2014 6 Nations: Scotland vs France (Round 4)

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Scotland vs France





Date: Saturday, March 8th 2014 - 17:00 GMT (UTC+0)
Location: Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
Referee:​ Chris Pollock (New Zealand)

​

 

[Big Ewis]

France have already had their mid-way 80min fart. It was in Cardiff last Friday. And yes, it's not like otherwise they're the greatest, most consistent side in the world; and surely their team culture (or lack therefor) won't change in a couple of weeks, as long as this coaching staff is there it seems; but talent alone with some chemistry and very little gameplan has won us two out of three games to begin 2014.

Scotland aren't in the greatest form ever. In fact, one might say this is their worst ever perhaps, pre-professional era and pro era. They're home, and have quality on that team, but France just seems too packed with talent and that alone I believe is enough for a good away victory. It would be our first since June 2012 in Argentina.

Fofana and Nyanga may be injured from the Cardiff game though, which are both concerns, especially Fofana. However, it would be nice to see a Diarra or Lapandry play at flanker for Nyanga...or even Virgil Bruni (Toulon) as all those are part of the team officially but haven't seen a second of play yet.

Even worse, with Doussain's awful game (in his defense had to play a full 80min for Toulouse during the 6N break last week and looked exhausted according to the French staff...): a healthy Parra may not even be an option anymore, since the dikkhead headbutted some Montpellier player and received a red...

But we've got the scrum and lineout as well as our maul will be a weapon here as Scotland lack power and technique in their pack. I don't know who we'll play on both flanks, but I'm looking for a far more aggressive France at the breakdown. And hopefully our backs are a bit more fluid together this time.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Hopefully France to lose!!!!!! and PSA gets a P45, YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FrenchFan]

mais non on va gagner. Meme en jouant mal. Et puis apres on fait derailler la micheline irlandaise rien que pour les emmerder. Et on finit 2e.

 

[goodNumber10]

France have already had their mid-way 80min fart. It was in Cardiff last Friday. And yes, it's not like otherwise they're the greatest, most consistent side in the world; and surely their team culture (or lack therefor) won't change in a couple of weeks, as long as this coaching staff is there it seems; but talent alone with some chemistry and very little gameplan has won us two out of three games to begin 2014.

Scotland aren't in the greatest form ever. In fact, one might say this is their worst ever perhaps, pre-professional era and pro era. They're home, and have quality on that team, but France just seems too packed with talent and that alone I believe is enough for a good away victory. It would be our first since June 2012 in Argentina.

Fofana and Nyanga may be injured from the Cardiff game though, which are both concerns, especially Fofana. However, it would be nice to see a Diarra or Lapandry play at flanker for Nyanga...or even Virgil Bruni (Toulon) as all those are part of the team officially but haven't seen a second of play yet.

Even worse, with Doussain's awful game (in his defense had to play a full 80min for Toulouse during the 6N break last week and looked exhausted according to the French staff...): a healthy Parra may not even be an option anymore, since the dikkhead headbutted some Montpellier player and received a red...

But we've got the scrum and lineout as well as our maul will be a weapon here as Scotland lack power and technique in their pack. I don't know who we'll play on both flanks, but I'm looking for a far more aggressive France at the breakdown. And hopefully our backs are a bit more fluid together this time.

I saw nothing in the Scotland Italy game that made me think they will beat France.

I think Wales played better than they have but I thought France played badly. I had the feeling the French thougtht hey only had to rock up and came undone. Plisson had a shocker of a game - sat deep, moved it early and the midfield did nothing to hold the welsh defence.

I expect France to take Scotland on around the firngees send them backwards and then rip them out wide - plisson seldom has two bad games for Stade in a row and i think he's going to bring that to the Internatinoal stage - but knowing PSA he'll probably stick Tales back in. :/

 

[FrenchFan]

I saw nothing in the Scotland Italy game that made me think they will beat France.

I think Wales played better than they have but I thought France played badly. I had the feeling the French thougtht hey only had to rock up and came undone. Plisson had a shocker of a game - sat deep, moved it early and the midfield did nothing to hold the welsh defence.

I expect France to take Scotland on around the firngees send them backwards and then rip them out wide - plisson seldom has two bad games for Stade in a row and i think he's going to bring that to the Internatinoal stage - but knowing PSA he'll probably stick Tales back in. :/

yes Wales deserve their win. This forum is quick to berate Fra instead of applauding Wales who I thougth played the right game plan and deserve their win. But their were terrible in Dublin. Fra didn't play well, all teams have a bad day. What about Sco and Italy they have not had ONE good game. They would struggle agst the big Top 14 sides.

 

[gaston le gaff]

mais non on va gagner. Meme en jouant mal. Et puis apres on fait derailler la micheline irlandaise rien que pour les emmerder. Et on finit 2e.

Ok we beat Scotland and Ireland then sack PSA?

 

[goodNumber10]

yes Wales deserve their win. This forum is quick to berate Fra instead of applauding Wales who I thougth played the right game plan and deserve their win. But their were terrible in Dublin. Fra didn't play well, all teams have a bad day. What about Sco and Italy they have not had ONE good game. They would struggle agst the big Top 14 sides.

agreed.

As i said Scotland and italy showed me nothign that makes me think either team will get a/another win in this torunament.

 

[FrenchFan]

Ok we beat Scotland and Ireland then sack PSA?

but on s'en branle de PSA. He is a puppet working for the dysfunctional FRR. Truth is he's ineffectual as a coach. We don't need him. He will stay because FFR will never sack him because THEY put him there. they dont have the balls to sack him, that would amount to admitting their own mistake to appoint him.

Player power will take over eventually by the time the next WC is around, it happened in 1999 at WC under Villepreux-Skrela, again in 2011 with Lievremont. No need to get all worked up. PSA is a puppet.

lets see how far they go in this 6N... I love it when they write us off.

 

[Big Ewis]

mais non on va gagner. Meme en jouant mal. Et puis apres on fait derailler la micheline irlandaise rien que pour les emmerder. Et on finit 2e.

easy there...we'll have the gestapo on our backs with this sort of demeanor !!
Actually sounds like a less crappy prediction than the one I had in mind...it sucks badly that we may not win this tournament after such a promising start, with the good and the bad against ENG and ITA, but there was a lot of good too...

Clearly France won't play their reference match here. Clearly they won't correct every issue there is and change their culture efficiently and make the intelligent, little adjustments that would improve us dramatically...but with all due respect to Scotland I agree with FrenchFan. We'll very likely win this by playing a mediocre game. Might be mediocre/good, might be mediocre/bad, but like I said won't be really really *good*, and far from perfect no doubt, and it will be enough.

Scotland have issues with the set piece and elsewhere, and France have been good at exploiting little flaws in teams this year. Even against Wales, our disasterpiece so far, Huget was about to ground his fourth try in 4 games just the way he got the other 3: opportunistic, off a chase or broken play.
I have a gut feeling France could go for one of their diarrhea try scoring sequences in Murrayfield. Like against England and Italy this year, especially Italy. And even last year against this very Scotland side they all of a sudden woke up and scored 2 tries in 5min, and had Debaty made the pass to Clerc on that huge break and run, count it as 3 straight.

France would be a disaster if we didn't have really talented individuals since the coaching is so awful. But right now, thank GOD for that...got us 2 of 3 so far, likely 3 of 4 in two weeks.

What about Sco and Italy they have not had ONE good game. They would struggle agst the big Top 14 sides.

uhm no excuse me Italy had a very good game to start the tournament in Cardiff. They sure looked better than we did over there at least !!!!
As for Scotland, they have not played a full 80min of convincing, consistent Rugby, but we can't just brush them off and say they've got nothing either.

Ok we beat Scotland and Ireland then sack PSA?

man....PSA isn't going anywhere. We'll finish the tournament with at least 3 wins, 2 losses if not 4 wins, 1 loss. The world doesn't look at 'how', they look at 'if'.
'If' we win, then there's no problem. Can't be one, really. We're winning. 'How' we win ? Irrelevant, it's 'if' we win.

It doesn't matter that we got spanked in Cardiff against a fairly mediocre Welsh team by a record margin since 19-fkn-50. A post somewhere else online read "with PSA it's cool, we get to revisit history" commenting on the article that stated we hadn't lost so heavily to Wales in 65 years.
It doesn't matter we only have a semblance of a game plan. Little chemistry, sometimes disastrously so. Still tired players, injuries abound from the Top 14. No stability at the half-back combination. Use our players the wrong way...
Just so long as we're winning, all is peachy and PSA remains where he is.

goodNumber10: I agree with much you're saying, nice to have you on this forum.

 

[Patchey]

Just seen Fofana has a broken rib and is out 3/4 weeks.

That'll really weaken the French back line...oh wait no they can just start Fickou.

 

[goodNumber10]

They do lose a lot by losing Fofana. Fickou is a 13 more than a 12 imho, he should be in for Basteraud.

 

[Big Ewis]

oh GOD no...no Fofana, Fritz, Guitoune and an ambiguous half-back pair...
we better bring in somebody from the Top14...Lamerat, Yann David ?

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

This is about as polar opposite as you can get. Gallic flair vs Gaelic drabness.

 

[Big Ewis]

This is about as polar opposite as you can get. Gallic flair vs Gaelic drabness.

Gallic 'kick PSA/Lagisquet the fk out of office'.

 

[g6mcg]

Picamoles dropped for his sarcastic clapping at the ref against Wales! Nyanga and Fofana out injured, but Parra's back.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_9183131,00.html

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Parra will be a big boost, Doussain was terrible vs Wales.
Dropping Picamoles is a big big call.
Nyanga and Fofana out injured is horrible for France, though - two of their best performers so far.

 

[Big Ewis]

Good news:
- there's a semblance but just only almost the shadow of a semblance of something that sorta of looks like authority from Saint-André. More on this in the bad news.
- Parra is back. That means goal-kicking up to Tier 1 standards, and maybe a more fluid game...
- Rabah Slimani back after completing his two week suspension (for merely being a man and not letting some Italian fkhead mess with his head....*literally*).
- Bernard Le Roux back from his K.O. Will bring that bulk we really need at the flank, but he'll have to look out, he was often borderline in the penalty last time against Italy...has that tendency.
- Center Rémi Lamerat (Castres, 24yo) finally gets a chance in Bleus. A semi-worthy replacement for Fofana in potential, hopefully he feels comfortable immediately. Not sure if he starts or off the b.

Now the bad:
- PSA tries to act like Gatland and forbid his players from playing. Picamoles had a fine game individually (despite being defended really well). And this is completely inconsistent as Papé had the worst attitude on the field easily. Throws the ball into the crowd and yells at youngster and club teammate Bonneval, commits stupid fouls during the game, talks to the ref...and as if this "sanction" was going to wake up les Bleus, as if there was a true game plan they would now return to and start playing like a great team. It's still all on PSA.
- We've got two poached Saffas at flanker now. Why the hell would he call back another flanker if we've got Diarra, or even Bruni on the bench waiting just for that ?! So two Springcoqs...
- Of course Fofana is out. And Nyanga's confirmed too now. Awesome.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

"It is important to send a signal to all players and remind them having the privilege of wearing the jersey adorned with the cock imposes duties and obligations."

I'm so immature

 

[Big Ewis]

"It is important to send a signal to all players and remind them having the privilege of wearing the jersey adorned with the cock imposes duties and obligations."

I'm so immature

that makes sense. I was happy to read that much from Saint-André. But it's the actual situation that's ridiculous. Like I said, it's not like he's doing his job besides little things like that, punishing one guy, making nice statements at conferences and answering questions about his picks for a given match. I wonder just how much the players themselves are conscious they're being coached really really badly atm. Are they tired of having PSA when they see how other national sides with less talent are doing alright as a team ?

I'd have imagined eventually the players would start coaching themselves, just off the knowledge of the game they get from club level and personal initiative, like the XV de France vs Lievremont 2011 RWC time...but if it hasn't happened yet, it probably won't. Man that side had balls....