2014 Six Nations: France vs England (Round 1)

[gaston le gaff]

Thank God we have all the Foreigners in the TOP 14, to show us how to play rugby, if we had kept the TOP 14 french only, we would have probably lost this game against England,
so thank you the South Africans
thank you the Australians,
thank you the new Zealanders,
thank you all the Pacific Islanders
thank you all the Eastern European countries
thank you the Argentineans
thank you the Welsh, the Irish, and the English, although you are in a minority. sorry forgot the Scots.
this is why we pay the high wages, so we can beat the English.
Long live the TOP 14 and ALLEZ LES BLEUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Holiver]

What a game that was, even though we still have a lot to improve on.

 

[ratsapprentice]

This game has further engrained my opinion that Nyanga is the most underrated/underused French player of the last 5 years.
Such a good player.

Nigel Owens is the best ref in the game by a distance.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Frustrating to lose in the end seeing England dominated the 2nd Half. Points I want to make:

1. Bad start for England was their own fault due to Launchbury not taking the kick-off. This is just a fundamental part which England have to get right;

2. Billy V was massive today; great offload for Burrell's try. He is England's starting choice no. 8 now. As was Courtney Lawes who was outstanding.

3. Owen Farrell is going to be England's WC fly half and at least now he attacking the gain line.

4. Tom Young still can't throw at the line out and cost us again when England were 5 metres out from the French line.

5. Lancaster's bench choice of backs cost us. What does Barritt provide from coming on with 10 minutes to go?

6. England definitely need Wade and Yarde back. We need out and out pace out wide. In the end we had 3 full backs at he backs when Goode replaced May.

C'est la vie. Lots of positives to take away notably the Englamd forwards taking control of the game after England went 16-3 down. Bodes well for the future.

 

[McTallshort]

Yeah agree regards Nigel Owens, common sense in a ref is very...uncommon

 

[McTallshort]

Frustrating to lose in the end seeing England dominated the 2nd Half. Points I want to make:

1. Bad start for England was their own fault due to Launchbury not taking the kick-off. This is just a fundamental part which England have to get right;

2. Billy V was massive today; great offload for Burrell's try. He is England's starting choice no. 8 now. As was Courtney Lawes who was outstanding.

3. Owen Farrell is going to be England's WC fly half and at least now he attacking the gain line.

4. Tom Young still can't throw at the line out and cost us again when England were 5 metres out from the French line.

5. Lancaster's bench choice of backs cost us. What does Barritt provide from coming on with 10 minutes to go?

6. England definitely need Wade and Yarde back. We need out and out pace out wide. In the end we had 3 full backs at he backs when Goode replaced May.

C'est la vie. Lots of positives to take away notably the Englamd forwards taking control of the game after England went 16-3 down. Bodes well for the future.

Dont know whaty Yarde and Wade would have given us tonight that would have made any difference

 

[munstermuffin]

In fairness I think that the wings were England's poor spot tonight. Brown did ok but at cost of Goode having to go 15. May wasn't on enough but rest struggled. I think that and scrum will be 2 areas that will be studied. Lawes I must say really improved in my eyes and I thought the English pack all had good showings

 

[The Jones Boy]

Sad troll must troll harder

Like the England team you were clearly over thinking the simplicity required.
There was absolutely no trolling in that post.
I have been back and checked and it was the saffer boy Barrett.
Barrett was a late replacement and he should have been there with fresh legs to hammer Fickou to the ground 5 metres short of the English try line but he was puffing like an old man.
Why did they take the young fella off, he was still full of running at center.

I made it clear Tom Youngs was not at fault, he had fresh legs and he still managed to get back there to defend and it was not his fault he was left with a two on one. It was a no win scenario for Youngs.
You've got the wrong end of the stick pal, must just be sour grapes on your part.
Listen to others for they have a rugby brain…

5. Lancaster's bench choice of backs cost us. What does Barritt provide from coming on with 10 minutes to go?

1. Keep team the same for next week, but Eastmond/Ford and Watson for Barritt and Goode.

nuff said

In regard to England fans, they have 20 tests for these young Lions to gain a wealth of experience and become tight as a unit and very hard to beat at the RWC in their own back yard. They will take a lot from this defeat and come back a much stronger side in time to come.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Dont know whaty Yarde and Wade would have given us tonight that would have made any difference

One of them starting, with one of Nowell/May on the bench could've made a difference.
But then one of Ford/Myler/(((Cipriani))) on the bench could too - for the last 10 minutes we had essentially 14 men on the field as Farrell was f***ed (at one point we had 13 men, as a forwards was getting treatment for ages).

 

[Big Ewis]

This game has further engrained my opinion that Nyanga is the most underrated/underused French player of the last 5 years.
Such a good player.

Nigel Owens is the best ref in the game by a distance.

true, and agreed.

 

[Maverick1987]

Can someone explain to Lancaster the bench is for impact not somewhere for his mates to sit !!! Other than that though we came back well Nowell was nowhere near as poor as some have been saying . When you throw a pup in at the SDF you have to expect a few mistakes . Impressed by Burrell too , strong defensively (until he was moved to wing) and ran some lovely support lines .

Bounce of the ball with France . Neither team deserved to lose

Congratulations to France though ! Please please please don't let wales win it again .

 

[Peat]

Congratulations to the French, good win well deserved.

Didn't see the game that well but I was impressed with how we came back into it and more importantly, I thought Owen Farrell might finally be becoming an international fly-half. If that happens, England are in a much better place.

 

[j'nuh]

1. Keep team the same for next week, but Eastmond/Ford and Watson for Barritt and Goode.

2. England were so incredibly unlucky to lose that game. A lucky bounce and deflection for two of France's try, and centimetres short for the Care try. That's rugby I guess, but it feels like a punch to the stomach when things like that happen.

3. Billy Vunipola is fantastic, but Ben Morgan put in a great shift too. Could we start Billy and Ben?

4. A lot to be optimistic about here and the championship is still not off the cards.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Can someone explain to Lancaster the bench is for impact not somewhere for his mates to sit !!!

I am starting to get concerned about Andy Farrell's input in the back room, but a string of positive results could put that to bed.

Nowell was nowhere near as poor as some have been saying .

The kid did well and showed real potential. Nerves got the better of him a couple of times but a few more games under his belt and he will ride it to and grow leaps and bounds.

Impressed by Burrell too , strong defensively (until he was moved to wing) and ran some lovely support lines .

Why was Barrett subbed on again?
Big mistake.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Barritt came on for Nowell because he was injured (didn't see what it was, slight hamstring tweak possibly).

Jonny May consifrmed to have broken his nose - I'm assuming that certain types of broken nose prohibit players from returning to the field?
If there's a possibility of the bone being forced back into the head? Or am I talking nonsense?

 

[Tmartin995]

3. Billy Vunipola is fantastic, but Ben Morgan put in a great shift too. Could we start Billy and Ben?

Not really sure that you could play both without putting two back row replacements on the bench, seeing as neither can seem to last 80 at international level, unless of course lawes moves to the back row.

At the moment though it seems to work with Morgan on the bench coming on with Youngs and Mako to make a difference.

If only there were some backs on the bench that could make a similar impact!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Barritt came on for Nowell because he was injured (didn't see what it was, slight hamstring tweak possibly).

Jonny May consifrmed to have broken his nose - I'm assuming that certain types of broken nose prohibit players from returning to the field?
If there's a possibility of the bone being forced back into the head? Or am I talking nonsense?

Could he wear a face mask like Harinordoquoy did?
Losing may is a blow - I know he was only on for 8 minutes but the one attack phase he was involved in was v. good.
I really hope we don't get Ashton in his place

 

[Big Ewis]

man, England have some serious comeback ability. Against NZ in November they come all the way back to take the lead, and here 18-0 against France.
I really thought we were in for some kind of a big thrashing when we scored the two tries because we hadn't even started to engage the attack fully, the two scores off broken play...but then next thing I know I'm thinking to myself "awww no, not agaaain....so we start off 2014 with a loss at home, huh ?...".

But the tournament still is wide open. I don't think Scotland can stay with England up front a whole 80 minutes, they're just too big, even in Murrayfield.

 

[04perryo]

Ive always been a Fan of Farrell, im not going to say hes been brilliant for England in the past but hes still only young and constantly improving and personally i think hes got the number 10 jersey down for the World cup

 

[MojoTrwall]

Well, really really glad to win this game, which is the most important in the VI nations IMO (We can lost everygame as long we win "Le Crunch" I don't have any problem ).

But if I'm ok with the victory, we really need to realitivze this one. English domination was outrageous after the begining of the game and I have to admit that it were a pragmatic one and we still need to progress.

Anyway, a part that ravished me in the game were scrums. I had a lot of doubt about Domingo-Kayser-Mas against English first row which is an impressive one but they did a great job.

I'm also not found of Fofana-Bastareaud, sad that Fritz had a bike crash.

About the English team, Vunipola did a great job along with Morgan and Brown.

But, Farrell damn I hate this guy so much, I saw better FH in Premiership, that's not some typical French/English hate, but I really think that he has no quality and don't deserve to be England first choice in n°10.