RWC Semi Final: France - Wales (15-08-2011, 21:00)

[TRF_RC]

...I still think it's a 50/50 game.

I agree with you 100%!
I can't see a clear cut winner here. France have too much class in their side to not be considered a strong chance to win this game. Remember the team that had a sub par pool in 07 then beat the all blacks in the QFs?
That kind of a performance sticks in my mind...

 

[dullonien]

]

Hougaard strolled right through your defence in the opening game, if that aint a line break I don't know what a line break is.

Yeh, so would I. This was a stat brought up by Scrum V before the Fiji match. Not sure where they got it from, as I too thought at least Hougaard broke the line. I'm not sure I believe ESPN's stats either, they're always quite far off the stats given as the game is progressing. I remember one Wales game where they gave a stat of Lydiate making ~19 tackles with 15min to go, then afterwards on ESPN's website his tackling stat was only ~15 or so.

Either way, I'll take back what I said, as I was clearly wrong.

 

[RedCard]

Might be ever so slightly controversial here as many are giving 50/50 chance but I reckon Wales are 70/30 imo. This is based on RWC form and nothing more. I'm certainly not saying France aren't capable of winning as they have a huge amount of class players but I'm thinking it's going to be a fairly comfortable win for Wales. I actually hope they stuff France for their own good and then we finally see the end of Lievremont. They have great players with an entertaining style of play and a complete knob of a coach.

I actually think France need to take another big step up in what we have seen so far from them to be competitive. They traditionally do step up in the RWC but I think that was last week against the old enemy as that was enough incentive to bring the team together. Wales will be to physical and fit compared to what France have been doing thus far. If they don't get their noses in front by 60 minutes I think Wales will ease away.

Having said that it's all about 2 very capable teams on the day and Wales could buckle under the expectation and France have the weight lifted off their shoulders and play like we know they can.

Looking forward to a great game. I'm sure I'll be bottling it with my prediction as the game gets closer as it's not natural having confidence in Wales.

 

[Saintjay]

Might be ever so slightly controversial here as many are giving 50/50 chance but I reckon Wales are 70/30 imo. This is based on RWC form and nothing more. I'm certainly not saying France aren't capable of winning as they have a huge amount of class players but I'm thinking it's going to be a fairly comfortable win for Wales. I actually hope they stuff France for their own good and then we finally see the end of Lievremont. They have great players with an entertaining style of play and a complete knob of a coach.

I actually think France need to take another big step up in what we have seen so far from them to be competitive. They traditionally do step up in the RWC but I think that was last week against the old enemy as that was enough incentive to bring the team together. Wales will be to physical and fit compared to what France have been doing thus far. If they don't get their noses in front by 60 minutes I think Wales will ease away.

Having said that it's all about 2 very capable teams on the day and Wales could buckle under the expectation and France have the weight lifted off their shoulders and play like we know they can.

Looking forward to a great game. I'm sure I'll be bottling it with my prediction as the game gets closer as it's not natural having confidence in Wales.

Lievrmont is going regardless, I think this will still be the case even if they win the cup. Much llike England of 2007, the French players are pretty much taking things upon themselves now. Tactics in the game etc,etc.

As usual it will be very important to get on the board early for Wales, as French heads should go down. Let them build a margin of about ten points and your going to be struggling to get it back.

 

[cyRil]

Yeh, so would I. This was a stat brought up by Scrum V before the Fiji match. Not sure where they got it from, as I too thought at least Hougaard broke the line. I'm not sure I believe ESPN's stats either, they're always quite far off the stats given as the game is progressing. I remember one Wales game where they gave a stat of Lydiate making ~19 tackles with 15min to go, then afterwards on ESPN's website his tackling stat was only ~15 or so.

Either way, I'll take back what I said, as I was clearly wrong.

Does it count as a line-break if you're defending on your own line? Cos that's pretty much where we were, right?

 

[scarlets-fan]

I don't like it when Wales are favourites, it tends not to have a happy ending for us. I think we'll be clinical and defensively organised on Saturday, and if France win despite this then they will have pulled off a special performance the way that only France can.

 

[Saintjay]

I don't like it when Wales are favourites, it tends not to have a happy ending for us. I think we'll be clinical and defensively organised on Saturday, and if France win despite this then they will have pulled off a special performance the way that only France can.

Make the most of it, and enjoy the feeling. It's been a pretty long time since you have been favourites against France. Clive Woodward always said it was better to be favourites, it means your doing things the right way.

 

[Groundhog]

come on wales. dont have a clue how this will go it would be just like france to pull out a massive performance now after such bad form

 

[dullonien]

I don't like it when Wales are favourites, it tends not to have a happy ending for us. I think we'll be clinical and defensively organised on Saturday, and if France win despite this then they will have pulled off a special performance the way that only France can.

Not sure if this is true. Everyone says that Wales can't cope with the favourites tag etc.etc., but looking back to the two recentish grand-slams, be were favourites in most of the games after being underdogs in the first of each campaign. We didn't struggle with the two grand-slam winning games against Ireland and France, and we were favourites going into both of them. I can't think of another time when we've gone into a big game as favourites, possibly against SA in the Millennium last Autumn where SA were fielding a mostly second string side. We lost that day when we probably should have won.

 

[RedCard]

Wales seem to have developed through the tournie with their attitude. This is the main change with the team imo. Where they previously struggled with that mental attitude they now seem to have that top 2% working. The whole work ethic has now upped to another level with their desire to achieve. Just hope this is going to carry on rather than implode like we have seen in the past. It does seem different to the previous GS years though. When we have seen teams like England, Ireland and Sanzar scrape wins when outplayed (doesn't happen to often with the Sanzar teams granted) this has mostly been down to the mental edge they have developed. The expectation to win rather than good losers.. It's been getting a bit boring waiting for Wales to snatch defeat from the jaws of success.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

vBookie Wales-France

I added the vBookie for this NH clash. Who will make the final? France for the 3rd time (and 2nd in NZ) or Wales for the first time?

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD] France [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] Wales [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Maxime Médard [/TD][TD] 15 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Vincent Clerc [/TD][TD] 14 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Aurélien Rougerie [/TD][TD] 13 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Maxime Mermoz [/TD][TD] 12 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Alexis Palisson [/TD][TD] 11 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Morgan Parra [/TD][TD] 10 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dimitri Yachvili [/TD][TD] 9 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Imanol Harinordoquy [/TD][TD] 8 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Julien Bonnaire [/TD][TD] 7 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Thierry Dussautoir (c) [/TD][TD] 6 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Lionel Nallet [/TD][TD] 5 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Pascal Pape [/TD][TD] 4 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Nicholas Mas [/TD][TD] 3 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] William Servat [/TD][TD] 2 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jean-Baptiste Poux [/TD][TD] 1 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dimitri Szarzewski [/TD][TD] 16 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Fabien Barcella [/TD][TD] 17 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Julien Pierre [/TD][TD] 18 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Louis Picamoles [/TD][TD] 19 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Francois Trinh-Duc [/TD][TD] 20 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] David Marty [/TD][TD] 21 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Cédric Heymans [/TD][TD] 22 [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[Dougydeluxe]

I really want wales to win this, they have backed themselves. Unlike the french, who seem to show up when they want to.

 

[Dizzy]

Not starting Trinh-Duc works in Wales favour IMO. I'm really looking forward to big Jamie Roberts in this game, the man is a freak...

 

[igy]

i think Wales have a great team and i really wante them to go to the final but i don't know, i got a feeling the France will take this one. weel, lets wait and see...not really a fan of waiting tho lol.

 

[scarlets-fan]

Just found out i'm working at 10:30! AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Will have to watch the first half and then ignore everyone all day till I finish.

 

[TVH11]

well ive just found out im dj'ing 10 till 2 on friday night. The problem is that its up in Durham, meaning that i have a 5 hour journey up and then another 5 hour journey back and im still gonna go to the stadium to watch the match (as in the screening in the millennium stadium). I'm gonna be smashing down the relentless to stay awake Im so frikin exited for this game I just cant wait

 

[Luckystrike]

Some of the post remind me the posts before England-France: Wales will win this, France will pose no threat, etc... Good for the French motivation... France has just started their WC in the Quarter finals, I personnaly see this game as a 50-50 chances. Good luck to both teams, I just hope the winner will go then all the way!

 

[GarethEWilliams]

Some of the post remind me the posts before England-France: Wales will win this, France will pose no threat, etc... Good for the French motivation... France has just started their WC in the Quarter finals, I personnaly see this game as a 50-50 chances. Good luck to both teams, I just hope the winner will go then all the way!

I think most people have been saying this is 50/50 and, and I am definitely one of them! Also not sure how much the French team look at these discussion boards for their motivation, if they do then they have a problem! Actually maybe this is why the French are so unpredictable. So if they French guys arfe reading this then I think you are great and we all love you, please dont hurt us to much

 

[TVH11]

Yer wouldn't say this is the same as England vs France, i'd say the majority of us have more respect for france than is evident in the thread. Would not say that Wales are favorites at all. Yes we have confidence in our abilities and game plan, but this is the furthest we have ever been in a world cup. France must be psychological favorites and arguably both teams seem very equal in the physicality department, so it looks to be a very interesting tie indeed
Hopefully Gatland does not change too much, with only injury forced changes made (looking like Priestland is only doubt)
Experience, flair and unpredictability of France vs The Youth, confidence and form of Wales. Tasty indeed!!!!