Rugby
KweséESPN Staff 7y

French admit to doubts after heavy losses against Springboks

Rugby

Doubt has crept into the French ranks after conceding close to 40 points in two successive matches against South Africa, centre Gaël Fickou admitted.

The Springboks clinched their three-match series against the France with a match to spare after a 37-15 victory in the second Test in Durban.

"Doubt is inevitable, I'm not going to lie. If we do not doubt after twice conceding 37 points in a row, it is because we are not players of a decent level and we have no business to be here. The doubt is there, the nervousness is there, the disgust is there," Fickou told reporters as France stayed behind at their Umhlanga Rocks hotel to prepare for the final Test against South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

"I know what I'm saying, I'm disgusted, because we train all year, we make enormous sacrifices -- I'm not complaining about that because that is what I chose to do -- but the results have not come.

"So we have to work two or three times harder to reach the level of the Springboks, because they have two arms and two legs like us, but they are twice as strong. So it's annoying and disappointing. We will continue to work and hopefully we will come back stronger."

Fickou, one of the stars of the French side, said he felt the performance at King's Park Rugby Stadium on Saturday had been better than the first Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria where the final score was 37-14.

"We were better than last week but absent at certain moments of the game. Little worked out for us from the third minute when we got the first try. We know that when playing teams, one must be very rigorous, almost perfect in your play. You cannot get away with any mistakes.

"There is one test left. We'll go back to work, do everything to try to win or at least rival our opponents and raise our heads high."

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