2014 6 Nations: France vs Ireland (Round 5)

[iINDOMINUSxx]

i thought morgan parra was to comeback ? i thought he was suspended for the scotland match only

 

[Tony Manx]

i thought morgan parra was to comeback ? i thought he was suspended for the scotland match only

He was....welcome to the weird and wonderful world inhabited only by PSA!!

 

[Big Ewis]

how amazing is it to think that last year Ireland, though a bit injured, lost to Italy, in Rome or not; like, how impossible that seems today ?...they barely avoided the Wooden Spoon just in last year's edition...what a turnaround.

 

[FrenchFan]

How?

should be out : Médard, Tálès Chouly Lapandry, Guirado, Lauret, Mermoz
should be in : 2 Tolofua 8 Galan 7 Leroux 9 Parra 10 Trinh Duc (Plisson replac.) 11 Bonneval 13 Fritz
my pick are not only better players they're also younger (all under 25 except Trinh Duc & Fritz)

Thats what Im saying a France B side

 

[PRMcdreamy]

To win in France is a tall order but Irelands form has been very consistent throughout the tournament. Joe Schmidt has also brought the feel good factor back into the Irish dressing room and this is clearly evident in the way the players are responding on the pitch. France on the contrary, have played poorly and still exhibit all the traits of a side who lack unity. That being said, they are a team who possess real talent and should their mood chance on the day, they might just spring a surprise on our boys in green but I remain quietly confident of bringing home the silverware and watching O'Driscoll bow out in style. Come on the boys in Green

Good to see Peter O'Mahoney back in the squad, the man just never get tired of running through brick walls. Here is a video of him doing some light training for Munster

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

J'ai du mal a comprende le XV de France! Ils ont les meilleurs joueurs dans le tournoi a mon avis mais, pour le plupart, ils sont assez merde. Moi, je pense que la ligue est parmi les problemes plus serieux parce que ni le LNR, ni le FFR voulons travailler ensemble. Ce n'est pas un probleme qui devrait etre difficile a resoudre mais les organisations sont trop tetus pour essayer.
Je pense que France va gagner le match parce que Irlande ne gagne pas en France. Irlande est la meilleur equipe mais France possede les meilleurs joueurs. Joe Schmidt est fantastique mais je ne sais pas si il est assez bon pour Irlande a gagner en France!

There's my B standard French right there, I think it's comprehensible. You know what they say "When in Rome, speak French". (That may have been Chabal)
I apologise for my lack of accents!

 

[munstermuffin]

Fickou at 12 is interesting as French midfield now looks very interesting

 

[Tony Manx]

Fickou at 12 is interesting as French midfield now looks very interesting

I think you are looking for threats that are not there....they have to get the ball and then get it to the centres before any perceived threat materialises!

 

[munstermuffin]

I think you are looking for threats that are not there....they have to get the ball and then get it to the centres before any perceived threat materialises!

Just from a Munster point of view with HEC QF I've watched a lot of Toulouse and Fickou is going to be a star of French rugby in time. I think being honest your underestimating French team. They've been awful up to now but they've actually picked team correctly for this game and when everyone is turning on them they will have to sink or swim.
I made comment few weeks ago that with regards HEC some French teams lack heart. I think come Saturday we will see if they've heart or not. Regardless of PSA, if your selected for Les Bleus on Saturday for an evening game in Paris with a point to prove, well if that don't get your ass in gear I don't know what will

 

[Big Ewis]

Fickou at 12 is interesting as French midfield now looks very interesting

hmmm.....*interesting*...

And Tony's right, you remind me of those paranoid individuals when you're out camping and they try to make anything into a spooky moment "what was that ??....did you hear that ?? You definitely heard that, right ????"

It doesn't matter much that Fickou looked good a given day in red and black, he's playing in Bleus Saturday and that's all that does matter my friend.
France may play with heart, they might not as much as expected. They say they'll give it their all, but we'll see...

We've seen very lackluster teams with a good gameplan win more games than they lost, and then teams with fantastic talent but terrible coaching have dreadful seasons.

It took 6 months, not even, for Schmidt to make Ireland into a team that makes England at home look ecstatic from beating them - or pound Wales so hard on every cylinder the entire Rugby world thought for sure Gatland ball was obsolete and asked 'where does Wales go from here ?'.

PSA and co. have had 3 years, and we've looked progressively worse, like a decaying rotten shhit in the toilet someone forgot to flush.
PSA has made France so bad, fans are actually feeling nostalgic of the Marc Lièvremont days and talking about the old times when we were good, as if it'd been that long.

And with all that, France have enough quality that the players might have good games individually to make it collectively enough for their score to be higher than Ireland's 80min later...
It's a long shot, and Ireland are clear favorites in this one, but it's actually not impossible.

It's funny because as a Frenchman I'm not sure what I want:
- If we win, it's cool; Ireland are really good and we'd have actually won 4 of 5, which is very funny if not hilarious. But then England wins the 6N.
- If we lose, Ireland wins the tournament, and though it will be painful to go through all those Irish fans swarming and smelling their own farts for weeks, months and reading "BOD" in every single thread this forum has to offer...I'm actually cool with Ireland winning a tournament despite all that. It's Ireland, it's cool if they win plus it's really well deserved.

I think Ireland are the best team in Europe right now. Closely followed by England.

P.S.: congrats cmac. I like google.translate too. Fantastic tool...

 

[munstermuffin]

hmmm.....*interesting*...

And Tony's right, you remind me of those paranoid individuals when you're out camping and they try to make anything into a spooky moment "what was that ??....did you hear that ?? You definitely heard that, right ????"

It doesn't matter much that Fickou looked good a given day in red and black, he's playing in Bleus Saturday and that's all that does matter my friend.
France may play with heart, they might not as much as expected. They say they'll give it their all, but we'll see...

We've seen very lackluster teams with a good gameplan win more games than they lost, and then teams with fantastic talent but terrible coaching have dreadful seasons.

It took 6 months, not even, for Schmidt to make Ireland into a team that makes England at home look ecstatic from beating them - or pound Wales so hard on every cylinder the entire Rugby world thought for sure Gatland ball was obsolete and asked 'where does Wales go from here ?'.

PSA and co. have had 3 years, and we've looked progressively worse, like a decaying rotten shhit in the toilet someone forgot to flush.
PSA has made France so bad, fans are actually feeling nostalgic of the Marc Lièvremont days and talking about the old times when we were good, as if it'd been that long.

And with all that, France have enough quality that the players might have good games individually to make it collectively enough for their score to be higher than Ireland's 80min later...
It's a long shot, and Ireland are clear favorites in this one, but it's actually not impossible.

It's funny because as a Frenchman I'm not sure what I want:
- If we win, it's cool; Ireland are really good and we'd have actually won 4 of 5, which is very funny if not hilarious. But then England wins the 6N.
- If we lose, Ireland wins the tournament, and though it will be painful to go through all those Irish fans swarming and smelling their own farts for weeks, months and reading "BOD" in every single thread this forum has to offer...I'm actually cool with Ireland winning a tournament despite all that. It's Ireland, it's cool if they win plus it's really well deserved.

I think Ireland are the best team in Europe right now. Closely followed by England.

P.S.: congrats cmac. I like google.translate too. Fantastic tool...

While I agree with a lot my point is Fickou could be great for France just hasn't been given the game time. Also is his selection a slight show that PSA knows he's f'd up and is trying to go back to drawing board?
As you say the quality is there it's the game plan and direction that is lacking.

 

[Big Ewis]

While I agree with a lot my point is Fickou could be great for France just hasn't been given the game time. Also is his selection a slight show that PSA knows he's f'd up and is trying to go back to drawing board?
As you say the quality is there it's the game plan and direction that is lacking.

Why yes, that must be it. And Picamoles at 6 and no Parra-FTD are also probably a part of that. I think he might just be finally changing.

 

[KAPman]

this french team is better than the one that went out to face scotland, but i dont understand why picamoles is in at 6 instead of 8, a position where he's going to get less ball and required to do more tackling and nitty-gritty work in the pack. A player as dynamic and powerful as Picamoles youd want to have him on the ball as much as possible when he can break the gainline.
Getting Fickou and Tales in are good changes, cause Fickou is arguably the most skillful n creative attacking back in France, n Tales looked more effiect than Plisson when he came on against wales n scotland.
Still going for Irish win, but reckon a close encounter

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

P.S.: congrats cmac. I like google.translate too. Fantastic tool...

**** off! That bad huh? Only used the google for the odd word check, I guess I overrated the Irish education system... At least translate gives you accents!! J'ai la tête bouree de problemes en ce moment.

 

[goodNumber10]

no Parra-FTD

This i don't understand, i can make allowances for pretty much everything but these guys are possibly the best two halfbacks in europe when paired... Parra if i was selecting a NH team would be the first man on my team sheet, i rate him that highly. FTD can mix a game up really well, better than anyother French fly half and h'es powerful and breaks the gain line from 10, which keeps a back row narrow and creates pace out wide... it's just wrong he's not featured under PSA.

 

[FrenchFan]

This i don't understand, i can make allowances for pretty much everything but these guys are possibly the best two halfbacks in europe when paired... Parra if i was selecting a NH team would be the first man on my team sheet, i rate him that highly. FTD can mix a game up really well, better than anyother French fly half and h'es powerful and breaks the gain line from 10, which keeps a back row narrow and creates pace out wide... it's just wrong he's not featured under PSA.

absolutely. Parra is the general they need, he is a leader, i've seen him bark at the Clermont pack like there's no 2morow. His game shows vision. He doesn't need a has-been like Lagisquet to coach him. He marshals the backrow well and get the Clermont backs going a lot of the moves come off him. And he is world class kicker. No slouch in defense and a warrior (his discipline record kind of shows!). Clermont fans I spoke to are dysmayed at his omission, my Perpignan buddies were laughing out loud at Vahaamina's selection in the backrow agst Sco. Now Picamoles is a 6. WDF I bet even Noves didn't know that!!
There's 7 players picked that shoudn't even be there. This selection after 4 games in the championship is shocking. With Mach as the 24th man there's actually 3 hookers now in the squad?! weheeee 3 hookers (a blond a brunette and a redhair with huge ***s)

PSA is smoking weed at this stage

 

[CAB_for_ever]

Ireland deserves to win it, there's no contest about it... But if it was all about deserving a win, ABs would have beaten France in 1999 RWC semifinal...

I am shared because I prefer to see an entertaining match than a french victory... I mean, if Frenchmen play the way they did over Scotts, I prefer Ireland to win it.

But if Frenchmen are able to lift themselves to the level of the momentum, of the match etc... Why not then ?

What I find reconforting is that we have played the tournament with the second string team, that youngs, universitarians and women did a great tournament... despite a so much foreigners in french top 14... the youngs should win it...

A french defeat wouldn't be a problem, it wouldn't mean the end of Saint André... neither an irish defeat would mean a bad thing...

I just remark that Ffrenchmen haven't done their usual incredible match yet... and of it was for next match ?

 

[Tony Manx]

Ireland deserves to win it, there's no contest about it... But if it was all about deserving a win, ABs would have beaten France in 1999 RWC semifinal...

I am shared because I prefer to see an entertaining match than a french victory... I mean, if Frenchmen play the way they did over Scotts, I prefer Ireland to win it.

But if Frenchmen are able to lift themselves to the level of the momentum, of the match etc... Why not then ?

What I find reconforting is that we have played the tournament with the second string team, that youngs, universitarians and women did a great tournament... despite a so much foreigners in french top 14... the youngs should win it...

A french defeat wouldn't be a problem, it wouldn't mean the end of Saint André... neither an irish defeat would mean a bad thing...

I just remark that Ffrenchmen haven't done their usual incredible match yet... and of it was for next match ?

You are very welcome here and really hope to get your regular Brive perspective on the Top 14 thread (just ignore Big Ewis and Gaston's arguments!!)!

 

[CAB_for_ever]

Thanks Tony... I have also basque ancestors (my grandfather), it's a pity we are to loose one and maybe the two basque teams... Oh, it would be great Biarritz thrash Oyonnax...

 

[FrenchFan]

Ireland deserves to win it, there's no contest about it... But if it was all about deserving a win, ABs would have beaten France in 1999 RWC semifinal...

I am shared because I prefer to see an entertaining match than a french victory... I mean, if Frenchmen play the way they did over Scotts, I prefer Ireland to win it.

But if Frenchmen are able to lift themselves to the level of the momentum, of the match etc... Why not then ?

What I find reconforting is that we have played the tournament with the second string team, that youngs, universitarians and women did a great tournament... despite a so much foreigners in french top 14... the youngs should win it...

A french defeat wouldn't be a problem, it wouldn't mean the end of Saint André... neither an irish defeat would mean a bad thing...

I just remark that Ffrenchmen haven't done their usual incredible match yet... and of it was for next match ?

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