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

[cyRil]

Damn, didn't know Priestland was out. That's a mighty blow for Wales..

If you'd said that to me 3 months ago...

 

[TVH11]

Is someone going to teach Jonathan Davies how to pass this week?

or should I say run and pass at the same time?

I like your thinking, glad to see someone else feels the same way as me - although he took his try well against Ireland.

Unfortunate to hear of priestland, just seen Hook is started at 10. Time for him to show his worth i guess - he says he's a 10, moving away from wales to play 10 so nows his chance to prove he can do it (and should be doing it?). Exiting suff!! 2 more sleeps

 

[TRF_Olyy]

If you'd said that to me 3 months ago...

I've been saying he should be Wales flyhalf for bloomin' ages, and you all scoffed at me

NOW WHO'S LAUGHING?!

 

[Getofmeland]

The Welsh?

 

[docdm21]

Parra to kick penalties instead of Yachvili... he also has quite a good rate since the beginning of the competition (82%). Anyway, I'm still wondering how having "quite-injured" Yachvili on the field is still better than finally setting up the Parra/Trinh-Duc pair for this semi-final.

(source L'Equipe: http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/breves2011/20111012_234551_parra-buteur.html)

 

[Draggs]

I've been saying he should be Wales flyhalf for bloomin' ages, and you all scoffed at me

NOW WHO'S LAUGHING?!

You were banging on about fullback for a while so don't take all the credit.

Why is Trinh-Duc being ignored? Not one of Lièvremont's favourites?
I'd quite like to see Traille at outside half if Yachvili doesn't make it...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

You were banging on about fullback for a while so don't take all the credit.

Pfft, I always started out saying he should be 10, then when that got laughed at too much it progressed to "Well at least put him at 15, he can't be worse than Byrne!"

 

[Charles]

I will feel very sorry for Wales if they lose as they have been playing great rugby, but I feel that if France is intersted and manage to take the lead like they did against England it could be very hard for Wales. I don't think we've had our one big game yet. We were just ****** off and wanted to make a point against the English, but we basically took the foot off the pedal in the 2nd half.
We could also be total crap, of course. We're French, after all.


ps: everybody is talking about the defense of Parra but I don't think I've seen him shy away in defense yet...

 

[barthelemy]

Why is Trinh-Duc being ignored? Not one of Lièvremont's favourites?
I'd quite like to see Traille at outside half if Yachvili doesn't make it...

We do not know why TD is not pickep in the starting squad (Problems with other players ??..). We can only acknowledge, With the nice match of our backline against England, Parra is not a bad choice for the french team (and specifically the relation he has with Mermoz..) . It is slightly strange from Lievremont to let a bit down his almost only fly half he plays with since he is the boss...It does not make sense :huh:...Must be a French thing

Traille ?? No thank you sir ! I'm not a very big fan of Traille...Though He can still do the job and his polyvalence is appreciated but we have better players for now in my opinion..Medard is superior to him at the back...I rate Mermoz, Parra, TD, Rougerie largely ahead of Traille.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD] France [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] Wales [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Maxime Médard [/TD][TD] 15 [/TD][TD] Leigh Halfpenny [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Vincent Clerc [/TD][TD] 14 [/TD][TD] George North [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Aurélien Rougerie [/TD][TD] 13 [/TD][TD] Jonathan Davies [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Maxime Mermoz [/TD][TD] 12 [/TD][TD] Jamie Roberts [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Alexis Palisson [/TD][TD] 11 [/TD][TD] Shane Williams [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Morgan Parra [/TD][TD] 10 [/TD][TD] James Hook [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dimitri Yachvili [/TD][TD] 9 [/TD][TD] Mike Phillips [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Imanol Harinordoquy [/TD][TD] 8 [/TD][TD] Toby Faletau [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Julien Bonnaire [/TD][TD] 7 [/TD][TD] Sam Warburton (c) [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Thierry Dussautoir (c) [/TD][TD] 6 [/TD][TD] Dan Lydiate [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Lionel Nallet [/TD][TD] 5 [/TD][TD] Alun Wyn Jones [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Pascal Pape [/TD][TD] 4 [/TD][TD] Luke Charteris [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Nicholas Mas [/TD][TD] 3 [/TD][TD] Adam Jones [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] William Servat [/TD][TD] 2 [/TD][TD] Huw Bennett [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jean-Baptiste Poux [/TD][TD] 1 [/TD][TD] Gethin Jenkins [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dimitri Szarzewski [/TD][TD] 16 [/TD][TD] Lloyd Burns [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Fabien Barcella [/TD][TD] 17 [/TD][TD] Paul James [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Julien Pierre [/TD][TD] 18 [/TD][TD] Bradley Davies [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Louis Picamoles [/TD][TD] 19 [/TD][TD] Ryan Jones [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Francois Trinh-Duc [/TD][TD] 20 [/TD][TD] Lloyd Williams [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] David Marty [/TD][TD] 21 [/TD][TD] Stephen Donald [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Cédric Heymans [/TD][TD] 22 [/TD][TD] Scott Williams [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Stephen Donald discovered a Welsh granny, has he?

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Yes, Stephen Jones is on the bench for the All Blacks

 

[dullonien]

Yes, Stephen Jones is on the bench for the All Blacks

That's not a fair trade!

 

[psychic duck]

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR]
[TD]France [/TD]
[TD]Who better?[/TD]
[TD] Wales [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Médard[/TD]
[TD]=[/TD]
[TD]Halfpenny[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Clerc[/TD]
[TD]=[/TD]
[TD]North[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Rougerie[/TD]
[TD]Rougerie[/TD]
[TD]Davies[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Mermoz[/TD]
[TD]Roberts[/TD]
[TD]Roberts[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Palisson[/TD]
[TD]Williams[/TD]
[TD]Williams[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Parra[/TD]
[TD]Parra[/TD]
[TD]Hook[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Yachvili[/TD]
[TD]Yachvili[/TD]
[TD]Phillips[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Harinordoquy[/TD]
[TD]Harinordoquy[/TD]
[TD]Faletau[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Bonnaire[/TD]
[TD]Warburton[/TD]
[TD]Warburton[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dusautoir[/TD]
[TD]Dusautoir[/TD]
[TD]Lydiate[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Nallet[/TD]
[TD]Jones[/TD]
[TD]Jones[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Papé[/TD]
[TD]Papé[/TD]
[TD]Charteris[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Mas[/TD]
[TD]=[/TD]
[TD]Jones[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Servat[/TD]
[TD]Servat[/TD]
[TD]Bennett[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Poux[/TD]
[TD]Jenkins[/TD]
[TD]Jenkins[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Szarzewski[/TD]
[TD]Szarzewksi[/TD]
[TD]Burns[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Barcella[/TD]
[TD]James[/TD]
[TD]James[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Pierre[/TD]
[TD]Davies[/TD]
[TD]Davies[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ouedraogo[/TD]
[TD]Jones[/TD]
[TD]Jones[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Doussain[/TD]
[TD]Doussain[/TD]
[TD]Williams[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Trinh-Duc[/TD]
[TD]Trinh-Duc[/TD]
[TD]Jones[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Heymans[/TD]
[TD]Heymans[/TD]
[TD]Williams[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]



gosh on paper these teams are very very even

 

[Macsen]

One factor that could make a difference on the day is that this French team are doing their own thing without the input from their coaching team. Apparently Lievermont just let them watch a tape of the France and Wales game without leading them through it and pointing out strengths/weaknesses, etc. You have to wonder if the French will have their tactics right for the game. The Welsh team have probably been through everything in minute detail.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Thing with France, though, is they'll play better when they've got no absolutely no idea what's going on

 

[Mr.cyclopede]

Don't be mistaken, this "private" video screening doesn't obligatory mean that the team is in auto management mode, but maybe just a way for the players to loosened tongues between them. It's an ordinary process that is frequently used here when people get the conscience of any special/critical situation, or to help them to realize some facts.

No disrespect to any hierarchy here, so I don't think they threw or will throw away everything coming out from the coach's mouth.

 

[Dizzy]

I have to agree, the french are the most unpredictable squad in history. They fire up and the most random times. But judging on this World Cup performance, I'd say North has been far more effective than Vincent Clerc. He has been a damn beast for the Welsh.

 

[TVH11]

1 more sleeps although it should be 2 sleeps (busy work schedule 2morro means i shall not be sleeping, so I shall be going straight to the Millennium stadium to join everyone after doing a 9pm til 8 am shift ).

Never have I been so psyched for a match!! I have faith that we can do it, but as usual You just don't know with the french team (what will turn up???).

EXITED!!!!!!!!

 

[Dizzy]

I'm confident the Welsh will pull away with the win. Roberts is going to be a damn revelation.