Big Ewis
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- Oct 10, 2011
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Will be interesting to see what team PSA and clowns pick this time around. The EOYT is over and the experimental fun too, or at least it should be. France are literally at a point where the only guys who return with regularity do so because they bring added value individually, intrinsically - as opposed to being a piece to a cohesive puzzle.
HALFBACKS
So we're notably waiting on Parra to get back on track. It's the shame of the season for me he went out for so long, and his club partnership with Camille Lopez at HB would've been just brilliant for the xv de France and would maybe bring some sort of unison that seems mission impossible.
As many fans in France have obviously noted, lots of the fundamental axes (9-10, 10-12, 12-13, 2-8-9-10-15) have little to absolutely no consistency whatsoever, still today, less than a year from the WC and 3 years + into PSA's mandate. At this point, we can literally pick an entirely fresh starting XV and we'd be basically at the same stage. And that's, literally.
Scrumhalf is a very hard pick for us though, because we've got 3 top world class choices, if not 4 in Parra, Kockott, Tillous-Bordes and Machenaud. Lots of guys behind those, but they're the very creme on top. Our best flyhalf and probably a top 3 player in our league, François Trinh-Duc, still is out and *could* be back on the fields on time for this but will he be fit and on form ?..our safest bet for me is Parra+Lopez for 9-10.
FRONT ROW
The scrum is a major concern. We haven't been dominant there since the first two games of last year's 6N edition. Nico Mas is done for permanently at int'l level, and we absolutely need to start seriously implementing Paris' Rabah Slimani. Uini Atonio adds punch and holds up alright as a backup, and maybe just maybe Mas with all his experience off the bench is something to try out. Surely they'll keep him anyways, as their stubborn ways won't allow for an intelligent decision. He might even play the WC, which is scary right now.
The LH end is now the area that concerns the most fans in France. Has Domingo really found good form again for sure, so that we can pick him ? Ménini is world class there: he does everything a modern prop should, as he gets flanker like stats, is highly involved on both ends in the loose and can also really hold up at scrum time. But others are still a bit too inexperienced to pick (Ben Arous, Chaume, Chiocci, ***chit, Sèb Tao or others) and a number are too old/uncertainties (Poux, Debaty, Barcella, Forestier...). I'm hoping we can go Ménini+Domingo for this one.
SECOND ROW
Hoping for Big Tao (Toulon) to make his return. Held back because of citing this past EOYT, his raw grunt and power but typically Pacific-Islander's soft hands and skill for a big man will bring real added value to a team struggling to play as a team.
BACK ROW
Picamoles has returned from a horrible lung infection he caught down undah last June, lost almost 10kg during that time but seems to have found good form again. In modern Rugby today, a strong Tier 1 nation needs go forward with their no.8 and I don't think Chouly with his technical/high workrate style cuts it for us, we'll need fee-fi-fo-fum back.
Hoping hard for Antoine Burban to make his return. He's a world class flanker who does literally everything the modern third rower does: carries, turns over, tackles, plays with heart. All at an elite level.
MIDFIELD
This is almost too overwhelming a subject to even begin anywhere...the very, very best we've got here are Fofana, Bastareaud, Lamerat, Dumoulin, Fritz, Mermoz. Fofana at least the way they use him for France (as opposed to an organized environment like the ASM) is in his most raw, free form: a 13. He's a crosser, not a creator. You've never seen him make a nice pass in a blue jersey because there's absolutely no scheme or conscious order of things out back. And this will come as a surprise to some, but even Bastareaud can really feed his guys, just watch him play with Mermoz at Toulon.
So realistically, *because* France are so pathetic at making anything work at all and fail at adding anything to a player's only individual ability, we need to *force* passing into this lineup. I think Lamerat is probably the best center in the entire Top 14, but he's young, he'll have to wait post-RWC unfortunately - we have to go 12. Dumoulin 13. Fofana with Basta off the bench.
As a nation that's played with fluidity and good ball circulation in the backlines as a culture, all of France is deploring right now the chasm that's taken place in the midfield under Saint-André. We absolutely need any of Mermoz and Dumoulin who are natural creators and distributors of the ball, and Dumoulin might get a nod because of this ability to be a line-breaker too and play while standing up in heavy contact, Jauzion style.
BACK THREE
Thomas' defense is just simply a real concern, and maybe it's time to implement our Fijian youthful weapon: Clermont's Noa Nakaitaci. Sofiane Guitoune will likely be healthy too...while Huget is a must on one end.
Racing's Dulin returns. He seemed inevitable for a long time but with Spedding's heart and sheer team spirit and ability to give the ball to his fellow man, the question is now posed.
___________________
Those are the areas where change will possibly occur in comparison with the EOYT.
HALFBACKS
So we're notably waiting on Parra to get back on track. It's the shame of the season for me he went out for so long, and his club partnership with Camille Lopez at HB would've been just brilliant for the xv de France and would maybe bring some sort of unison that seems mission impossible.
As many fans in France have obviously noted, lots of the fundamental axes (9-10, 10-12, 12-13, 2-8-9-10-15) have little to absolutely no consistency whatsoever, still today, less than a year from the WC and 3 years + into PSA's mandate. At this point, we can literally pick an entirely fresh starting XV and we'd be basically at the same stage. And that's, literally.
Scrumhalf is a very hard pick for us though, because we've got 3 top world class choices, if not 4 in Parra, Kockott, Tillous-Bordes and Machenaud. Lots of guys behind those, but they're the very creme on top. Our best flyhalf and probably a top 3 player in our league, François Trinh-Duc, still is out and *could* be back on the fields on time for this but will he be fit and on form ?..our safest bet for me is Parra+Lopez for 9-10.
FRONT ROW
The scrum is a major concern. We haven't been dominant there since the first two games of last year's 6N edition. Nico Mas is done for permanently at int'l level, and we absolutely need to start seriously implementing Paris' Rabah Slimani. Uini Atonio adds punch and holds up alright as a backup, and maybe just maybe Mas with all his experience off the bench is something to try out. Surely they'll keep him anyways, as their stubborn ways won't allow for an intelligent decision. He might even play the WC, which is scary right now.
The LH end is now the area that concerns the most fans in France. Has Domingo really found good form again for sure, so that we can pick him ? Ménini is world class there: he does everything a modern prop should, as he gets flanker like stats, is highly involved on both ends in the loose and can also really hold up at scrum time. But others are still a bit too inexperienced to pick (Ben Arous, Chaume, Chiocci, ***chit, Sèb Tao or others) and a number are too old/uncertainties (Poux, Debaty, Barcella, Forestier...). I'm hoping we can go Ménini+Domingo for this one.
SECOND ROW
Hoping for Big Tao (Toulon) to make his return. Held back because of citing this past EOYT, his raw grunt and power but typically Pacific-Islander's soft hands and skill for a big man will bring real added value to a team struggling to play as a team.
BACK ROW
Picamoles has returned from a horrible lung infection he caught down undah last June, lost almost 10kg during that time but seems to have found good form again. In modern Rugby today, a strong Tier 1 nation needs go forward with their no.8 and I don't think Chouly with his technical/high workrate style cuts it for us, we'll need fee-fi-fo-fum back.
Hoping hard for Antoine Burban to make his return. He's a world class flanker who does literally everything the modern third rower does: carries, turns over, tackles, plays with heart. All at an elite level.
MIDFIELD
This is almost too overwhelming a subject to even begin anywhere...the very, very best we've got here are Fofana, Bastareaud, Lamerat, Dumoulin, Fritz, Mermoz. Fofana at least the way they use him for France (as opposed to an organized environment like the ASM) is in his most raw, free form: a 13. He's a crosser, not a creator. You've never seen him make a nice pass in a blue jersey because there's absolutely no scheme or conscious order of things out back. And this will come as a surprise to some, but even Bastareaud can really feed his guys, just watch him play with Mermoz at Toulon.
So realistically, *because* France are so pathetic at making anything work at all and fail at adding anything to a player's only individual ability, we need to *force* passing into this lineup. I think Lamerat is probably the best center in the entire Top 14, but he's young, he'll have to wait post-RWC unfortunately - we have to go 12. Dumoulin 13. Fofana with Basta off the bench.
As a nation that's played with fluidity and good ball circulation in the backlines as a culture, all of France is deploring right now the chasm that's taken place in the midfield under Saint-André. We absolutely need any of Mermoz and Dumoulin who are natural creators and distributors of the ball, and Dumoulin might get a nod because of this ability to be a line-breaker too and play while standing up in heavy contact, Jauzion style.
BACK THREE
Thomas' defense is just simply a real concern, and maybe it's time to implement our Fijian youthful weapon: Clermont's Noa Nakaitaci. Sofiane Guitoune will likely be healthy too...while Huget is a must on one end.
Racing's Dulin returns. He seemed inevitable for a long time but with Spedding's heart and sheer team spirit and ability to give the ball to his fellow man, the question is now posed.
___________________
Those are the areas where change will possibly occur in comparison with the EOYT.
