[2014 EOYT] France

[Big Ewis]

Names have come up. The return of FTD who's officially part of the 30-man group to go into next year for the RWC. Kockott is almost certainly going to be picked it seems, lots of articles coming out on that...I'm disappointed, but otherwise the guy is really good. A halfback pairing of Kockott+Trinh-Duc ??...

Other players being looked at by the France staff:
- 2nd rower Romain Taofifenua, now in Toulon and "visible" again. Would bring lots of power where we usually go for slimmer profiles (Maestri, Flanquart, Samson). 2m00, 133kg, 23yo.
- Yacouba Camara, the young 3rd row from Toulouse.

A slightly less likely one: Xavier Chiocci, Toulon's young LH prop. He's being looked at by Bru, the France forwards coach. But that doesn't mean anything.

And it seems Sofiane Guitoune will be making his return to the xv de France after a long-lasting injury last year.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Wow, France will be able of putting out an intimidating XV on paper at least. I suppose only time will tell if they can come together to be more than just the sum of themselves as individuals.

 

[Big Ewis]

Wow, France will be able of putting out an intimidating XV on paper at least. I suppose only time will tell if they can come together to be more than just the sum of themselves as individuals.

well it's not like we haven't so far. But look at the results !! If we are to play with more cohesiveness it will be because of our halfback pairing, not the coaching or staff or wtvr...France needs a creator at 10, it's clear. I know I keep repeating this but the last time we were good *at all*, in fact dominant, was November 2012, and it's not because we were playing masterful Rugby, it's in large part because Michalak was on top of the world and animated his troops excellently, and everybody did their job simply and adequately. Nothing extraordinary.

I think Talès is underrated if anything and is really good for a team like Castres, but doesn't fit the xv de France. We need a creator, a guy who attacks the line, has a bit of ardour in him. Someone like Trinh-Duc today, Camille Lopez tomorrow and then Plisson after that.

 

[TheSaffycen]

I think the Trinh-Duc/Kockott pairing will be fantastic. Kockott can kick goals and has a real running threat leaving Trinh-Duc to have the freedom to just focus on his game. France have a scary good backline if they can get it working 9.Kockott 10.Trinh-Duc 11.Guitone 12.Fofana 13.Fritz 14.Huget 15.Dulin 21.Parra 22.Basta 23.Fall

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Kockott does seem like the perfect foil to FTD.

The forwards should be just as intimidating, France are so deep. Just a case of getting the balance right.

I'd go

1 Mas
2 Kayzer
3
4
5
6 Dusautoir
7 Lauret
8 Picamoles

I just realized I have no clue who France's best TH and locks would be, probably because in the games I manage to catch those positions are played by foreigners.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Slimani, Vaahaminha, Flanquart ? Maestri ?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Slimani, Vaahaminha, Flanquart ? Maestri ?

Thanks. I figured Vaahaminha probably since he's been starting the tests I saw. Somehow I thought there'd be players in those positions who'd be.. more impressive?

 

[TheSaffycen]

Well normally they played Pape but he had a horrid 6 nations. I don't know what second rows are in form for France at the moment. Vahaaminha is a pretty special player for his age.

 

[Big Ewis]

Locks:
Papé didn't have "a horrid 6N", he did two horrible things in particular: yell at young Bonneval after throwing him the worst pass on a counter you'll see while captaining the team, and then losing the game for France against Ireland with another miserable unforced forward pass. But he's a warrior and is always an asset. He's dumb but his grunt is always welcome.

For second rowers we've got a lot of guys but it all depends on what profile France will want to pick: if you want power, go Papé+Vahaamahina+Taofifenua, the latter two are in excellent clubs now this year and have started shining again after both being in lousy Perpignan last year. I know the France staff like Flanquart because of his youth and length (for touches) and running. He lacks a bit of power at test level, but brings an interesting lightness.
Then there's Maestri who had a fantastic tour of Australia (one of the rare Frenchmen to have...) and is strong again for Toulouse so far this season.
There are many others, but those are the preferred ones currently by PSA and co.

TH:
For Nicolas Mas, I think he's back to a good level. He's still the no.1 TH for me. Saw Slimani struggle BIG TIME in the scrum last week against Bayonne's Iguiniz, but that was more impressive from the latter than scary for the latter. Slimani still is a work in progress.



For the pack, a likely lineup knowing the staff (not who I want personally):

1 Domingo
2 Kayser
3 Mas
4 Papé
5 Maestri
6 Le Roux/Nyanga
7 Dusautoir
8 Chouly
13 Bastareaud
16 Szar
17 Menini
18 Slimani
19 Taofi
20 Burban

 

[TheSaffycen]

If i was PSA I would pick
1.Chouly 2.Dulin 3.Basta 4.Huget 5.Doussain 6.Fickou 7.Fofana 8.Guitone 9.Ducalcon 10.Michalak 11.Debaty 12Picamoles 13.Kayser 14.Dusautoir 15.Szar

 

[Big Ewis]

 

[racingmetro92]

The full list given by PSA

 

[Big Ewis]

so anyways, here are the "other 30" players going into the next WC:

Ducalcon, Tolofua, Orioli, Ben Arous, Chiocci, Menini, Tichit, Le Devedec, Suta, R. Taofifenua, Bruni, Camara, Lapandry, Lauret, Galan, Ollivon, Doussain, Pélissié, Tillous-Borde, Lopez, Plisson, Fall, Guitoune, Teddy Thomas, Fickou, Fritz, Mermoz, Buttin, Germain, Palis.

No real surprises. All great picks and guys who can do some real damage and have test Rugby level.

The 4 (already) injured ones: Andreu, H. Bonneval, Forestier, Lassalle.
Thibault Lasalle I really would've liked to see, powerful and committed Oyonnax lock. We're missing Forestier's scrummaging, also.


EDIT: haha, racing we posted exactly at the same time.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

na ewis you done this wrong your suppose to have fixtures to the games too (facepalm)

 

[Big Ewis]

here is the group of 30 players selected for November. Those will train with the France staff, and all won't necessarily see actual playing time:

Les avants: Xavier Chiocci (Toulon), Alexandre Menini (Toulon), Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Benajmin Kayser (Clermont), Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Rabah Slimani (Stade français), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade français), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Papé (Stade français), Romain Taofifenua (Toulon), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Bernard Le Roux (Racing), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Charles Ollivon (Bayonne).


Les arrières: Rory Kockott (Castres), Sébastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon), Camille Lopez (Clermont), Remi Tales (Castres), François Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Remi Lamerat (Castres), Maxime Mermoz (Toulon), Sofiane Guitoune (Bordeaux-Bègles), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Teddy Thomas (Racing), Benjamin Fall (Montpellier), Brice Dulin (Racing).


Wait for FrenchFan to come storming in here with drooling with rabies vociferating about how scandalous the 30-match FFR-LNR deal was considering 12 players who had been 'protected' haven't even been picked:
Domingo, Debaty, Szarsewski (injury), Vahaamahina, Burban (injury), Ouédraogo, Picamoles (injury), Claassen, Parra, Machenaud, Michalak (injury), Médard.


I'd like to salute the broad spectrum of Top 14 clubs represented here.
Only 4 clubs aren't represented (Brive, Lyon, Oyonnax, Grenoble) - Racing, Paris, Toulouse, Toulon, Clermont, Montpellier, Castres make up the bulk - with La Rochelle, Bayonne and Bordeaux each with their one token player.

Also Toulon, the so called "legion of foreigners", account for the highest total by far: 7 players. Considering Bruni, one of the on-form flankers in the Top 14, was left out.

 

[FrenchFan]

Toulon are now the biggest provider with 7 internationals.

This is not surprising. Not surprised to see only 4 Toulousains either.

what did I say about Toulouse's day being numbered as the main provider of internationals

In a group of 30, that's the smallest representation I've seen in a long time, and only one back (Huget)!

Guytounet Noves will be delighted to keep his boys away from harm and all to himself

shouldn't be in : Mermoz Lamerat Tales Tillous-Borde

The surprises are Thomas Atonio Ollivon, interesting picks.

Teddy Thomas in particular has been in flying form.

 

[FrenchFan]

Wait for FrenchFan to come storming in here with drooling with rabies vociferating about how scandalous the 30-match FFR-LNR deal was considering 12 players who had been 'protected' haven't even been picked:
Domingo, Debaty, Szarsewski (injury), Vahaamahina, Burban (injury), Ouédraogo, Picamoles (injury), Claassen, Parra, Machenaud, Michalak (injury), Médard.

he he you clown

this is an interesting situation. How are these clubs going to react? Id' say they will use their players next time. Wait till the HCup kicks in and these clubs will be under even more pressure to use their best players. What dya think?

 

[TheSaffycen]

The best team France could select (IMO)
1.Chiocci 2.Kayser 3.Slimani 4.Maestri 5.Taofifenua 6.Nyanga 7.Dusautoir 8.Chouly 9.Kockott 10.Trinh-Duc 11.Guitoune 12.Fofana 13.Basta (Fritz) 14.Fall/Huget 15.Dulin

 

[gaston le gaff]

Toulon are now the biggest provider with 7 internationals.

This is not surprising. Not surprised to see only 4 Toulousains either.

what did I say about Toulouse's day being numbered as the main provider of internationals

In a group of 30, that's the smallest representation I've seen in a long time, and only one back (Huget)!

Guytounet Noves will be delighted to keep his boys away from harm and all to himself

So now Noves and French fan can bleat no more of how they have been hard done because of the International call ups now maybe they will win some games!!!! and it is now the turn of Laporte and Boudjellal to publise how they are hard done by, hope everyone is noticing where the hell did they find so many French in Toulon absolutely amazing i was begining to believe all the UK and the rest of the world posters that Toulon was a Legion of Mercenares, where did thet find all these French persons amazing!!!!!!!!! This is incredible Toulon the major supplier of players for the French National squad, who would have believed it, truly amazing i presume that PSA will have to give them all French lessons as only English is spoken in Toulon,( this always insisted by Sir Jonnie) must go and sit down for a while truly amazing 7 FRENCHMEN and ALL FROM TOULON amazing!!!!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

No Steffon?


Also what are France going to do when Kockott moves to Bath? Do they have a policy of not choosing foreign-based players?