[EOYT] France vs South Africa 23/11/13

[TRF_stormer2010]

That makes for painful viewing, Big E, put it away :blush:

 

[Gena_ZA]

Starting to work myself up for this one, late starting time - 22H00 SA time
Perfect for a good braai beforehand, should put the breaks on, can't wait from early afternoon not drinking anything you know...

 

[TRF_heineken]

Starting to work myself up for this one, late starting time - 22H00 SA time
Perfect for a good braai beforehand, should put the breaks on, can't wait from early afternoon not drinking anything you know...

Well, I have my office year-end function tommorrow and then early Saturday I'm going to Bela-Bela for a bachelors party! Getting proper sloshed before the game!! Not Even Ras Dhumisani will dampen my spirits before kick-off!!

As for the game. Based on the fact that we have 6 forwards on the bench, I expect a brutality from our forwards which we only seen glimpses of this year. It is clear that we will want to dominate with our forwards, and make the Frenchies hurt.

I'm gonna go for Boks by 21 points!! (3 tries)

 

[Gena_ZA]

Eina, babelaas of note coming up
Don't plan anything for Sunday bud...

I say Boks by 12 and predict a brutal contest but eventually we will out muscle them, don't think the wings are going to see much of the ball

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I say Bokke by 14 with us surprising them early on, getting a lot of points and then closing up shop and digging in; my big points difference is me backing our defense.

 

[Big Ewis]

That makes for painful viewing, Big E, put it away :blush:

ah please, that 42-17 in Cape Town I left there for Saffas to feel a bit better, I could've just posted the results to the last decade only (2000-2009) !

I see the Saffa fans on here feel the Boks will win by a fine margin, 10-15. Some sensible predictions. Alright, we'll just have to see.

France have named the team:

France: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Sofiane Guitoune, 10 Rémi Talès, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Damien Chouly, 7 Wenceslas Lauret, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 Benjamin Kayser, 1 Yannick Forestier.

Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Thomas Domingo, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 20 Yannick Nyanga, 21 Jean-Marc Doussain, 22 Frédéric Michalak, 23 Mathieu Bastareaud

This marks the first time Saint-André has selected the same half-back pairing three times in a row. Very happy to read such facts. Stability...France is on its way.

I just don't understand why Forestier starts. He was crap on defense against Tonga and can't nearly scrummage like Domingo. Perhaps Domingo isn't 100% like they said...and, I'm a bit afraid of Guitoune and his 85kg, 24yo and 2nd cap on the wing there...

 

[Jer1cho]

Our loose trio are miles ahead of France's. Why on Earth is Picomoles not playing? Alberts is gonna have a field day.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

That's a fine French team. I might have to reconsider my prediction. I would have been surprised if they brought in Domingo straight into the starting XV. I don't know Forestier but he will probably be fine. Oosthuizen at tight head for us is a bull of a man but lacks finesse.

Fofana and Dulin are the danger men and Lauret for me is a bit of an unknown. Sofiane Guitoune I know is a young wing and exciting but up gainst Habana, JPP and Le Roux.. I see us as having an opportunity to target that wing.

You are going to laugh at me but I am a bit scared of Michalak on the bench there. He has nothing to lose and is the type of player that will make a big impact coming onto the field; the question being in which team's favor. He knows SA very well havig played wih and against many of our players starting on the weekend...

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Christ, take your eye off France for a minute and they come back with completely different backs!

As for the French loosies; well Dusatoir is top drawer but I can't say I know enough of the other two.

However, I'm still utterly delighted that there is somebody called "Wenceslas"

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Our loose trio are miles ahead of France's. Why on Earth is Picomoles not playing? Alberts is gonna have a field day.

That Chouly is a big lad. And Lauret fared as well against the All blacks as any have this year. Don't write them off as yet. TBH I'd rather have seen Picamoles there instead of Lauret; Alberts and co would be more than able of containing Picamoles IMO but Lauret brings something different to France; work on the deck and work rate; might be more dangerous and him being a bit of an unknown in the test arena... I am just wary of the unknown I suppose.

 

[TRF_heineken]

However, I'm still utterly delighted that there is somebody called "Wenceslas"

I like Vahaamahina??

Sounds like something Goku would shout while powering up...

 

[Big Ewis]

That's a fine French team. I might have to reconsider my prediction. I would have been surprised if they brought in Domingo straight into the starting XV. I don't know Forestier but he will probably be fine. Oosthuizen at tight head for us is a bull of a man but lacks finesse.

Fofana and Dulin are the danger men and Lauret for me is a bit of an unknown. Sofiane Guitoune I know is a young wing and exciting but up gainst Habana, JPP and Le Roux.. I see us as having an opportunity to target that wing.

You are going to laugh at me but I am a bit scared of Michalak on the bench there. He has nothing to lose and is the type of player that will make a big impact coming onto the field; the question being in which team's favor. He knows SA very well havig played wih and against many of our players starting on the weekend...

:lol: that was a funny sentence to read in deed ! Made me snort out loud in the room.
But yes, there's definitely still that crazed magician Michalak in there somewhere, and he had some of those moments in the last 15 against Tonga, as irrelevant as those minutes were.

Our loose trio:
with Picamoles in, I'd say France and South Africa would be equal actually. With Chouly in stead, we've got a leaner, more mobile and more versatile no. 8, but he doesn't nearly give us Picamoles' brutal carrying. Clearly a step down, but a very capable no. 8. Dusautoir still has some tackles and leadership in him, while Lauret has played a huge, huge match against the AB to open up this November Tour.

Though Talès explained in an interview we don't want to waste energy in the rucks too much and just get back in line for a strong defensive curtain, for the rucks we do contest, Lauret is going to be key. In at 188cm and just 95kgs for a flanker, he's just got pure strength and excellent grip in the rucks, a real fetcher. And he'll be doing some running too.

EDIT:

That Chouly is a big lad. And Lauret fared as well against the All blacks as any have this year. Don't write them off as yet. TBH I'd rather have seen Picamoles there instead of Lauret;

in stead of Chouly you mean. Lauret+Dusautoir+Picamoles is one heck of a third row.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

in stead of Chouly you mean. Lauret+Dusautoir+Picamoles is one heck of a third row.

I mean that I think a France trio of Lauret/Dusautoir/Chouly seems more daunting to me than Chouly/Dusautoir/Picamoles though I suppose PSA would have gone for Lauret ahead of Chouly if Picamoles were fit so it was a stupid comment irrespective.

 

[Jer1cho]

Picomoles shat on us the last time we played in France. Pierre Spies was his ***** all night.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

What happened to Hairy Donkey?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Has Pierre Spies not been everyone's ***** since 2008 onwards?

 

[TRF_heineken]

What happened to Hairy Donkey?

Harry Ordinary?

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Harry Ordinary?

This guy:

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Something I found surprising:

From our last tour of Europe in 2012 to now we have faced Ireland, Scotland twice, Wales and England and have conceded only 1 try to the Scots in all 5 those matches in Europe.

 

[Big Ewis]

This guy:

He sure had a fantastic 2009-10-11, at least a handful of excellent, excellent games. He was a big presence in the last confrontation in 2009 in Paris.

Well, what's happened to him you ask ? A big injury right after the 2011 RWC, where he had such an amazing Final, and never found the form he just so recently had. And now, sinking completely along with Biarritz Olympique, surely Tony Manx could add a thing or two about old Imanol...