[2019 Six Nations] France vs Scotland (23/02/2019)

[MikeTheNative]

France go mad and pick a FB at FB and a winger on the wing!

France: Ramos; Penaud, Bastareaud, Fickou, Huget; Ntamack, Dupont; Poirot, Guirado (capt), Banda, Vahaamahina, Lambey, Lauret, Iturria, Picamoles.

Replacements: Chat, Falgoux, Aldegheri, Willemse, Alldritt, Serin, Belleau, Medard.

Back line certainly looks exciting whether it will be any good is a different question though.

 

[bushytop]

France go mad and pick a FB at FB and a winger on the wing!

France: Ramos; Penaud, Bastareaud, Fickou, Huget; Ntamack, Dupont; Poirot, Guirado (capt), Banda, Vahaamahina, Lambey, Lauret, Iturria, Picamoles.

Replacements: Chat, Falgoux, Aldegheri, Willemse, Alldritt, Serin, Belleau, Medard.

Back line certainly looks exciting whether it will be any good is a different question though.

Not a bad selection that.

 

[Reiser99]

France go mad and pick a FB at FB and a winger on the wing!

France: Ramos; Penaud, Bastareaud, Fickou, Huget; Ntamack, Dupont; Poirot, Guirado (capt), Banda, Vahaamahina, Lambey, Lauret, Iturria, Picamoles.

Replacements: Chat, Falgoux, Aldegheri, Willemse, Alldritt, Serin, Belleau, Medard.

Back line certainly looks exciting whether it will be any good is a different question though.

Exciting yes, playing well as a team...that's the big question. I've said it elsewhere, unlike football where for example Ronaldo or Messi can score one wonder goal to win a game, rugby is more abut playing as a team. Individuals can have an affect, but if the teamwork isn't there then it becomes irrelevant. France need to start playing as a team, rather than a collection of individuals.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

France go mad and pick a FB at FB and a winger on the wing!

France: Ramos; Penaud, Bastareaud, Fickou, Huget; Ntamack, Dupont; Poirot, Guirado (capt), Banda, Vahaamahina, Lambey, Lauret, Iturria, Picamoles.

Replacements: Chat, Falgoux, Aldegheri, Willemse, Alldritt, Serin, Belleau, Medard.

Back line certainly looks exciting whether it will be any good is a different question though.

The chopping and changing at 9/10 particularly does them no favours whatsoever. About the only consistent selections have been poirot, Guirado, Vahaamahina and Picamoles.

 

[MikeTheNative]

With that back line you would expect them to run the ball quite a bit. Hopefully the weather isn't awful and it's a great game of end to end rugby.

The chopping and changing at 9/10 particularly does them no favours whatsoever. About the only consistent selections have been poirot, Guirado, Vahaamahina and Picamoles.

The forwards have had a bit more consistency but the backs have been a mess. It seems selection is just drawing names from a hat. France have Ireland and Italy away after this so if they loose it's going to be a wooden spoon game on the last day.

 

[General Melchett]

Russell ruled out. Uphill struggle

 

[MikeTheNative]

Fin Russel confirmed as out.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47291694

Duncan Wier has been called up to the squad but you would expect Hastings to start, big game for him, he struggled a bit against Wales in the AIs.

 

[Jimbo]

So you've decided that you dislike an entire nation because of four drunken brainless idiots who heckled EJ after a train journey? Seems logical.

I wouldn't say disliking a nation is quite what I said, more that seeing them struggle a little after that behaviour, that is a single incident there were other examples, still a minority I am sure, generally I wish them well and the six nations has been all the better entertainment wise in the last couple of years largely due to their improvement and some genuine class like Hogg and Watson.

With a bit of luck they and other key players come back before the WC and get some time to build some momentum, perhaps Laidlaw can become really poor, I genuinely think they are a Worse team with him.

 

[General Melchett]

I wouldn't say disliking a nation is quite what I said, more that seeing them struggle a little after that behaviour, that is a single incident there were other examples, still a minority I am sure, generally I wish them well and the six nations has been all the better entertainment wise in the last couple of years largely due to their improvement and some genuine class like Hogg and Watson.

With a bit of luck they and other key players come back before the WC and get some time to build some momentum, perhaps Laidlaw can become really poor, I genuinely think they are a Worse team with him.

I still don't quite get your logic when none of the players, coaching staff or indeed the majority of rugby loving funs didn't endorse or support the behaviour of a minority of idiots.

In any case I agree on Laidlaw. I don't see us winning too many penalties against the French and so his reliable kicking won't be as crucial. G Horne and Hastings player brilliantly together in Argentina last year and it would be good to see them paired together at some point on Saturday.

 

[g6mcg]

I think George Horne is out too.

Rumours we might see Peter Horne start at 10. I'm fine with him being ahead of Weir but fear we'd be rudderless if he has to play significant minutes there.

 

[FrenchFan]

The union have found a successor to Brunel thanks to their AI department.

Click on the word 'Encore !' (again) and you can generate your own favourite compo for each opponent.

http://boucherie-ovalie.org/2019/02/19/virtua-xv-de-france-simulator/

 

[General Melchett]

I think George Horne is out too.

Rumours we might see Peter Horne start at 10. I'm fine with him being ahead of Weir but fear we'd be rudderless if he has to play significant minutes there.

Horne is probably the safer bet as France in Paris is probably the wrong game for Hastings who is a bit out of form and struggled in Cardiff. Weir while not as technically gifted will certainly give his all if required and is capable of delivering in tight moments as proved with his last minute drop goal.

Will be interesting to see who starts outside Sam Johnson. Could be a case of Johnson & Johnstone (pardon the pun) or either Grigg or Harris.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Every time I see Grigg play in the Pro14, I'm impressed with him. Despite not looking that big he always seems to break tackles and make breaks. I think Chris Harris a bit average to be honest, I've not seen what he brings to this level so far.

 

[General Melchett]

Every time I see Grigg play in the Pro14, I'm impressed with him. Despite not looking that big he always seems to break tackles and make breaks. I think Chris Harris a bit average to be honest, I've not seen what he brings to this level so far.

Agreed. Grigg is a quality carrier especially considering his size. He is a club team mate of Sam Johnson and so one would hope there would be an understanding there already. I would start either Grigg or Johnstone.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

This should be straightforward for France with their selection and Scotlands injuries. But seriously what was the last routine French win? They don't even put Italy away easily. Ntamack and Fickou is a combination that could potentially create loads of opportunities for Basteraud to squander. I can already picture myself howling at the telly in agitation.

Grigg and Peter Horne are great Pro14 squad players, but I personally wouldn't put them near a national side if I had an alternative. The jury is out if Sam Johnson can make international standard, but he has looked okay so far so should get a run out rather than say, be dropped for Horne. A failure to select Hastings will speak volumes about a lack of confidence in him and give me questionmarks on his future. But I agree that a game against a strong pack probably isn't a great setup for a young flyhalf in a dip.

I do think some of the Edinburgh backs like Johnstone, Graham and Deans should probably be getting a run in the squad to see if they make the grade - but I'll not be holding out any hope for that.

 

[BPM]

I think it's a little early to question Hastings' future if he's not selected for a crucial away game in Paris.

If I were picking the side, I'd give him the opportunity to prove he can be a genuine understudy for Russell, but I would understand it if Townsend picked Horne.

As for France, who knows? If Dupont and Ntamack can bring the backs in to the game, it will be very interesting.

 

[TommiG88]

I still don't quite get your logic when none of the players, coaching staff or indeed the majority of rugby loving funs didn't endorse or support the behaviour of a minority of idiots.

In any case I agree on Laidlaw. I don't see us winning too many penalties against the French and so his reliable kicking won't be as crucial. G Horne and Hastings player brilliantly together in Argentina last year and it would be good to see them paired together at some point on Saturday.

No one stepped in when a lovely Scot poured beer down my back at Murrayfield.

But he was a pleb, and it wouldn't stop me going back to Murrayfield as I love Edinburgh as a city.

Nonetheless, supporting France this weekend as they were thoroughly welcoming in Paris last year.

 

[Jimbo]

I still don't quite get your logic when none of the players, coaching staff or indeed the majority of rugby loving funs didn't endorse or support the behaviour of a minority of idiots.

In any case I agree on Laidlaw. I don't see us winning too many penalties against the French and so his reliable kicking won't be as crucial. G Horne and Hastings player brilliantly together in Argentina last year and it would be good to see them paired together at some point on Saturday.

Does logic need to fit here? To say none of the players were involved is simply not true, there was the hostility and then tunnel incident between players, the booing, you naturally will have your own views, from my perspective a team struggling a little should be easier to beat at home than one of fire, your are entiteled to your opinions as am I, I just don't think it's fair to assume that to take a small amount of satisfactionn from a team struggling based on recent events and behaviours around them constitutes a dislike for an entire nation.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

It may be a minority but the Scottish fans and players on average have a history of being poor sports. More than one Scottish players have gone to the papers to whine about England before games, they constantly whined about the lack of lions, the fans have spat at England players, they have booed the anthem, they boo kickers regularly, they didn't show an England flag in one of our games and Laidlaw openly called the ref biased right after a game. As this to the shitstorm kicked up after the world cup and it paints a very poor picture. It's not even in the past, this poor attitude of anything is getting even worse as shown by what happened to Jones last year.

Nobody is saying it's the majority but no other team has this poor record for sportsmanship in recent years.

 

[General Melchett]

Does logic need to fit here? To say none of the players were involved is simply not true, there was the hostility and then tunnel incident between players, the booing, you naturally will have your own views, from my perspective a team struggling a little should be easier to beat at home than one of fire, your are entiteled to your opinions as am I, I just don't think it's fair to assume that to take a small amount of satisfactionn from a team struggling based on recent events and behaviours around them constitutes a dislike for an entire nation.

I'm getting confused now. The incident in your original post was the EJ train one was it not? At least that it what I referred to in my response and you didn't correct me. I then argued that none of the players or coaches would have endorsed those idiots in that particular incident and you go off on a tangent and bring up different incidents that weren't being part of the original discussion. Good Lord. I don't condone the boo'ing but with regard to the players, the two at the centre of it were Owen Farrell and Ryan Wilson - two hot headed Englishmen. Wilson was born in Aldershot and went to school in Farnham. If you want to dig up some new incidents then go ahead but I'm done on this particular one and would rather focus on Saturday's game.