[2014 EOYT] France vs Australia

[RoosTah]

RIP Wallabies.

My prediction: France 48 - Wallabies 9.

Sweet. Last time you predicted the winning score right for the Wallabies - you just mistakenly attributed it to Wales, so if you keep to form the Wallabies will pile on 48 points and win .

 

[Big Ewis]

France stay unchanged v Australia bench to be named later thought there might have been a couple of changes maybe PSA has found his WC team (this is a joke)!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a strong feeling PSA would do this. It's sooooo, so consistent and coherent with his personality. France has 25 good minutes against Tier 2 nation Fiji at home and a nice win and all of a sudden that's the team to go with, don't change anything it might jinx us, just keep it the exact same way.
Dumoulin is having ONE good season at Racing just this year, and then he has one nice game against Fiji and that's it, that's enough, start him at midfield vs the Wallabies when you have Bastareaud at disposal...one of 3 one-cap backs, very good.

During the interview he's asked (PSA) if he thinks the Wallabies will target Teddy Thomas on the wing for his "defensive lacking" in PSA's own words, and he has no trouble exposing his up-and-coming youngster out in the open saying things like "well if he costs us 2 tries but scores 4, that's fine". He should've said something like "no you'll see he'll bounce back for sure, no doubt, he'll be out to prove himself on defense and will be much improved, that was just his first test...etc...".
He's well thick when it comes to psychological tact, this isn't the first time. He must be just aaaaaaaaaaaawful with women...

 

[Bean]

strong prediction. Right up there with your prediction the all Blacks would score 67 tries against England.

They did try 67 times against England.

 

[Every Time Ref]

No but seriously Every Rhyme Steff, take it from a humble ego maniacal intellectual phenom like myself...what you see in a Bleus jersey isn't what is. I understand that may somehow not be clear for people outside France, but for anyone who watches the Top 14 and every France game, it's beyond obvious.
For merely Bastareaud's case alone, think: he exploded onto the int'l scene in 2010 and scored tries for a Grand Slam winning France which was on a positive dynamic. Lièvremont wasn't magnificent by any stretch of the imagination, but we were still France back then. He's at least 3 times the player he was back then today and often looks like a really fat guy hitting the defense and falling to the ground in bleus.

I think Basta's change from a wrecking ball breaking defenses apart to "a really fat guy hitting the defense and falling to the ground" probably comes down to being "worked out" by opposition defenses. Does that mean he's shot forever? Not necessarily because gameplans can be tweaked to use his skills better but that depends a bit on the limitations of the player. Perhaps undera better coaching setup he would be being used to devastating effect; perhaps not. Good Toulon form does suggest he still has it and could be used, but international defenses are better, so again it's not certain. Maybe we'll never know, maybe he'll come back to be a world class player but right now that looks very unlikely.

As for scoreline - I'm saying Australia by around a score, let's say 6. And (just for you, @Big Ewis), I'm also predicting that Kuridrani will run through Bastareaud at least once...

 

[French TommyGun]

I think having Basta on the bench to come on around the 70th minute when everyone is tired is probably the best way to used him to be honest. I think PSA has played that the right way... If Dumoulin is ready for a rugby international test match at this level?... well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

 

[Every Time Ref]

I think having Basta on the bench to come on around the 70th minute when everyone is tired is probably the best way to used him to be honest. I think PSA has played that the right way... If Dumoulin is ready for a rugby international test match at this level?... well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

What did you think of Dumoulin against Fiji? Seemed fairly quiet to me - except he almost butchered the overlap for Thomas's second try...

 

[French TommyGun]

What did you think of Dumoulin against Fiji? Seemed fairly quiet to me - except he almost butchered the overlap for Thomas's second try...

Yeah to be honest I didn't pay much attention to him during the game at all... he didn't stand out or do anything remarkable. I only really watch the Toulouse games in the top 14 so I don't really know how he's been this season either.
I would have called up Rougerie. I know that doesn't help us in the long run trying to find new blood and all, but in the immediate up to the RWC I think Rougerie / Fofana would be our best centre combination.

 

[Big Ewis]

I think Basta's change from a wrecking ball breaking defenses apart to "a really fat guy hitting the defense and falling to the ground" probably comes down to being "worked out" by opposition defenses. Does that mean he's shot forever? Not necessarily because gameplans can be tweaked to use his skills better but that depends a bit on the limitations of the player. Perhaps undera better coaching setup he would be being used to devastating effect; perhaps not. Good Toulon form does suggest he still has it and could be used, but international defenses are better, so again it's not certain. Maybe we'll never know, maybe he'll come back to be a world class player but right now that looks very unlikely.

As for scoreline - I'm saying Australia by around a score, let's say 6. And (just for you, @Big Ewis), I'm also predicting that Kuridrani will run through Bastareaud at least once...

WHO DARES SUMMON MEEEE !!!!

.....oh it's you...hello.
Kuridrani can get past Bastareaud once maybe, and I doubt it, it wouldn't change everything I've seen of Bastareaud and the fact that he's a good defender. Have you seen at least the H Cup games from last year ? The Leinster one, he was really good. The Munster one too, and he was BIG in the final (except for that missed DG ). He was good during the Top 14 run too.

Yeah to be honest I didn't pay much attention to him during the game at all... he didn't stand out or do anything remarkable. I only really watch the Toulouse games in the top 14 so I don't really know how he's been this season either.

He's been pretty darn good for Racing, hence the selection, and had a very good game against Fiji, constantly bending the line and requiring a couple of guys and made a few nice passes. People on the French forums are comparing, although it's largely premature, to Yannick Jauzion for his ability to make the right pass, play while standing in contact, and being a big but mobile center.

I'm all for Bastareaud starting over him though. Bastareaud brings too much to have left him on the bench, including experience, which Dumoulin has not. That might sting against the Wallabies, even with all of Dumoulin's talent.

 

[Jaguares]

Rooster's Coach Observes Wallabies

Rooster's coach Trent Robinson has spent the past few days observing the Wallabies. Robinson was originally supposed to join Cheika on a tour of the US and Europe for coaching ideas but after Cheika became Wallabies coach Robinson decided to join him on tour for a short while.

"For me there was never any doubt about how he’d go," Robinson said.

"He works hard and has had success in Europe and the Southern Hemisphere. He knows his philosophy and what the players needs are. It’s not that you come here looking for stuff ... If you’re looking for stuff it means you’re probably insecure in your own philosophy. You know what you’re going to do but you’re open to ideas. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just observing and hoping there might be something that could trigger some little thoughts, maybe remind you of something you do that you want to emphasise."



@sanzar what do u think about this?

To be blunt, I don't rate Bastareaud much. He's a prop who no-one taught to scrummage accidentally standing in the midfield.

I always thought so, Basta is like Tameifuna playing at centre

 

[RoosTah]

Yeah I read about that yesterday. Robinson and Cheika both coached in France at the same time, both speak French and then moved basically to the same facility at the same time when they moved back to Australia, and apparently the Waratahs and the Roosters have collaborated a fair bit as a result. It's clearly worked - the Roosters dominated the NRL in 2013 and the Waratahs dominated super rugby in 2014 with both winning their competitions in those years.

Also, like Cheika, Robinson has a strong "culture" focus and is credited with raising standards off the field as well as on it at the Roosters.

 

[Jaguares]

Wallabies reserves:

16. James Hanson
17. Benn Robinson
18. Ben Alexander
19. Will Skelton
20. Matt Hodgson
21. Will Genia
22. Quade Cooper
23. Rob Horne

 

[RoosTah]

So more or less the same bench too... hmm.

 

[RoosTah]

Just reading that Krisnan Inu who played for the Bulldogs in the NRL this year but moved to France to play in the Top 14 apparently trained with the Wallabies this week. Interesting development... wonder what that's about

 

[Big Ewis]

complete 23 for France unveiled:

Cool they went with Nyanga and Vahaamahina in stead of Ollivon and Flanquart there.

 

[Montpellierian]

Myself, I prefer Flanquart instead of Olivon.

 

[Montpellierian]

Instead of Vahamahina, sorry.

 

[Big Ewis]

Instead of Vahamahina, sorry.

dude, edit your posts, simply. At the bottom right "Edit Post".
Nobody ever, ever spells his name right Vahaamahina I think is a better fit here because we're essentially using Flanquart for his length and mobility, the lineout will be doing just fine with Kayser throwing and an athletic, aerial Nyanga grabbing for the second unit. Vahaamahina tends to shine at this time of year, at home. He was very good against the Blacks last year in November.

Vahaamahina's maximum > Flanquart's maximum. So we'll take a bet and say he'll have a good game and that'll mean a lot if it's a tight game with 20min left with powerful guys like himself, Basta, Kayser, Atonio, Chiocci or even Talès at FH. All big for their respective positions.

 

[Jaguares]

Bad news for Wallabies:

Higginbotham out
Schatz in



Kurtley Beale will be accompanied by Queensland Reds’ backrower Jake Schatz, a replacement for the injured Scott Higginbotham who will be return home.

 

[Darwin]

I've had a bit of success with my predictions lately so I'm going to make another one (which will almost certainly ruin my streak...). Wallabies by 8.

 

[Big Ewis]

I've had a bit of success with my predictions lately so I'm going to make another one (which will almost certainly ruin my streak...). Wallabies by 8.

that's exactly what Planet Rugby predicted....you copy dog SELL OUT !!!!!!