"I'm not the only player who goes back and forth": not selected against Italy, Jalibert reacts

Not included in the 23 French players to face Italy on Sunday and having returned to his club Bordeaux-Bègles after contracting gastroenteritis, fly-half Matthieu Jalibert felt that competition in the Blues "is part of the game" , accepting "a role a bit in between" with the French XV.

"It's part of the game. I'm not the only player who goes back and forth" between Marcoussis and his club, declared Matthieu Jalibert (26 years old, 35 caps) on Canal+ after Bordeaux-Bègles' victory against Clermont (22-18) for the 17th day of the Top 14.

Ill, Jalibert had returned to Bordeaux during the week "so as not to contaminate" his teammates in Bleu, he explained, and would only have had a reserve role in Rome in the best case scenario, the coach Fabien Galthié having preferred the usual full-back Thomas Ramos to the fly-half position to face Italy in the Six Nations Tournament.

When I have the chance to play I give 100%, when I come back I give 100% with my club

Matthew Jalibert

"I was lucky enough to stay in the 42 and in the 23 for years," said Jalibert, who started against Clermont. "Now I have a bit of a role in between, sometimes I stay, sometimes I go out. When I have the chance to play I give 100%, when I come in I give 100% with my club."

"I will continue to work to try to get back in the blue jersey," added the UBB fly-half, who had started at Twickenham during the narrow French defeat in England (26-25). "It's part of a career. Sometimes you're at the top, and sometimes it's a bit more complicated and you have to hang on, and we'll see what happens," concluded Jalibert. The French XV, who won a crushing victory against the Italians on Sunday (73-24), face Ireland in Dublin on March 8 for the 4th day of the Six Nations Tournament, in a crucial match for the final victory.