Brief digression: PSA-era France

[Big Ewis]

many threads don't end up in agreements. Have you learnt nothing from being on a forum?
and I don't want the Intl game to stop for France or for any country. What a weird idea.

mmmyes....I vociferously concur......a weird idea indeeeeeed.....I'VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU, FRENCHFAN !!!!

And gaston I agree with your conclusions. It WILL take a little while, but it IS going to happen. France will become a premier world class nation again, soon enough. But I still believe that in theory we can easily achieve that without/before the transformations, would we hire the right coaching staff. It won't happen and that's a certainty, but I believe it to be amply possible.

 

[FrenchFan]

that idea popped up in your head. Even Bouscatel who is mightly ****** off with the system still couldn't come up with that one.

 

[FrenchFan]

I think that unfortunately at the moment this discussion will go round in every decreasing circles until change is made and we all know that will not be before the next WC. The one thing that does worry me is that as there will be no changes the rift will become greater and more difficult to repair. Between now and the end of the WC there is around 18 games for France(they have to get to the final and pigs are flying very low this morning) and around 38 for the clubs a little less for some who do not get to the finals, this is 14 months from the WC thats around
60 weeks, so including holidays the French players or some of them will be playing not quite every week but very often with no real rest periods during the playing season and if burn out is to become an issue it could well well raise its ugly head sometime around Sept/Oct next year (pointless mentioning whats happening in Oct next year). As i have said frequently at our club its not maybe the best team who wins the trophies this year, but the team that managers its players with intelligence.
We all know about the 30 player group and the 30 matches but if the clubs because of no choice injuries etc, are going to put an epsoir in an important playing position for an all important match because someone in Paris told them that is how it is, somehow i dont think so, just another good reason for more internal squabbling.France will be back as a great rugby nation that i am sure but maybe we will have to be patience, for this, there is no quick fix!!!!!!!!!!

you're right Gaston. Players management has been desperately poor. And burnout is going to become a big issue this coming season because no steps have been taken to manage this aspect and many senior internationals have not had a proper break last season. This is why I said back in May, it was a terrible pick of players for the June tests because the likes of Picamoles Huget and Co. should have been RESTED.
I think it's only a matter of time before one of the senior internationals picks up a serious injury and is ruled out for the season. Picamoles is a candidate as he's been carrying a ****ling hip injury for the best part of last season which should have been treated during the June break period (after Toulouse last game agst Racing) since it is about the only window available. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[FrenchFan]

here is a decision, while predictable, that will further antagonise and entrench Toulouse
http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/La-requete-de-toulouse-rejetee/485352

fireworks will start again

 

[Big Ewis]

interesting, a number of the comments made at the bottom of that article: "Mourad Boudjellal understood it all long ago. Go foreigner". Guy's got 1, (maybe 2) players that go play for France yearly, and he's just won the last two H Cups, and just won everything this past 2013 year, incl. even ERC player of the year, a foreigner of course. Teams would be crazy not to follow the formula.
Will be fun to see the number of French starters go down progressively from year to year in each team in the Top 14.

 

[FrenchFan]

Just look at some of the news items

http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/Toulouse-rase-plus-frais/485480
http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/Toulon-se-met-au-gris/485525

Mainstream media is generally incapable of reporting on the real issues affecting our rugby. There is very few features that deals in depth with some of the issues we've discussed.
The interesting bits are the ones in the Comment section and on the forums.

This is how FFR keep the lid on the issues that might upset the general public and expose their amateurism regarding (among many others) the performance of the national team. Much easier to deflect the attention away from them. Their mantra is "ne parlons pas des sujets qui fachent..."

 

[FrenchFan]

interesting, a number of the comments made at the bottom of that article: "Mourad Boudjellal understood it all long ago. Go foreigner". Guy's got 1, (maybe 2) players that go play for France yearly, and he's just won the last two H Cups, and just won everything this past 2013 year, incl. even ERC player of the year, a foreigner of course. Teams would be crazy not to follow the formula.
Will be fun to see the number of French starters go down progressively from year to year in each team in the Top 14.

Clubs don't have the budget to follow the Toulon formula even if they wanted to. At the end of the day you have to have the finances.

 

[Big Ewis]

Clubs don't have the budget to follow the Toulon formula even if they wanted to.

you don't say !...

At the end of the day you have to have the finances.

"We disagree", said Castres.

And funny twitter stuff you posted there. Imanol looks like he's going to murder someone soon, and Flood looks to be enjoying himself from what I know so far, very happy for him and Toulouse.

 

[FrenchFan]

you don't say !...



"We disagree", said Castres.

And funny twitter stuff you posted there. Imanol looks like he's going to murder someone soon, and Flood looks to be enjoying himself from what I know so far, very happy for him and Toulouse.

No. You misunderstood what I said. To follow in Toulon's footsteps you need to have finances like Toulon. You can't just say let's copy and paste Toulon and we'll be champion.
Castres don't have the finances and squad to chase the double. They know that. They'll be content to make up numbers in HCup. Their only target is the league here.

 

[gaston le gaff]

There is not only Toulon who have an excellent budget there are others, Toulouse for example have the biggest budget, for years they have taken the best young French players so obviously they have a large representation in the French team, Yes of cousre Noves is often moaning about it but you cant have your cake and eat it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, things have changed in the last 10 years Toulon have created something that is difficult to beat but not impossible, its not always about massive wealth Racing could answer that question. Toulon wanted silverware immediately, some of us are more patient, sometimes not everything can be blamed on the FFR and the LNR sometimes the clubs who think they should be there or thereabouts could look a little closer at themselves, internally thats often where the problem is.

 

[Big Ewis]

There is not only Toulon who have an excellent budget there are others, Toulouse for example have the biggest budget, for years they have taken the best young French players so obviously they have a large representation in the French team, Yes of cousre Noves is often moaning about it but you cant have your cake and eat it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, things have changed in the last 10 years Toulon have created something that is difficult to beat but not impossible, its not always about massive wealth Racing could answer that question. Toulon wanted silverware immediately, some of us are more patient, sometimes not everything can be blamed on the FFR and the LNR sometimes the clubs who think they should be there or thereabouts could look a little closer at themselves, internally thats often where the problem is.

Agree-greed. Toulouse have indeed regularly taken the good French players around after they'd been developed a little bit by their formative clubs, but that's just the way of the business, go fishing for the big fish around in the sea if you've got the blingbling...and yes Toulouse has a very big budget too, but Toulon's riches are dubious...the mere fact Boudjellal talks about it every once in a while claiming everything is in order and within the designated limits is...hhmmmm....but anyways.

 

[FrenchFan]

There is not only Toulon who have an excellent budget there are others, Toulouse for example have the biggest budget, for years they have taken the best young French players so obviously they have a large representation in the French team, Yes of cousre Noves is often moaning about it but you cant have your cake and eat it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, things have changed in the last 10 years Toulon have created something that is difficult to beat but not impossible, its not always about massive wealth Racing could answer that question. Toulon wanted silverware immediately, some of us are more patient, sometimes not everything can be blamed on the FFR and the LNR sometimes the clubs who think they should be there or thereabouts could look a little closer at themselves, internally thats often where the problem is.

yes we may have the biggest budget. But we still don't want to go the Toulon way. Our model has been 1/3 french intl, 1/3 academy, 1/3 foreign over last 10 years. It will be hard to keep that balance with mickey mouse deals like the 30 Elite deal and constant interference from the parisians.
And the clubs that might try copy-paste the Toulon model will not succeed because they dont have the finances to hire the best foreigners.

I believe Racing, and also Lyon if they stay in Top14 could potentially follow in Toulon's footsteps because they could overtake Toulouse in terms of budget and replicate the Toulon model.

 

[gaston le gaff]

If thats the case then Toulouse are leaving themselves open to International selections and missing players at maybe at very important matches plus the new 30 man squad.... but only God knows how that will work, if there are injuries to other players as i can not see Internationals being held to the 30 matches if they have no choice but to play games for their clubs. I dont think anyone can copy paste the Toulon model as Toulon themselves had difficulty making it work to start off with but they did have one enormous problem PSA was in CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When the jiff on the starting sheet comes in next season or the one after things will be difficult for the teams full of foreigners and Toulouse could be laughing all the way to the bank, this will all be watched very closely, but for the present season everybody is working on methods to not lose at home and how to beat Toulon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As far as cheating with budgets it is now very difficult, the days of dubious sponsoring and payments are watched very closely by the money accounting police (DNNG) i'm sure there are methods but everything is controlled to the very last centime, and if you touch the reserve which has gone up again this season by 20% you are looking at Fed 1 if caught so the risks are enormous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FrenchFan]

did you read the interview in Midol. had to pinch myself.

Camous said he will do everything he can to block Laporte. What did we say in previous posts about Laporte's running for president being more than a long shot?!

But the saddest bit was Blanco talking about helping PSA and les Bleus........un ange passe.........

And the language used is worth the read alone. Camous is talking about ""accompagner humainement le sélectionneur" WTF

This is the language of doctors about a patient with terminal cancer. Incidentally why didn't he apply that to Lievremont instead of lynching him like they did? Lievremont had results to speak for himself. What's their excuse for PSA.

There's 2 categories of fans now. The ones that are crying laughing (like me) and the others plain crying.

If I were an international my reply would be along the lines of AU SECOURS

If you thought les bleus had a bad season.You haven't seen anything yet.

PSA is just a rash. Blanco and Camous are terminal cancer.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Yep i read it and just about drew the same conclusions, Laporte is always a possibility but there will be massive opposition as he will bring change and that's the most important factor!!! they dont want change!!!! Camous brought Blanco in to fortify the paper mache establishment. Maybe after a few defeats change may happen, and with Blanco onboard thats about glummiest even suicidal news anyone could get, after screwing BO and letting them go down to the Pro D2, lack of leadership, lack of finacial support, and using the buddy buddy employment system, they bring him into the XV de France, its similar to giving asprins for as you stated to terminal cancer patients
heaven help us !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

I haven't read it, only will when I'm reaaaaaally bored...I'm tired of this shiit guys, stories, detective stories, fkng hell sometimes I feel like the French Rugby story really is the film 'Who framed Roger Rabbit'...it's just tiring fellas.....where's the Rugby in all this ? The scene today is turning fans into journalists and cheap politics-reviewers...

 

[Tony Manx]

............. and with Blanco onboard thats about glummest even suicidal news anyone could get, after screwing BO and letting them go down to the Pro D2, (edit....nearly federale save for further funds being begged from the council and other partners at the last minute), lack of leadership, lack of financial support, and using the buddy buddy employment system.................

I love it when you pay attention to me............I could not have written it better as a description of the commercial ability of Blanco!!!

Ps excuse me correcting your spelling!!

 

[FrenchFan]

I haven't read it, only will when I'm reaaaaaally bored...I'm tired of this shiit guys, stories, detective stories, fkng hell sometimes I feel like the French Rugby story really is the film 'Who framed Roger Rabbit'...it's just tiring fellas.....where's the Rugby in all this ? The scene today is turning fans into journalists and cheap politics-reviewers...

good question BE. You see these people are the movers and shakers of the game yet the game itself is the last thing on their mind. They're in it for the power trip. Not for the love of the game or their allegiance to the jersey whatever the colour. They're not in it for the people either. They're in it for themselves. If Camous could run for a 3rd mandate, he would.
can someone please explain how same JC Skrela could be allowed to continue 10 effing years in a row as DTN? He is 65. This is what you get with FFR, people close to or in retirement age are still running our show. Skrela must be turning into a statue by now.

Meet the people that run your rugby BE.

 

[FrenchFan]

and Camous dropped a few bombs. http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/Camou-contre-attaque/485980

« Je suis prêt à payer une grosse partie du salaire. Le joueur est alors sous ma législation en termes de santé et de rassemblements ».

only thing is how does FFR finance these players some of them with the highest salaries? where do they get that kind of money? and do they think the clubs will let go that easily. FFR think that way they will gain control of the players. It's all about power and control for them.

 

[Big Ewis]

well I wasn't talking just FFR though, FF. I'm talking Rugby in all of France, the Top 14 clearly included. Boudjellal, Lorenzetti, Noves, the money laundering issue during mid-season, LNR vs FFR, PSA and his staff from Hell, fat Serge Blanco and Biarritz...there's a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot of talk, very little Rugby anymore. I'm not a soap opera fan, I only watch 30seconds of 'les feux de l'amour' per day when my grandma's on TF1 around 2pm when I walk past the TV, that's it. I'm a fan of *the sport of Rugby*. I like to see tries, tactics, running, rucking, tight games and high stakes. They definitely don't have all this talk elsewhere, I don't think England have 1/4 the talk and problems we have. Shiit is simple over there. And it's all, all, all about..............the money. It's the common denominator, and you can see other reasons around that, bottom line, at the deep end of everything, there is...........the money. I'm tired of this shiit, I'm just very eager for the start of the Top 14 season so I can talk about the 80min I just enjoyed.