2014 6 Nations: France vs Ireland (Round 5)

[Peat]

Nice article from Flannery here

http://www.joe.ie/rugby/rugby-featu...g-one-v-france-and-his-life-with-the-bodster/

 

[Big Ewis]

so Grand Slam to both our women and youngsters. Les Bleues, and les bleuets.
If we were just in a normal world, we should've achieved it this year too probably as playing like absolute arses and with more injuries than there are players at all in some nations we still managed 3 of 4 and would win tomorrow most probably. Cardiff, especially the state Wales is in, was a definite possibility with a proper gameplan and mentality...
Would've made a magnificent 3 out of 3 Grand Slams for France.

aaaaanyways:
tomorrow is the day. I must give my prediction. Ireland isn't going to crush France. But they're not going to lose either. If France at least had its important starters (Fofana, Dusautoir, Kayser) and a properly structured third row...but it's probably going to be, I'd say.....mmm....Ireland by 6-9.

 

[Big Ewis]

Hey Ireland, can you beat France tomorrow so England doesn't win the tournament ??

 

[Shaggy]

yes the U20 and our ladies are on track for potential GS. Of course French rugby is on the verge of near collapse and a hostile take-over by hordes of foreign mercenaries. I reckon defeat 2morow will just about tip us over the edge and...

so they say here anyway http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/03/23...-french-rugby/
it must be true then..this is how it looks like from down under

... Oh absolutely not ... not only does this article originate from the SH, but the link was originally posted by me, and as I have a New Zealand flag under my name, I OBVIOUSLY have nothing to worth contributing to the relative strengths of the French national side ... it's probably my "insular Kiwi mentality', because of Sheep Farming, right FF ... not the fact that ineligible (for France) players take up spots, for elligible, French players.

>>its the insular Kiwi mentality. They think because they have the AB everything should run like NZ. Sheep farmers think that way.

... your probably better to take FF's opinion, as he's so persistent in making his point, despite my acknowledgement that this topic has been covered in depth, on another thread, and that I didn't want to pursue it anymore.

Indeed, I can't predict the results of games that will never be played between the French national side, and top French club sides (as he can) ... but to be fair, he could do that 20 years ago, when he KNEW that the clubs could beat the national side then, and they didn't have foreign players then ... and he hasn't been proved wrong, has he?

As we all know, U20 Six nations success ALWAYS translates into full international domination in the men's game, and as there's clearly a plan in place that's blooding potential international men's players in the Women's game, and thus strengthening your men's side, I'll just jump on the band wagon (if I'm allowed), and blame it all on the coach's selections, just as the blame went on the previous coach, and probably the one after this one also.

 

[Big Ewis]

what happens...if O'Driscoll scores 3 tomorrow ?
I think we're looking at a possible invasion of the Irish people over France. Like just some spontaneous biochemical reaction in Irish citizens' brains. Bam. They're all over France, never knew what happened, next thing they knew they had been living in Paris for some weeks...president of course, is BOD.

There's a possibility they draw out of the next World Cup, judging that they're just a caliber beyond what the basic Rugby mind can perceive and process, and stay in Ireland with nobody watching it.

Either all Irish people renounce their Catholic faith and immediately start a BOD cult following with blood sacrifices, virgins, sheep, and war dances - or Christianity is revived tenfold as BOD is seen as the second coming of Christ. Churches will never have been fuller...

 

[CAB_for_ever]

Despite having the odd poor game in a french shirt Trinh Duc should still be France's first choice 10, he is very talented, a great distributor, he communicates with his players around him (Mostly) and is the best 10 France have available.
It's your own opinion, but everyone knows that Trinh Duc has a very poor kick game, and it's a very important point for a flyhalf. And yes, he is truly french : unconstant, and unpredictable, and a thing is sure, he has done 2 average to bad match on 3 with Les Bleus.

Michalak shouldn't be anywhere near the french squad as he is too much of a liability in that position, great talent, but can't live up to the 10 role consistently enough, and mostly looked like a 9 out of position.
Michalak is the french player with the best palmares : french ***les, european cups and SH ***le (super 12 if I remember well). He played more 10 than 9 : till 2004 he was 10, made the 2003 as flyhalf (was even the best 10 till the semifinal where he knew a failure), in super 12 he played 10 and during the other years, he played alternatively 9 or 10. I have seen him playing far better as 10 than 9. I think he is know old, not forcely too old, but it's time to pass to someone else. Plisson when he has been chosen by PSA was considered as the 10 which had the best impact on his team (yes even better than FTD), he was Young and unexperienced, but we needed to let him a chance and you don't earn any experience if you are not picked ! Talès is very regular and very correct even if he isn't very talentuous... To finish, I would have liked to see Parra as flyhalf, I think he could have been the talentuous 10 we miss, but He doesn't play this position in club, then even if Lièvremont decided to use it with some BETTER result than FTD, we can't use it in 10.

Tales is in the role tomorrow, will see how he goes, I expect him to be more efficient than Plisson, he's a good passer and decent out-of-hand kicker but, like majority of 10s France have had, he lacks those bossing skills that a 10 needs.
Kockett isnt eligable for France yet.
It will come and I have no doubt he won't be picked by SA as Boks have so much choices at this position... then the question will be asked in few times...
N no Im not blaming PSA for Parra's red card, but in hindsight he could have brought him back into the French fold for the welsh game, and he should at least be on the bench for tomorrow.
I agree with you there, the problem is that PSA is logic with his ideas : he has sanctionned Picamoles for his bad action during Wales France, he sanctions Parra for a stupid and bad action during a match of top 14... these two actions he consideres (rightly or not) they are against rugby values.

And agree about Bastereaud, he's too one-dimensional, and despite being a decent defender, he doesn't offer much else but his bash up ball carrying. In future France should look to develop Fickou and Fofana as a pair, and with that pair and likes of Huget outside them, and play tactically to suit their games, I think they could be very dangerous and an exciting team to watch,

French national squad is knowing a great crisis, mostly due to the club Policy, a professionalism done against the national squad, a too weak FFR in front of a too powered LNR etc... French rugby needs a revolution, but we haven't any guy with the balls to do it... Then things will continue as it goes actually. The french ***anic is sinking but the seamen are happy and continue to sing as if nothing was happening...

 

[CAB_for_ever]

Hey Ireland, can you beat France tomorrow so England doesn't win the tournament ??

I agree there with you, at least, we would have done a great thing : beating pommies twice in the same 6N ! lol

 

[Peat]

I agree there with you, at least, we would have done a great thing : beating pommies twice in the same 6N ! lol

What are you, Australian? No one should want to be Australian.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

What are you, Australian? No one should want to be Australian.

What about criminals?!

 

[CAB_for_ever]

What are you, Australian? No one should want to be Australian.

No man, I'm a froggy LOL

Regarding to our common History, there's no one on earth which has great Relationship as a Froggy and a roastbeef !

 

[gaston le gaff]

No man, I'm a froggy LOL

Regarding to our common History, there's no one on earth which has great Relationship as a Froggy and a roastbeef !

Sorry but there you are very wrong, most of my friends are French, as i have lived here for a very long time, there are 10 of them coming for lunch and to watch the matchs from the club today, all French!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! + my wife and our both children are French, lots of good relationships between French and les Rosbifs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brive was just about run by the English and successfully a few seasons back!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Peat]

What about criminals?!

They don't get a choice

No man, I'm a froggy LOL

Regarding to our common History, there's no one on earth which has great Relationship as a Froggy and a roastbeef !

A Frenchman using Aussie slang terms? A likely story. I reckon youse Frenchies have an infiltrator! ^_^

 

[munstermuffin]

I know it's jumping gun a bit but interesting thing there on radio. If Ireland win today Paddy Jackson will not get an official medal. Madigan will receive 1 and IRFU will have option to buy medals for remainder of squad. ( Something they declined to do in 2009).
Bit of a stupid rule in my eyes they hand out only 25 medals to players. (23 + 2 cover guys in squad)

 

[Big Ewis]

I agree there with you, at least, we would have done a great thing : beating pommies twice in the same 6N ! lol

right haha. Well the good news today is this:
- France won't develop an actual gameplan overnight, and will therefor lose this. It's great we have talent and all, but come on...we're up against a Schmidt-led Ireland, there's no substitute for good tactics and chemistry.
- France will therefor finish 4th, only above a Wooden Spoon winning Italy and the worst Scotland's ever been.
- Ireland win a very well deserved tournament, and show forever to all sports enthusiasts alike what a quality coach can do for a team in a short period of time, and what an awful, clueless coach can do for the other team, despite having had 3 years with it.

This is all good news because since PSA, France will have gone: 4th, 6th and 4th, an absolute nightmare by France's standards. It wasn't so long ago we basically either won the tournament, and if we beat England, won the Grand Slam. Now of course the level of Ireland and Wales has exponentially risen, but still.
Perhaps this will help shake things up a bit and expose Saint-André just a bit more. I don't think they'll change the coach so "close" to the RWC, but then again they've got nothing to lose doing that because it's not like PSA has left any sort of structure or culture in the team that they would lose. This team is LITERALLY ready to start from scratch tomorrow morning, right after Ireland win in Paris. Tomorrow morning, and they'd be that much richer as a team for not having that staff.
Schmidt did it in 6months, we've got 3x that span if we start now.

Perhaps we just need a disastrous 3test tour in Australia as well...??

 

[lynam1104]

I know it's jumping gun a bit but interesting thing there on radio. If Ireland win today Paddy Jackson will not get an official medal. Madigan will receive 1 and IRFU will have option to buy medals for remainder of squad. ( Something they declined to do in 2009).
Bit of a stupid rule in my eyes they hand out only 25 medals to players. (23 + 2 cover guys in squad)

Cheap ********, they should at least get them to guys like jacko and TOD.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Does the coach have an influence on whether the rest of the squad gets medals?

 

[FrenchFan]

French national squad is knowing a great crisis, mostly due to the club Policy, a professionalism done against the national squad, a too weak FFR in front of a too powered LNR etc... French rugby needs a revolution, but we haven't any guy with the balls to do it... Then things will continue as it goes actually. The french ***anic is sinking but the seamen are happy and continue to sing as if nothing was happening...

Its been in crisis for the last 30 years!! Fact is the game needs it to move forward, it thrives on crisis. Can't see anything sinking around here, are the floods bad in Brive?

 

[munstermuffin]

Don't know if coach has say. I'd presume not as I doubt any coach would refuse but yeah it'd be harsh on Jackson and TOD but well it is what it is

 

[FrenchFan]

and thats no.2!!!!!!!!!!!!! another Grand Slam by the under 20's beating a very valiant Irish team by 23-13, France score a last minute try and conversion. All set for 3 out of 3 will the French spoil BOD's exit from International rugby.

bravo :bravo:

 

[Big Ewis]

alright alright friends, so all we need to do is beat Ireland by at least 71 points...it sounds ridiculous, but if we keep faith, we can do it. About one try every 10 minutes, WE CAN DO THIS !!!