previously very good Argentine team. It was a truly groundbreaking achievement.
When it comes to the real thing, England is always there, or close by. For me they were the most impressive artists in the northern hemisphere. Ireland weren’t playing against an equally strong opponent, but it was clear they were only focused on themselves. First class from a well-rehearsed team.
The Springboks stood out in the Southern Hemisphere. They were suffocated. I looked at all the set pieces and it was so difficult for Scotland to get a clean ball out of a scrum or lineout. It’s so difficult to achieve a consistent form of attack when you don’t have regular possession of the ball.
The national anthems were discussed with the great children’s choirs. I have to say, I was really looking forward to the anthem, but everyone was out of sync! It’s good that they’re changing it. The adults sang faster than the children. As they say in rugby: keep it simple!