2014 Six Nations: France vs Italy (Round 2)

[Big Ewis]

France vs Italy




Date: Sunday February 9th - 16:00 CET (UTC+1)
Location: Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris, France
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
​

 

[The Jones Boy]

I'm going with France but only because it's a home game.
France look like a selection of really good individuals rather than a team.
I was disappointed with their display against England. They should have put more points on the board from some clinical positions and they didn't
Yeah it was their first hit out and they were a little rusty but a change at first five must come, and Nyanga must always play, even when he's deceased.
Nice to see Picamoles on form.
Very sad to see France without the ultimate warrior, Thierry Dusatoir.
A genuine legend.
This one should see France do the same thing they did against England, that is, do just enough to win.

 

[Big Ewis]

Yes, we do miss Dusautoir a lot...we sure felt it against the English.

I see France winning this by a good margin, not huge, but good.
They got us in 2011 in Rome and we punished them for it the following year in Paris. They got us again last year, and I think we'll get them good again. Yes they looked good in Cardiff, but they won't be in top form two matches in a row, two away matches in a row in fact. They don't have the consistency for it.

We countered them very well in the scrums last year, they never had the upper hand. And our attack is finally starting to blossom a bit. The Fickou try from Saturday we probably wouldn't have had the balls to attempt last year. And Italy has some holes in that defense. With guys like Dulin, Huget, Fofana, Fickou and a more relaxed rookie Plisson at 10, there's potential for damage. And playing England first to start the tournament and year was a blessing, and we knew it from the get go. Straight up against the 4th best side. And we're at home again.

I think France will score at least 3 tries. I don't want to jinx us, but I've got to go with my gut....and braincells, however few are left (...and however many are right, har har har).
Can't wait for this one, Italians better bring some pizzas along...we're hungry.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Last match, even if it wasn't good from France's point of view (besides the result, obviously), confidence will be skyrocketting. Which means we will have an awful match. I think we'll still win it, but ain't gonna be pretty.

What about the 23? I'd drop one of Burban o Leroux and add Bonneval. For the starting 15, I'd go for Fickou for Bastareaud, Bonneval for Médard and Slimani for Mas. The rest should stay I think.

 

[gaston le gaff]

I think one of the back line flankers will go and a threequarter is added, could be a change at 9 with the two 9's changing places, Bonneval could be added, there needs to be aggession at the break down, the only bad point in Sats game the defence was good bar the Brown try the other from Burell would have been scored against most teams. Italy can easily upset any teams so the highest of respect must be given to them especially as most of the players have played or are still playing Top 14 so they know the French well, and Jaques Brunel is a master at planning.

 

[Big Ewis]

Last match, even if it wasn't good from France's point of view (besides the result, obviously), confidence will be skyrocketting. Which means we will have an awful match. I think we'll still win it, but ain't gonna be pretty.

What about the 23? I'd drop one of Burban o Leroux and add Bonneval. For the starting 15, I'd go for Fickou for Bastareaud, Bonneval for Médard and Slimani for Mas. The rest should stay I think.

I don't know, not so sure about it. I think confidence will be high but as a liberation. The try we scored at the 77th took major balls and we wouldn't have done it last year. Now we've confirmed and cemented certain uncertainties, and some of our flair and precision is back on attack.

About the 23:
- some want to try out more youngsters. I agree, but not Slimani: Italian scrum oblige, we should keep Mas - and also add Maestri back for Flanquart. We need his power and stability in the scrum. Flanquart needs a month of training at KFC or MacDonald's, get a bit of meat on him.
- Médard wasn't bad, wasn't good. Pick Bonneval over him. He's in the group, needs to play at least some minutes, and better now against the least good team, at home, than in Cardiff or against the Irish last weekend.
- Burban is doubtful for this match, the only potentially "real" injury from Saturday. I say remove one forward spot from the bench too, and put Médard there I guess. It's a chance to test Le Roux a bit better: let's go Le Roux-Nyanga-Picamoles for Italy.
- No touchy Doussain-Plisson.
- Don't anybody dare touch Dulin at FB. Some want Bonneval in his stead, ridiculous. If Bonneval should come in, it should be for Médard on the wing.

I think one of the back line flankers will go and a threequarter is added, could be a change at 9 with the two 9's changing places, Bonneval could be added, there needs to be aggession at the break down, the only bad point in Sats game the defence was good bar the Brown try the other from Burell would have been scored against most teams. Italy can easily upset any teams so the highest of respect must be given to them especially as most of the players have played or are still playing Top 14 so they know the French well, and Jaques Brunel is a master at planning.

Staff has touched on this. They said they focused on attacking a lot those first two weeks and will emphasize defending schemes this week for this upcoming match.

 

[Big Ewis]

(not a double post):
THIS JUST IN
so Diarra called up in place of the injured Antoine Burban. Fk, poor Burban, seems he'll NEVER get his chance in the XV de France !! Always some bs happening, and he's never got the chance to prove his worth for his country.

So Diarra, from Castres, joins his pals Dulin and Forestier, after 6 years of absence from the national team. Powerful, but relatively a light-weight again. Just about the dimensions of Thierry Dusau.

Man, we're really fkd in the third row !! Dusau, Ouedra, Burban, and I'm not sure about Lauret...

Some are calling for Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont). Younger than the 30yo Diarra, and 8 caps already at 24. I'm guessing PSA and staff are picking Diarra based on form, and Lapandry is relatively hidden by all the talent in ASM Clermont...

 

[Dougydeluxe]

France played great on the weekend. Think they should win this.

But I believe Italy will keep it within 7 points. They look far sharper on attack this year with the new blood.

 

[Big Ewis]

They look far sharper on attack this year with the new blood.

true, but they've still got a long way to go in that field, and unless they get a fantastic performance from their 10 like Orquera last year against us in Rome, it just isn't in the team's culture to attack with flair. They don't implement the schemes. Not that we've done amazingly the past year, and I'm really hoping to see some tries this tournament coz if not Lagisquet (backs coach) should really hit the road once and for all, but we've got the raw talent in the backs to get it done.
I don't think they'll be better than us in any department whatsoever: defense, rucks, scrum, penalty kicking, occupation game, discipline, passing, attacking...

I'll repeat this is a second match on the road for Italy, and historically/typically they'll have a bad game here. Can't put two good road games together.

 

[French TommyGun]

I don't know anything about Ibrahim Diarra but he definitely doesn't lac enthusiasm i read a few interviews he's had and i would say he's got his heart and his head in the right place. I wish him all the best and hope he wins a spot in the starting 15! Not too fussed about LeRoux... Maybe he can take his place!

... I don't suppose you have a little montage with some of his exploits BigEwis???

 

[French TommyGun]

When it comes to my opinion about the game and the score I think we're going to win but not by more than 10points. In 2012 during the build up there was so much talk of "revenge" and there being a "score to settle" but so far I haven't read anything like that this year. And also Italy have come a long way!! They're almost unrecognisable to what they were 4-5 years ago! They gave Wales a run for their money last weekend and I wouldn't expect anything less for us.

 

[Big Ewis]

Because you're thinking through the logic that what we saw in Cardiff last week is their current form as a constant. Which it most probably will not be. I'm repeating myself, but remember how they beat us last year then got smashed in Scotland ? A promising 2013 6N and then they go and lose every single match in the summer South African tournament...terrible November tests...
And we're just more wary this time of Italy. In 2012 we could brag openly about revenge because their 2011 win a year prior was sort of a fluke. They deserved it, but we played horribly and they benefited from it in Rome. 2013, they beat us fair and square, we weren't "caught off guard", even if we played poorly on defense specifically.

Nope, YouTube doesn't have a Diarra tribute unfortunately...I've seen a bit of him and I sure liked him. He's another one of our typical African-origin flankers, powerful, around 100kg, tackler-fetcher, athletic and mobile ball in hand. And he is in deed very enthusiastic about his selection, I'm very glad we kept him and not Bruni for this upcoming fixture. Comically, his only cap was against Italy (in 2008).

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I will go with a French win of 10+.

 

[Big Ewis]

I will go with a French win of 10+.

well thank you for trusting us on this one. We know you have a choice at your disposal, and hope you choose us again.

I've got France by 15+.


EDIT: PSA dropped Marc Andreu for this one, and Médard. Hugo Bonneval might have a chance to start. I say it's now at home against the Italians or never this year, we're not going to try him out in Cardiff or Murrayfield or the last game against Ireland or in Australia next summer...
There's a lot of talk about picking Gael Fickou to start, a bit of a big task but we'll see, he's already to mature for a 19yo.

Our back-line would look something like this:
9 Doussain
10 Plisson
11 Bonneval
12 Fofana
13 Fickou
14 Huget
15 Dulin

If that back-line clicks...aie aie aie aie aie......but I'm not getting too excited. We do need to do just that, click, and that's the whole challenge for France still. But boy I'd like to see those guys do what they do in the Top 14 with their teams, here as one team. Just, OUCH. Please gods of Rugby make us happy, just this once, that we don't struggle the whole game to score tries.

 

[Draggs]

PSA loves his fullbacks out on the wing doesn't he? From what I have seen of Bonneval, he looks a decent and exciting player.

 

[Big Ewis]

the idea is to play our youngsters, the ones on form. Form is what makes PSA pick some guys seemingly out of the blue, and honestly I respect him for it. We tend to be a little too rigid in France, in general not just Rugby, and would go for the same old faces. Under PSA yes we've suffered from a lack of identity, too many selected players in just 2 years, consequently in part bad chemistry......but he's always given the young blood a chance.

Médard is in deed a better FB than a winger...and Bonneval plays 15 for Paris, but the idea was to look at the best, on form 3/4 backs right now, and Bonneval has the athleticism and speed to play on the wing even if he isn't a natural winger. He's got that feel for Rugby, and no one position should lock him down on that. He's just a very talented back. I'm sure he can bring that electricity to the Bleus winger's jersey, if he's in deed picked as such.

 

[Big Ewis]

(not a double !!!!)

Composition of the XV de France Sunday:



Happy they're using Bonneval as a starter, brought Maestri back as a starter, kept the half-back combination, added FTD on the bench and Vahaamahina. Nice to see Szar given a starting role, Le Roux another chance.

Bummed to see Diarra not in the 23...

Neutral towards Basta over Fickou...both would bring smt interesting, and as long as they're both playing...

 

[gaston le gaff]

Good to see Bonneval he is worth a run and of course FTD but i dont suppose he will get much game time unless there is an injury to one of the backs, atleast FTD is not suited and booted in the stand like Diarra and Flanquart, he got that role last weekend v's the Rosbifs

 

[Big Ewis]

PSA and staff assessed "Plisson doesn't have 80 min of int'l level in his legs" yet. He was spent towards the end and his game was starting to sway...FTD to enter around the 65th I reckon.

Here's an interesting preview read:
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_9154330,00.html
They've got France by 12.
What do you reckon gaston ? I say France +15.

The teams:

France: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Hugo Bonneval, 10 Jules Plisson, 9 Jean-Marc Doussain, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Bernard Le Roux, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 5 Yoann Maestri 4 Pascal Papé (c), 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Thomas Domingo.
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Yannick Forestier, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 20 Damien Chouly, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Francois Trinh-Duc, 23 Gael Fickou

Italy:15 Luke McLean, 14 Tommaso Iannone, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Leonardo Sarto, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Edoardo Gori, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Francesco Minto, 5 Joshua Furno, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Alberto De Marchi.
Replacements:16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Marco Bortolami, 20 Alessandro Zanni, 21 Tobias Botes, 22 Luciano Orquera, 23

lol they left out the Italian 23rd.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Very difficult to forcast actual scores, if luck runs your way it could be by 25 pts but you just never know, i think a win without a doubt and with the backs they have, they are going to give the Italians lots of problems in attack, the defence is very solid, so if they can be more aggressive upfront in the loose, they should win easily but i'm seeing played 2 won 2.