Philippe Blain (Japan): “France? It was the team I didn’t want to play.”

Philippe Blain (Japan coach): “France was the team I didn’t want to play. We have five days to try to prepare for the match. Our last experience against France was not very positive. Even if we had led in the first set, they had demonstrated superior qualities to ours and greater efficiency. For us to reach the eighth is already a good goal, we have to learn to play these teams from the very top of the table. We come across the reigning Olympic champion, the step is high, but the important thing is that we have the best match against this team and if we manage to get things out of it, so much the better. »