[2014 Mid-Year Tests] France

[racingmetro92]

I think the group will be in this players

Props : Eddy Ben Arous (Racing-Metro), Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Rabah Slimani (Stade Français), Yannick Forestier (Castres), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Luc Ducalcon (Racing-Metro), Xavier Chiocci (Toulon)
Hookers : Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), Brice Mach (Castres)
Locks : Loic Jacquet (Clermont), Yoan Maestri (Toulouse), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Français), Pascal Papé (Stade Français), Christophe Samson (Castres), Romain Taofifenua (Perpignan), Sébastien Vahaamahina (Perpignan)
Flankers : Wenceslas Lauret (Racing-Metro), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Yacouba Camara (Toulouse), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Virgile Bruni (Toulon), Bernard Le Roux (Racing-Metro), Antoine Burban (Stade Français), Hugues Briatte (Brive), Louis Madaule (Bordeaux-Bègles), Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont), Yannick Caballero (Castres)
n8s : Antonie Claassen (Castres), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Gilian Galan (Toulouse), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)
Scrum-halves : Morgan Parra (Clermont), Sébastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon), Maxime Machenaud (Racing-Metro), Jonathan Pélissié (Montpellier), Benoit Paillaugue (Montpellier), and .... Rory Kockott (Castres)
Fly-halves : Rémi Talès (Castres), Jules Plisson (Stade Français), François Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Pierre Bernard (Bordeaux-Bègles)
Centres : Felix Le Bourhis (Bordeaux-Bègles), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Maxime Mermoz (Toulon), Rémi Lamerat (Castres), Yann David (Toulouse), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Gael Fickou (Toulouse), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont)
Wingers : Rémi Grosso (Castres), Romain Martial (Castres), Marc Andreu (Racing-Metro), Yoan Huget (Toulouse), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), Marvin O'Connor (Bayonne)
Fullbacks : Gaetan Germain (Brive), Jean-Marcellin Buttin (Clermont), Brice Dulin (Castres), Geoffrey Palis (Castres), Hugo Bonneval (Stade Français), Maxime Médard (Toulouse)

in itallic, uncaped players

 

[Big Ewis]

definitely some attractive young options up there...but then again the most important thing by far is chemistry for us, not changing the personnel YET AGAAAAAAAAAIN. We're very deep, thank God, but it seems like with PSA it's a curse at the same time.

I'm really bugged over Camille Lopez still being out, it seemed like e had something interesting going on at 10.......young and promising and already pretty damn good.
I'm absolutely gutted over Guitoune not being ready yet for this tour.
And btw, although many more could be added, you should've put Ben Fall there in the 'wingers' list, and I appreciate Grosso's there. Been following him for a while, fantastic young winger.

And maybe if Toulon win the H Cup or Top 14 (or both) and Chiocci has at least one fine performance they'll take him along with them in their baggage to Aussieland this summer.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

What would be France's top XV at the moment? If you didn't have injuries, too.

 

[FrenchFan]

we dont have a Top XV. We have a Top 14...

imagine a rugby team without injuries..

 

[Big Ewis]

What would be France's top XV at the moment? If you didn't have injuries, too.

here's an estimated (because it's soooooooooo improbable !) best 23, with everybody at top form (i.e. not right-back-from-injury form):

1 Domingo
2 Kayser
3 Mas
4 Maestri
5 Papé
6 Nyanga/Le Roux/Lauret (depends on gameplan, opponent)
7 Dusautoir
8 Picamoles
9 Parra
10 F.Trinh-Duc
11 Sofiane Guitoune
12 Fofana
13 Fritz
14 Huget
15 Dulin

16 Szar
17 Slimani
18 Forestier/Debatty (depends on gameplan, opponent)
19 Vahaamahina
20 Chouly/Ouedraogo (depends on gameplan, opponent)
21 Machenaud/Doussain
22 Talès/Lopez
23 Bastareaud/Fickou (depends on gameplan, opponent)


I understand the point of making this 23 is to see a stable 23, but it really does depend on gameplan a lot.

- Our no.6 spot for e.g., Lauret worked brilliantly against NZ in Nov. if you remember well. He was making rucks hell for the AB, tackling hard, even carrying. But with his lack of weight at 95kg, we'd need someone like Le Roux against the Boks or someone more athletic/mobile like Nyanga. Nyanga worked amazingly well against the Aussies/Pumas in Nov. 2012 because of that athleticism.
- for the substitute back: Fickou brings quickness and Basta another 3rd rower and hole-puncturer against bigger midfields at the end of games. Depends on the opponent, both can be just as lethal.

 

[FrenchFan]

improbable would be nice. More like unthinkable. Not sure if PSA ever picked such a team. U should get the job BE :cheers: u're giving it far more thought and time than PSA ever will

 

[FrenchFan]

definitely some attractive young options up there...but then again the most important thing by far is chemistry for us, not changing the personnel YET AGAAAAAAAAAIN. We're very deep, thank God, but it seems like with PSA it's a curse at the same time.

I'm really bugged over Camille Lopez still being out, it seemed like e had something interesting going on at 10.......young and promising and already pretty damn good.
I'm absolutely gutted over Guitoune not being ready yet for this tour.
And btw, although many more could be added, you should've put Ben Fall there in the 'wingers' list, and I appreciate Grosso's there. Been following him for a while, fantastic young winger.

And maybe if Toulon win the H Cup or Top 14 (or both) and Chiocci has at least one fine performance they'll take him along with them in their baggage to Aussieland this summer.

these injuries are a blessing in disguise. Guitoune is going to need a new club pronto..

 

[Big Ewis]

improbable would be nice. More like unthinkable. Not sure if PSA ever picked such a team. U should get the job BE :cheers: u're giving it far more thought and time than PSA ever will

hell no, I don't know shhit about coaching ! It's pathetic but I'd actually be even worse than PSA !!

these injuries are a blessing in disguise. Guitoune is going to need a new club pronto..

good point...hadn't thought of that. No way Guitoune deserves Pro D2 lol, as strong as it is don't get me wrong, but the guy on-form is most definitely Top 5 wingers in the world right now.

 

[TheSaffycen]

good point...hadn't thought of that. No way Guitoune deserves Pro D2 lol, as strong as it is don't get me wrong, but the guy on-form is most definitely Top 5 wingers in the world right now.

From what iv'e seen he's bloody good, but I really want too see Benjamin Fall in the intl' set up. Fall, Guitoune, Pallison and Nakaitaci are all better than Medard out of position.

 

[FrenchFan]

Fall is good with an empty runway in front of him. Not quite good enough. Guitoune is a shoe in once he is back to his best, yeah I like Nakaitaci as well, i like him, and I agree Medard has done his time.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Fall is good with an empty runway in front of him. Not quite good enough. Guitoune is a shoe in once he is back to his best, yeah I like Nakaitaci as well, i like him, and I agree Medard has done his time.

He's only 27, at full-back he can still do a job. His whole kicking and running style is so suited to full-back play, he plays great running lines at full-back but as a winger he doesn't have the mind and everything he does just isn't as natural.
On the winger debate who is this Marvin O'Connor !? He seems to get mentioned and I haven't seen or heard of him, what is he like ?

 

[FrenchFan]

hell no, I don't know shhit about coaching ! It's pathetic but I'd actually be even worse than PSA !!



good point...hadn't thought of that. No way Guitoune deserves Pro D2 lol, as strong as it is don't get me wrong, but the guy on-form is most definitely Top 5 wingers in the world right now.

this is amazing though, how does he get out of that one? Guitoune is sidelined with a long term injury while his club is still doing Ok in the league. Few months later they are in relegation zone on SAME number of points with Bayonne and Oyonnax. Its still not sure that they will go down. He doesn't have much time to get off the sinking ship.. if Perpignan go down they can't afford to keep the same salaries, so Guitoune will be poached by one of the big 3, in fairness that's where he should be heading even if his club hang in..

 

[racingmetro92]

On the winger debate who is this Marvin O'Connor !? He seems to get mentioned and I haven't seen or heard of him, what is he like ?

It's a young guy (23 or 24) who plays in Bayonne since 3 years after being in Grenoble in Pro D2. He's very regular in championship where he scores 7-8 tries a year in a lowertable team. He has a good potential to exploite. I think his father is Irish, but he has already said that he wants absolutly play for France.

 

[Big Ewis]

no no, Marvin O'Connor's dad was an Australian League player who migrated to France. O'Connor apparently trained in the Haute-Savoie area before joining Grenoble. He's one of the most explosive wingers in all the Top 14, all nationalities included not just French. He's got a heck of a dedication, is good on defense, and he's just 23yo. He's a prolific scorer indeed, and he ought to be picked at some point, I think it's inevitable, at least in case of injury for a starter if not fully legitimately.
But if France has depth in one position, it's the winger position, no doubt.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

well this chat is empty now a days

 

[Big Ewis]

well this chat is empty now a days

nowadays ? like it was crawling with people before. Anyways, I've invaded the Aussie thread now, so all is well.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

why are you soo evil ?

 

[Big Ewis]

why are you soo evil ?

"The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones" - Willem Alberts.

But to answer your question more personally, I'd say the evil that men do lives after them.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Well lets talk FRANCAIS !!! Not literally because my French is **** but some talking points-
- How will Fofana do ? I have not seen much of him this year but he wasn't the player we saw last year. In the six nations he was not at his brilliant best and in the semi-final of the HCup he was completely shut down by Barritt and co. Is this down too teams putting out players just too shut him down and nullify his threat or is he not on form ? The Top 14 guys can inform me if he is on form or is he in a slump ? He seems to struggle against out and out defensive 12's like Barritt, could McCabe completely shut him down ?
- Is the scrum as big a weapon as it was before ? At their best Domingo and Mas where feared by EVERY nation for their scrummaging power, under the new rules they look a shadow of their former self. Australia are quite well known for **** poor scrummaging and can France destroy Oz up front and take away any platform the Wallabies backs need.
-Will they actually play like a team ? France could be a real force if they played as a team, but with the FFR seemingly not able to see that PSA is a waste of space and that he should be removed from his post as soon as possible. They have some real talented players but look like they have never seen a rugby ball in their lives, they have to rely on individuals getting a half break and then other players realising what's on and playing their natural game.
-Anyway I thought I would put up my 15's for both France and Australia (bold for the better player)
1.Debaty vRobinson
2.Kayser vMoore
3.Slimani vAlexander
4.Vahaaminha vHorwill
5.Maestri v Dennis
6.Nyanga v McCalman
7.Dusautoir v Hooper
8.Picamoles v Higginbotham
9.Parra v Genia(out of form)
10.Tales v Cooper
11.Medard v Cummins
12.Fofana v McCabe
13.Fritz v Ashley-Cooper
14.Huget v Tomane
15.Dulin v Folau

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

actually think Huget is better than Tomane ? i dont agree