[2014 EOYT] France vs Fiji

[Big Ewis]

well not just the forwards the issue with Fiji traditionally: Discipline is an enormous factor, structure, a game plan that presses the most juice from the orange, consistency for 80, staying in the game psychologically/tenacity, the setpiece (and scrum in particular), defensive organization.
I have no clue how they play right now, last time I saw them was the horror show in Italy last Nov.

French media are being....the french media. Over-warning us all of the underrated ability of the opponent, it's really fkng annoying and every French fan knows it and complains about it. Although this time it's a lot more applicable because the PSA staff's negativity and inefficacy can never be underestimated. I'm not going to go and say France can actually lose this (at home to a Tier 2 nation), but who knows, yeh, trailing at halftime for example and only grabbing the game firm as late as the 65th

Will post the French 23 when it's up guys, can't make you a prediction one because they might go very experimental for this one. A lot of new faces to pick from, including in the HB. I'm sure they're going to start Kockott, Teddy Thomas, try Uini Atonio, we'll see Chiocci for sure off the bench. Camara maybe off the bench, maybe Ollivon.
Dumoulin I'm guessing if they want to try him it's now against Fiji.

 

[Flyingdolphins]

Yeah Fiji's discipline in the last EOYT was record breaking. In the Pacific Nations we've improved a lot. Against Italy in the summer it was again our scrums that was appalling. Italy scored both it's tries from scrum penalties. We did win however thanks to our backs. Although I'm really not impressed at all with the scrums. These new coach seems to have instilled a mixture of percentage game and running game rather than constant running because that tires you out for 80 mins. What I saw in the Pacific Nations was territorial kicking game, forward play for more than 4 phase rather than the usual 2 or 2 then straight to the backs. Our defence alignment usually have the back 3 running it back but in the Pacific Nations I saw the wingers slightly coming up and fly half dropping back with fullback to return kick rather than running. And majority of our running was from the 60 metre rather then try line to try line which conserved energy and improved our 80 mins game.

The French whoever they field will still beat us. The only thing I'm interested about is hoping we continue our form and game plan from the Pacific Nations. And keep the score close and I don't mind a few sevens style running and tries to entertain the French crowd. If we use these game to polish our game plans then it will help prepare us when we play Wales following week.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yeah mate that's absolutely right. Forwards win the games backs only decide by how much. It's our love for sevens that has a big effect on our love for backs and lack of for the engine room love affair. It is true though we're trying to sort that out but that's a long term thing. For now we're just entertaining the crowds.

Any thoughts on the French squad?

That they certainly do; entertain the crowd.

I think Ewis has answered re the French squad, I too expect a few new faces to be given a go.

Haven't seen the France team yet has it been announced ?

Anyway I thought what about a pacific Island XV
1.Mulipola
2.Ti Paulo (Clermont guy)
3.Johnstone
4.Tekori
5.Nakarawa
6.Qera
7.Lam
8.Fonua
9.Fotuali'i
10.Pisi
11.Goneva
12.Nadolo
13.Pisi
14.Nalaga
15.Talebula

Sorry if I absolutely butchered the names Also really hard to pick the backs you end up leaving out some real talent like Ratini, Vainkolo and Tikoratuma (so sorry about spelling)

I've also always wondere about the PI nations pulling together. They are of course proud nations and are punching very high considering the obvious limitations on small island nations and while I can't see them coming together permanently based on that pride and the fact that their doing pretty good in any case like the West Indies in Cricket play as a team on a permanent basis, it'd really be something special for them to pull resources and tour every 4 years ala the B&I Lions. Flying Dolphins, you think the PI nations might have enough common ground and willingness to try something like that? I feel it could be both a huge spectacle and money spinner, tour Japan, USA, Canada or whichever of the SANZAR nations aren't playing the B&I Lions and France type of thing.

well not just the forwards the issue with Fiji traditionally: Discipline is an enormous factor, structure, a game plan that presses the most juice from the orange, consistency for 80, staying in the game psychologically/tenacity, the setpiece (and scrum in particular), defensive organization.
I have no clue how they play right now, last time I saw them was the horror show in Italy last Nov.

French media are being....the french media. Over-warning us all of the underrated ability of the opponent, it's really fkng annoying and every French fan knows it and complains about it. Although this time it's a lot more applicable because the PSA staff's negativity and inefficacy can never be underestimated. I'm not going to go and say France can actually lose this (at home to a Tier 2 nation), but who knows, yeh, trailing at halftime for example and only grabbing the game firm as late as the 65th

Will post the French 23 when it's up guys, can't make you a prediction one because they might go very experimental for this one. A lot of new faces to pick from, including in the HB. I'm sure they're going to start Kockott, Teddy Thomas, try Uini Atonio, we'll see Chiocci for sure off the bench. Camara maybe off the bench, maybe Ollivon.
Dumoulin I'm guessing if they want to try him it's now against Fiji.

Really excited to see some new guys get a go. it should come as no surprise that I'll be keeping an eye out for specifically Thomas, Spedding, Kockott and Dumoulin. Uini I expect also to become a crowd favourite; he is just so fat and people like to see fat men run.

 

[TheSaffycen]

I really want to see Ollivon. From what I have heard from Ewis this guy is going to be special. He's got beautiful hands and reminds me of an in his prime Tom Croft, could be a real change from the Chouly/Claasens/Picamoles bashing 8s and more like a parisse link man.

 

[racingmetro92]

Probable XV

1. Mas
2. Guirado
3. Menini
4. Papé
5. Maestri
6. Dusautoir
7. Le Roux
8. Chouly
9. Kockott
10. Tales
11. Huget
12. Fofana
13. Bastareaud
14. Thomas
15. Spedding

3 SAs

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Chouly is far more than a mere basher mind you.

Probable XV

1. Mas
2. Guirado
3. Menini
4. Papé
5. Maestri
6. Dusautoir
7. Le Roux
8. Chouly
9. Kockott
10. Tales
11. Huget
12. Fofana
13. Bastareaud
14. Thomas
15. Spedding

3 SAs

Good looking team injuries considered! And give me more South Afrikaans! We'll ignore the caps of Juandre Kruger, get him in there. And two of them in the backs is something new (Barritt for England the first overall.. no, I forgot Rathbone for Aus) Interesting that all 4 SA backs imports have English surnames. I expect you'll get more and more SA imports since 1) best money in rugby, 2) culture & climate is attractive to us, 3) some of us feel an intrinsic connection to France (those born and/or raised in the Cape would) through our French heritage, 4) cultural, political pressure in SA and more pressing 5) race quotas in sport and crime having a direct effect and these guys are setting a trend, breaking ground as it were and putting that idea into other's heads.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Indeed I may have been unfair in that regard, but he isn't really a link up man a la read either. Chouly has been in great form and making these real deft no look passes but I think his best work is in defence, he gets over the ball and hits hard. Ollivon is a different mentality in terms of wanting to do things in certain ways. I think Chouly will go back on the flanks and take over from Dusautoir.

 

[Jbobo]

Hold on...Do France have 4 South Africans in their team? How is that possible? And how can it be allowed?

Forgive me if i got the wrong end of the stick, but a Nation would have to be REALLY struggling with home grown talent if they have that amount from another nation.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Hold on...Do France have 4 South Africans in their team? How is that possible? And how can it be allowed?

Forgive me if i got the wrong end of the stick, but a Nation would have to be REALLY struggling with home grown talent if they have that amount from another nation.

Or just be very accepting which is the case here IMO. it's not as if they were head-hunted like Ireland and Scotland do. France is just a really attractive place to stay and play your rugby. If your good enough, and the selectors see something in you and you're willing to buy into the jersey then great. It could be 2 SAs, could be as much as 4 but that's just a number in this scenario. It's not as is France don't have the depth home grown.

 

[French TommyGun]

It's just dawned on me today that England select about the same amount of foreign players as we do but don't get anywhere near the amount of criticism! Dylan Hartley (NZ), Manu Tuilagi (Samoa) and now Rokoduguni (Fiji)... maybe some more I don't know...
It doesn't bother me at all especially considering the injuries we have at the moment and the team doesn't actually look that bad! I'm excited! we might win again! I've forgotten what that feels like.

Pierre Camou said something yesterday that I thought was right...

« Scott Spedding a le droit d'être Français ou pas ? Sont-ce ses origines qui comptent ou pas ? Est-ce qu'il a le droit de faire un choix de nationalité ou pas ? Je ne comprends pas. Je crois que nous avons un prix Nobel qui s'appelle Marie Curie. Elle était française Marie Curie ? Non, pourtant elle l'a eue pour la France. Il faut arrêter. Il y a des débats qui peuvent déraper et des mots qui ne sont pas à utiliser. »

Some people might need google translate.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That's because all of ours were qualified way before being on the international radar, with most of them being through ancestry.
Can't think of any player we've had that's been picked for England the same year he became eligible (I.e. we waited for them to be eligible).

 

[French TommyGun]

Ahh tamato tomato it's all the same! No point splitting hairs!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I wouldn't say so.
Corbisiero, Hartley, Barritt - All qualified from birth.
Tuilagi and the Vunipolas moved to England as children, were qualified while still at school/before making an academy anywhere, played age grade for England.
Rokoduguni qualified for England two years before becoming a pro-rugby player.

It's a little different to buying in ready made players from elsewhere and playing the waiting game.

 

[TheSaffycen]

It's just dawned on me today that England select about the same amount of foreign players as we do but don't get anywhere near the amount of criticism! Dylan Hartley (NZ), Manu Tuilagi (Samoa) and now Rokoduguni (Fiji)... maybe some more I don't know...
It doesn't bother me at all especially considering the injuries we have at the moment and the team doesn't actually look that bad! I'm excited! we might win again! I've forgotten what that feels like.

I agree with you in a way but not the players you have mentioned. Dylan Hartley has an English mother, he moved over here at 16 and has played all pro rugby in England. Manu Tuilagi's pro rugby has been played here, Rokoduguni has been a member of the British Army for a number of years and has as much of a right to playy for England as anyone else IMO. Though i'm under no illusion he is English. Player to complain about are Brad Barritt who had already made quite alot of apperances for the Sharks and the emerging Boks team, though he has a british passport because of his Rhodesian parents and his English grandparents. Again the grandparent rule is stupid but there you go.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

If we are talking qualification through ancestry here, every single white South African has French blood from the French Huguenots. Its just a case of them coming over a lot longer ago than what the IRB looks at.

 

[French TommyGun]

I wouldn't say so.
Corbisiero, Hartley, Barritt - All qualified from birth.
Tuilagi and the Vunipolas moved to England as children, were qualified while still at school/before making an academy anywhere, played age grade for England.
Rokoduguni qualified for England two years before becoming a pro-rugby player.

It's a little different to buying in ready made players from elsewhere and playing the waiting game.

Yeah fair enough. Points well made but I still don't see what the fuss is about. If the players qualify, have the correct passports and want to play for that country then why shouldn't they? If all the players you mentioned moved here a few years later would you not want them to play for England?

 

[goodNumber10]

France Team:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Here is the France team to play Fiji this weekend (there's a different look to this side): <a href="http://t.co/bVLzmW1Z39">http://t.co/bVLzmW1Z39</a></p>&mdash; Rugby World (@Rugbyworldmag) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rugbyworldmag/status/529965067958517760">November 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

France not taking Fiji likely though there is a definate experimental feel to the XV.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Thank god that Lopez is first choice, looks like Kockott will be making his first appearance in the 2nd half, will see all as i will be there!!! There will be 2 dropped from the bench of 10 to 8. other good thing is we will have Fall for Fri night game v Brive as we did not have a first choice fullback Berard, Floch injury, and Fall International, leaving just Sicard to manage all.

 

[Big Ewis]

^ @goodNumber10 ahhhh beaten to it by a rosbif :cryy: :cryy: I don't do Twitter, but it seems the fastest medium ay...oh yeh, just got it on FB actually...
SEVEN entirely new faces, and the return of Tilous and Camille Lopez (starting in fact). Weeeird HB pairing, but should function alright. What is this, no. 14 we're trying ??

About the poaching thing, the ones I consider bad are ones like Rory Kockott...oh btw...















*clears throat* so yes I was saying, Kockott because he'd played quite a bit in SA before and came to France around 24-25yo, that's too late, the guy is already a mature player with a distinct style and all, and we just incorporate him through papers and laws. FK laws and papers, they don't mean shiit they were voted by God knows who, they're not objectively sound on a moral, practical level just because a handful of bureaucrat Willy Waankahs got bored some afternoon from watching shemale pron and got together around a desk.

But Spedding (have been through this already..) came when he was just 21, feels at home here, was really waiting on it. He's played all his real ball (that matters) here in Frankreich. A case like Nakaitaci is even more legit to me, as he's played ALL his pro ball and was trained from scratch here. Le Roux very similar, Claaseen...so I'm really fine with those, while I'd *prefer* an all French cast of course, but I quite like giving foreigners a chance, it's quite a noble principle and in recent we've always strived for equality here it's one of the founding principles of la République.

Then whether England poaches in a less flagrant manner or not, Tuilagi is Samoan Rugbwise, his bros play for Samoa, his behavior, running style, Samoan, and England had basically him as an attacking threat for long so I wouldn't smell my farts too much now. Because that's what it comes down to. Yeah he played in England as a kid and all, but what does it matter when you know your only attacking threat is a Pacific Islander from abroad anyways. Just sayin', the English should take it easy when talking like moralists here. And Billy Vunipola, that specimen and playing style and the extensive use of him and his brother. Just sayin, just sayin...