OK.
OK, here's my official "I'm pi$sed off" post:
Lagisquet (backs coach), buddy...you need to....you need to leave now. You need to leave France alone. Go get a 12-inch Subway, eat half of it, it's good stuff...and shove the other 6inches into your hole. Saint-André needs to go go go go go, run like hell. Pink Floyd style. That track should be his theme song.
I reiterate: it's so strange to see the players we saw today for France play real, quality, consistent Rugby in their clubs, but then suck when they play in the Bleus jersey. It's become clear enough to me now that there is a strange atmosphere that pollutes the minds of those players as they gather there, for training camp, with that coaching staff. You look at the France players, they look like they're always struggling. When they play well, the pundits, the fans, even the players themselves look like they're surprised, or like it's an exceptional day. We haven't looked in command since November 2012. Not even the game against Tonga last November, we were really controlling our rhythm and the game although playing a Tier 2, mediocre side.
Somebody was talking about France's body language: Freddy Mich shaking his head, lifting his shoulders with his arms out wide, Machenaud holding his head in both hands, Mas looking quasi-depressed...
There's like a shroud of depression, almost something close to despair at times, that haunts the French players as they team up to at test level. They look like they're playing with an enormous boulder chained to their feet, like there's a huge weight they fight so hard to discard.
The reason is both psychological, and then tactical/Rugby oriented: our forwards don't play with enough continuity from movement to movement. We don't have a simple enough ruck-to-ruck progression like England, who simply put in workrate and one-pass-ruck successions. We like to complicate things, make them complex, un-simple.
And with our backs and attack in general, we have enough class individually to score tries and put nice pieces of play together, but can't finish - because our guys have absolutely nothing to fall back onto, and not having a clear plan, proper training makes you lose confidence ever so easily.
Our defense was terrible today, but that, I cannot explain. Later, we just gave up. PSA preaches defense first, and has succeeded with France so far...so this is an anomaly. Credit to the Aussies for some consistent attacking, especially that Cummins try. WOW !! Pretty, pretty stuff you fkrs !
Folau is amazing. He and Mike Brown, every time they get the ball, it's unbelievable how they just always manage to do smt. Not tons each time, but something.
WTF is wrong with our scrum ?? wtf ??! Just last Feb., we were bringing it to England on EVERY - single - occasion. What happened to Mas ?!...
Talking about individuals for France would be ridiculous. Altough for next test:
Slimani to start in stead of Mas. Parra to start for Machenaud. Dulin (51meters in as sub) over Bonneval (33m as starter). Le Bourhis to be replaced, don't know who, but how the FK did they start him at the wing ?!!! he's a center. A CENTER :cryy: Talès to replace Michalak.
Our third row was excellent though. But Picamoles back, please.
Somebody said France wouldn't make it to the Top 14 playoffs. I agree. If we were to make some video-game like fantasy Rugby scenario, and players could repeat (one Huget in Toulouse, and one for France) they wouldn't make it.
I'd actually have preferred it if we'd picked some Top 14 team like Paris or Castres, and replaced the foreigners with quality French players, but kept the team culture, chemistry, game style, coaching staff etc...