2014 6 Nations: Scotland vs France (Round 4)

[TRF_Olyy]

Did you miss the Ireland game? It was a tight game where we produced an off-the-cuff try which, ultimately, won the game...

 

[ratsapprentice]

...because Fofana's really been lighting this tournament up!

 

[FrenchFan]

he has had a fine tournament so far, he's scored tries and defended well. You don't have a centre of his calibre period. You don't have centres who can unlock a defense like he can, they don't have an eye for space, his footwork & speed of the mark. Look at the try he scored at Twickenham last year. You don't have a centre that can do that. If you did why aren't they doing it?

 

[goodNumber10]

he has had a fine tournament so far, he's scored tries and defended well. You don't have a centre of his calibre period. You don't have centres who can unlock a defense like he can, they don't have an eye for space, his footwork & speed of the mark. Look at the try he scored at Twickenham last year. You don't have a centre that can do that. If you did why aren't they doing it?

You don't have a centre who can do any of that either now fofana is out.

 

[ratsapprentice]

he has had a fine tournament so far, he's scored tries and defended well. You don't have a centre of his calibre period. You don't have centres who can unlock a defense like he can, they don't have an eye for space, his footwork & speed of the mark. Look at the try he scored at Twickenham last year. You don't have a centre that can do that. If you did why aren't they doing it?

 

[FrenchFan]

Because they don't get picked.

ah ah ah hilarious. So your coach is not much better than ours?!

 

[FrenchFan]

You don't have a centre who can do any of that either now fofana is out.

yes Fickou can. He did, he will again

 

[goodNumber10]

Fickou is nothing like Fofana, he made a clumsy outside break off a hookers draw and pass... he didn't unpick a defence with footwork ala Fofana, and he doens't play like that for Tolouse either.

Fofana for you is a one off, a glorious throw back to years long past and it should be said a guy who didn't start playing rugby until he was 16, so not exactly a product of your systems either.

 

[FrenchFan]

Fickou is nothing like Fofana, he made a clumsy outside break off a hookers draw and pass... he didn't unpick a defence with footwork ala Fofana, and he doens't play like that for Tolouse either.

Fofana for you is a one off, a glorious throw back to years long past and it should be said a guy who didn't start playing rugby until he was 16, so not exactly a product of your systems either.

well dont put words in my mouth. I didnt say any of that. Fickou is a different breed but he will unlock defenses. He has done it. I am a Toulouse fan so dont waste your breath

Fofana is definitely not a throwback to god knows when (when was that btw u didn't say?!), to me he is the archetype of the modern centre, fast strong skillful he is the complete package. He does it week in week out for Clermont. You don't have a centre like him in Eng.

 

[FrenchFan]

Fickou is nothing like Fofana, he made a clumsy outside break off a hookers draw and pass... he didn't unpick a defence with footwork ala Fofana, and he doens't play like that for Tolouse either.

Fofana for you is a one off, a glorious throw back to years long past and it should be said a guy who didn't start playing rugby until he was 16, so not exactly a product of your systems either.

hem not true. He is born in Paris of course he is a product of our systems. Get your facts right.

 

[ratsapprentice]

he is the complete package.

except he can't/wont pass.

 

[FrenchFan]

except he can't/wont pass.

most of the time he doesn't need to. Didn't need to at Twickeham.

 

[goodNumber10]

Fofana is your classic French centre: Sella, Mesnel 80's-90's, he finds space, he's strong going forward he has vision, and runs superb defence shattering support lines.

You're saying we don't have a centre likie Fofana, and i agree. No one does, but now he's injured neither do you. Fickou is not like fofana he needs space to come onto, fofana finds space,

We have centres who break defences - Tuilagi & Burrell (in his first season) are both centres who can bust holes.

 

[goodNumber10]

hem not true. He is born in Paris of course he is a product of our systems. Get your facts right.

he didn't play rugby until he was 16, he played football. He swapped to rugby when he fell out fo favour with football. he has not grown up playing rugby in france, he's grown up playing football, he has not come through your club or youth systems, playing for PUC (?) when he left school and it shows as he's not a battering ram and over coached by youth selectors hell bent on size.

 

[FrenchFan]

he didn't play rugby until he was 16, he played football. He swapped to rugby when he fell out fo favour with football. he has not grown up playing rugby in france, he's grown up playing football, he has not come through your club or youth systems, playing for PUC (?) when he left school and it shows as he's not a battering ram and over coached by youth selectors hell bent on size.

well you are the one saying that. Or he might have preferred rugby over soccer. Unless you are a personal friends of his, what would you know about his choices? And if soccer helped him develop, nothing wrong with that. He is a product of the system anyway. Its not like he learnt his rugby in Eng!

 

[goodNumber10]

I know because he said so in an interview with total rugby.

 

[FrenchFan]

I know because he said so in an interview with total rugby.

dont care why he chose rugby over soccer. Irrelevant. That does not change the fact he learnt his rugby in France.

 

[ratsapprentice]

most of the time he doesn't need to. Didn't need to at Twickeham.

Come on man, this isn't a coq (see what I did there?!) waving competition.

You can't claim a player is the "complete package" when he can't distribute - a skill which is important for a centre to have.

 

[goodNumber10]

you're not getting my point.

yes he learnt rugby in France, but he's not a guy from a traditional French Rugby Background, he's learnt to utilise space and footwork within other sports and transferred those skills to rugby and is a wonderful player because of that.

The point i'm trying to make in all of this isn't about bashing the french, but that France suffer from the exact same problems you accuse England of. Lack of creativity, a penchant for size over skill, forward dominance with an emphaisis on set piece.

So citing Fofana as proof that french flair is alive is a bit, well, fallacious.

 

[FrenchFan]

you're not getting my point.

yes he learnt rugby in France, but he's not a guy from a traditional French Rugby Background, he's learnt to utilise space and footwork within other sports and transferred those skills to rugby and is a wonderful player because of that.

The point i'm trying to make in all of this isn't about bashing the french, but that France suffer from the exact same problems you accuse England of. Lack of creativity, a penchant for size over skill, forward dominance with an emphaisis on set piece.

So citing Fofana as proof that french flair is alive is a bit, well, fallacious.

well many players from traditional rugby background also play other sports in their youth. I was one of them. Fofana is a product of french rubgy club and a product of french rugby. Nothing else. I know 2nd rowers like to play Basket ball and are very good at it. Soccer also develops other skills. And the school of coaching centers in french clubs and academies is NOT about bashing the defense. I coach youth rugby in a french club and this is not what is taught.

Yes there is a strong emphasis on size and forward dominace because this is the way the game has evolved. Set pieces are essential in the game now. I have ALWAYS heard about the "battle of the packs" in our league since i was a kid but at the same time emphasis in the backs is ALWAYS and STILL IS about skills and creativity. Looking for space, beating the defender 1 on 1 etc and France do NOT suffer from a lack of creativity. We suffer from a ****E coach who is a mere puppet at the hands of a clueless Federation.