France - Argentina

[geralddge]

Here is the French squad for the 1st game of the world cup:

Heymans - Rougerie, Traille, Jauzion, Dominici - Skrela, Mignoni - Martin, Harinordoquy, Betsen - Thion, Pelous - De Villiers, Ibanez, Milloud.

Hope that Heymans will perform well, he is one of the French players that know what is the French flair. :cheers:

 

[DonBilly]

Here is the French squad for the 1st game of the world cup:

Heymans - Rougerie, Traille, Jauzion, Dominici - Skrela, Mignoni - Martin, Harinordoquy, Betsen - Thion, Pelous - De Villiers, Ibanez, Milloud.

Hope that Heymans will perform well, he is one of the French players that know what is the French flair. :cheers: [/b]

On the bench : Szarzewski, Poux, Chabal, Bonnaire, Dusautoir, Elissalde, Michalak

So left out: Mas, Nallet, Bruno, Nyanga, Marty, Clerc, Poitrenaud, Beauxis

 

[shazbooger]

Bugger. I was kinda hoping that Laporte might go a bit mad and put someone like Mas at full back but unfortunately it looks like hes got it right. This is the team that I would have picked, with only one minor exception. I would have found a place for Nyanga on the bench.



France to win by 15.

 

[Stillknox]

Poor Poitrenaud... I prefer Heymans to him but, he's in place since the last six nations, hasn't been brillant but hasn't make big mistakes. Heymans played only one (good) match at fullback and now he's even not on the bench. Sad but... necessary. Poitrenaud is too irregular, like his friend Michalak. And Heymans is a excellent player.

Anyway, good starting team to fight those Pumas, but sadly I think this will be a though battle, not really spectacular for an opening match. No winger, centre or fullback on the bench... finally, the french flair maybe on the side of the Pumas with Hernandez, Corletto, Contepomi...

 

[DonBilly]

Poor Poitrenaud... I prefer Heymans to him but, he's in place since the last six nations, hasn't been brillant but hasn't make big mistakes. Heymans played only one (good) match at fullback and now he's even not on the bench. Sad but... necessary. Poitrenaud is too irregular, like his friend Michalak. And Heymans is a excellent player.

Anyway, good starting team to fight those Pumas, but sadly I think this will be a though battle, not really spectacular for an opening match. No winger, centre or fullback on the bench... finally, the french flair maybe on the side of the Pumas with Hernandez, Corletto, Contepomi...


[/b]

I would have retained Clerc instead of Ellisalde on the bench but I guess that Laporte wanted to have another "reliable" kicker in case Skréla must get out although Michalack, Trailles and Heymans can kick too.

 

[Prestwick]

Come on chaps! This will be the first world cup 2007 game I'm going to be watching, lets get the hype going!

How will France handle a muscular Argentine pack with a vaguely dexterous and adventerous back line?

I would predict a French victory but I am not going to expect massive fireworks from either team, both will want to grind out a safe win rather than go hell for leather.

 

[shtove]

Heymans has fixed a weakness at full back - just hope he continues his form from the Wales game. In that case, there is no room for Poitrenaud.

Clerc will get in eventually, but I guess the goal kicking conundrum is the one thing that will trouble France throughout the tournament.

France are going to blow Argentina away. Arg's first half mid-field defence against Wales was shocking - some of the worst I've seen at the Millennium Stadium (and that's the home ground of Wales!). People will excuse them because of "rustiness", but this French team shows no mercy in their opening blitzkriegs.

Jauzion to smash holes at will, and France's backrow replacements to finish the game off at a canter.

This game, and the AB-Italy game, will tell us if we've got two monster teams heading for a nuclear explosion in the final.

Mind you, I've been veeeeeery wrong about France in the past. <_<

 

[Chabal]

Me, I wait "ThE ChAbAl" against Pumas
But without joke, this game is very hard to begin a world cup at home...

 

[Stillknox]

It was the same for Wales and Australia after all...

 

[geralddge]

It will be a hard game for both team and the looser will be in trouble for the following game... Thus now waiting for Friday to get the answer.

 

[Eternal Idol]

Corletto - Borges, M. Contepomi, F. Contepomi, Agulla - J.M. Hernandez - Pichot - Ostiglia, Leguizamon, J. Fernandez-Lobbe - Albacete, I. Fernandez-Lobbe - Scelzo, Ledesma, Roncero.

Subs : Vernet-Basualdo, Bonorino, Alvarez-Kareilis, Durand, Fernandez-Miranda, Todeschini, Senillosa.


M. Contepomi? :angry:
Agulla? :mellow:

Todeschini in the bench? :cryy: :cryy: :cryy:

Hasan not even in the bench?? :%#%#: Tiesi must be still injured and I would have preferred Aramburu ALL THE WAY instead of Manuel Contepomi ... if Todeschini isn't injured I prefer him at 10 and Hernandez at 15.

 

[melon]

Why isn't Hasan in the team?! I thought he would have been a shoe-in?

 

[Eternal Idol]

Why isn't Hasan in the team?! I thought he would have been a shoe-in?
[/b]

I've no clue ... that's all the information I've right now and I've got it from Lequipe website, there's not any news yet in argentinean sites.

Let's see the players left out are: Hasan, Aramburu, Tiesi (still injured I guess - he's one of Loffreda's favorite players -), Longo (injured), Schusterman, Ayerza, Serra and one of the Fernandez-Miranda (I bet the flyhalf Juan).

Add: OK, the line up has been posted in rugbyfun.com.ar (I was right Nicolas is on the bench, Juan is out) but without any comments.

 

[mirlos]

Todeschini is a little injured, feeling some pain in his right leg, maybe he would be ready for the second game. I have no idea why Hasan isn´t playing, and Tiesi didn´t fully recover yet. Loffreda chose Manuel Contepomi because he is tough in defense, even though he is not as dangerous as the other centres of the team, with the ball in his hands. What I really hate is that Martin Durand isn´t starting the game, even though he surely will play a few minutes, or maybe even the whole second half.
Im so nervous, want the game to start right now!

 

[Eternal Idol]

Todeschini is a little injured, feeling some pain in his right leg, maybe he would be ready for the second game.[/b]

Yes, at first it was said that he was going to miss the first match but now he's on the bench ...

Loffreda chose Manuel Contepomi because he is tough in defense, even though he is not as dangerous as the other centres of the team, with the ball in his hands.[/b]

I think he isn't in the same level as Tiesi, Gaitan (what a pity :cryy or Aramburu. I would have even preferred Marcelo Bosch ... he should have been called just like Nicolas Vergallo to get experience, they will be in the team in next RWC.

Im so nervous, want the game to start right now![/b]

Me too! :bravo:

 

[mirlos]

Well, I didn´t have the chance of seing Marcelo Bosch playing much, since is really complicated to watch games from European Leagues in Argentina, but I know Loffreda didn´t call him because he had 3 Fly Halfs in the team already. Don´t know if Bosch is good as a centre. People that saw him play say he is a really good fly half, and I´m sure he would be part of the Pumas team for a long time.

 

[stormmaster1]

You've got to expect a French win here, but the Pumas will give them a real test. They will certainly remind the French pack of the physical nature of the game. One of the key things will be the start. France will want to come out flying at lay down their mark for the home crowds to get behind them. If Argentina can whether the storm and stay in touch then they have the opportunity to grind out a result. The thing is i reckon one of the French players will do something to decide the match in the second half if it's close. Whether a big run by Chabal, or some magic from Michalak of Jauzion, someone will pull something out of the bag if it's close.



My prediction is France by 10, either to stay clear through the match after a blistering start, or a piece of magic deciding an otherwise close encounter.

 

[mrpropremtp]

Certainly the hardest match in this pool for France but a winning score directly lead to quarters...

I also hope that Todeschini will be as good as he was this season in Montpellier.....

 

[BokMagic]

I think that the French have picked very close to their strongest lineup for this game. The tight 5 is looking very solid, and the back row looks absolutely superb.

But for those who are predicting a 10-15 point blowout for the French, I urge you to take a look at the Argie pack. Ledesma, the Fernandez-Lobbes and Roncero will grace most national sides in the world. They`ve certainly got the pack to upset the French. The biggest query must be why Hasan isn`t playing. I really rate him as one of the best in the business.

The French should probably win it in the backs- the Argies might have one of the best 9`s in the world, but I`m not convinced by Hernandez at 10- he`s a class 15, IMO the best in the business, but he`s got precious little experience of flyhalf, and for such a crunch game, I`d have preferred a more experienced 10. Plus Manuel`s past his sell-by date IMO, so the French might have a weak spot, especially on defense, to exploit in the centres. And Jaunzion and co. will need no second invitation to get cracking on exploiting that.

So, overall, I think it`ll be a helluva good game, and extremely tight. Could go either way, but I doubt whether there`ll be more than 5 points in it either way.

 

[RC]

Am i the only one who doesn't like Dominci?
Jeez, i never see him do anything for France against the bigger teams.
Drop the little shrimp. Where's Clerc?