shox: More discipline [on LAN]

It took two months for the G2 team to make it to a LAN event, but when they finally did it, they instantly put up an impressive showing, walking over Ninjas in Pyjamas on Inferno.

To find out more about the preparation, Edouard "⁠SmithZz⁠" Dubourdeaux's coaching, the double AWP and playing against Ninjas in Pyjamas, we talked to Richard "⁠shox⁠" Papillon.

Let's start with the match you just played, a legendary matchup in a way, NiP and you guys—the best French team. How did you feel coming into it, did you expect anything special, how did you prepare and stuff like that?

We didn't expect things from them as they just added draken, you can never expect how a team will play when they add a new player. We were just focusing on our game and how we are trying to work from the beginning of the team.

You got the pistol round and then you went for the double AWP pretty early, on Inferno. Is that something you specially practiced or think that works, where does the decision come from?

There was no special tactic or decision about it, it was all about momentum. Kenny will always play with the AWP, basically it comes down to me and if I want to play it or not.

Before, on the old inferno, double AWP was seen from time to time but it wasn't something you would see a lot of. Do you think that changed now with the new version of Inferno?

I think it's too early to say something this because the map is kinda new and every team plays the map differently. It will depend, sometimes it will work, sometimes it wont. I think we will see in three or for months if we can really play with it or not.

On your CT side you were off to a great start and built up a strong lead. Were you surprised at all that NiP couldn't adapt since you were doing the same things all the times, getting picks on banana? What do you think was the problem from their side?

Definitely, we had a lot of rounds where we were 5v4 and we just had to secure these rounds. Everything went perfectly for us. I don't know if there was a reason for it or not, but we are a team that has more discipline when we are together, on a bootcamp or a event like this for example.

You can definitely see the difference, because online, sometimes it's hard because people are not 100% focused. I can understand that, though, because it's hard to put yourself like 200% every day, for eight hours a day, alone behind your computer. So coming to this event, I wasn't really caring about online results, I just wanted to see how it would go on LAN. It's just the beginning so I can't really say more, but I'm really happy with the team and how we played this map.

As you said, on LAN it's always a different feeling, was it hard just competing online all this time?

It was really hard, we are all competitors and we all used to go to LAN's every month. It was really weird and frustrating sometimes, definitely, but overall I think that it was the better thing for us to have the time to prepare as much as we can because we are a new team and everything is new, we have players that have never played together and we are trying to put together a game plan that the players didn't play before.

Talking about new things, SmithZz is now in the coaching role, did he have any special input regarding this match and how do you feel about him in general?

In general he is doing a really good job, he is taking over his role more and more. It's still new for him, I think when you are a player for 10 years and you are trying to become a coach it's kinda hard because it's not about knowledge of the game but how to control certain players, certain personalities. It's also manager work, you have to do both. Everything is new for him and he is just growing in his role week after week. We can definitely feel it.

In four-five months when he will be more adapted to the role it will be easier for him to make a call or whatever. The end of the last year was really hard for him and his confidence, so when he decided to quit the player role and become a coach, without confidence it's really hard. As a coach you need to go and say you have to do this and this. He needs some time but he is starting to do it in the last two-three weeks. It's working really well, everyone is listening to him, he has really good ideas and overall I'm really happy with how he is fitting with the team today.

Looking forward, is there anyone you want to face?

Not particularly, I just want us to play how we are trying to play since the beginning of the team. We want to do a specific thing, now we try it on LAN and see if it works or not… I don't have any specific results in my mind coming into this event, I just want to see if what we are working on is working for us and to have some reference matches, because online you never know. I'm just looking forward to it and how the team will build.

Professeur writes for HLTV.org and can be found on Twitter.