France November squad

[Big Ewis]

hah...so that clarifies what I thought...so no French Flair during the PSA years ??...naahhh, we're going to see some pretty try action surely. I really hope Clerc can still show the world what a winger he is.
And yeah, no offense to the English, they're the best team in Europe (historically) and all but...it's a very boring style. That's why I love French and NZ rugby, we're the opposite of that.

 

[Draggs]

hah...so that clarifies what I thought...so no French Flair during the PSA years ??...naahhh, we're going to see some pretty try action surely. I really hope Clerc can still show the world what a winger he is.
And yeah, no offense to the English, they're the best team in Europe (historically) and all but...it's a very boring style. That's why I love French and NZ rugby, we're the opposite of that.

Oh Olyy!

 

[psychic duck]

hah...so that clarifies what I thought...so no French Flair during the PSA years ??...naahhh, we're going to see some pretty try action surely. I really hope Clerc can still show the world what a winger he is.
And yeah, no offense to the English, they're the best team in Europe (historically) and all but...it's a very boring style. That's why I love French and NZ rugby, we're the opposite of that.

French Flair has been a myth for years now. That was something of the amateur era that was last seen in the 1990's.

Nowadays France play pretty much exactly like England, not "the opposite" at all.

The Top 14 is statistically the lowest try scoring league from all the major leagues in the world, there wasn't a single try in the Top 14 semi finals or final last year.

With PSA in charge and his fondness for picking Lionel Beauxis, I would even say right now France are more boring than England are.

 

[Big Ewis]

^ yeah didn't know about that stat...but I must disagree with the "myth" part. Well by 90's you must mean the very end of the decade, because the second half of the 99 RWC semifinal is pure French Flair at its best !
I've seen a ton of 6N France games, and there's just that special spark still...the risk taking, the love of running...very different from the other 6N. I'm actually currently collecting clips from the matches I have of the 6N (starting 2000) and about to release a compilation with our best tries...some pretty spectacular *****, in retrospect. But anyways...maybe you're right, ze french flair is disappearing...for now.

 

[Darwin]

A couple of quick questions (from someone who knows next to nothing about French rugby).

What are the chances of Tolofua getting some gametime? If I recall correctly he is the young hooker (18/19?) who is absolutely huge. I'm assuming he is only here for developmental purposes, but I do feel that France could do with a powerful hooker to replace Servat (who I rated very highly). I'm not a big fan of Szarzewski - he certainly gets around the field well, but he seems to slip off quite a few tackles, and the French scrum always seemed to be worse when he was on (though Servat who he usually replaced is an exceptional scrummager by all regards). Good to see young Vahaamahina picked (I remember him from the Under 20's), though I'm a bit surprised that they have opted for several young tight forwards.

I'm sure the loose-forward trio will be pretty strong, though it is strange to see a France squad without Bonnaire included (I assume he has retired?). What is the likely starting loose-forward trio?

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Tolofua has a chance of playing, I'd ssay he's quite even with Kayser in chances for the 16 jersey. He has almost a full season of top 14 in him, he imposes physically even at 18 (he played his first game one month after his 18th birthday), both in top 14 and H cup, and has worked a lot in his set pieces. His throwing is nothing like last season.

The likely loose-forward trio (for the Australia game) would be Dusautoir, Ouedraogo and Picamoles. It would work like the Toulouse loose trio (with Ouedraogo taking Nyanga's place). I think Lauret is being taken as Dusautoir's backup, so little to no chance of seeing him in the 23 (he's just the token Biarritz player). Probably Chouly would go to the bench, on polyfunctionality. It may also be Dusautoir, Gunther and Chouly, with Picamoles off the bench (we may see Picamoles playing flanker these tests). For the other two tests it will be more unpredictible, with some more experimentation going on. All six loose forwards are of good level, so I don't think it would be crazy to try a little bit against Argentina.

 

[Big Ewis]

eh ZeFrenchy: we're facing Australia first as you know before Arg n Sam. Would you rather say we're in for a lesson because of all the experimentation going on and the youth of the pack, and that we have like 3/4 days to train - or that despite the youth those first rowers still are massive and the rest of the squad a pretty solid unit with a lot of tests together ?

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I don't think it will be a hiding like in 2010. It is obviously far from ideal to start by playing Australia (PSA said it himself), as they've been playing together fo a while now. Probably for the first test, France will stay with combinations that have played together before. Like Parra - Trinh-Duc at 9 and 10, Domingo, Szar and Mas in the front row, Dusautoir with Picamoles in the backrow, Mermoz and Fritz in the centres... so no much experimentation going on. The most "unsurprising" XV would be:

1. Domingo
2. Szarzewski
3. Mas
4. Maestri
5. Papé
6. Dusautoir
7. Ouedraogo
8. Picamoles
9. Parra
10. Trinh-Duc
11. Probably Fall
12. Mermoz
13. Fritz
14. Clerc
15. Huguet

So nothing new really, except the back three. The bench could look like:

16. Kayser
17. Forestier
18. Attoub
19. Suta
20. Chouly
21. Michalak
22. Fofana
23. Dulin

 

[Big Ewis]

^ well yeah that's basically what we've had during the 6N and a bit before. Minus Servat. I thought Mas had retired ....??...:huh:

 

[welshglory]

France play a pretty boring game plan but they will always have the natural ability to play what's in front of them when the game breaks up.

Don't know what the fuss is about to be honest, apart from a few selections as some have mentioned this is a bloody strong squad.

 

[Big Ewis]

France play a pretty boring game plan but they will always have the natural ability to play what's in front of them when the game breaks up.

Don't know what the fuss is about to be honest, apart from a few selections as some have mentioned this is a bloody strong squad.

yeaahhh but we never know, now do we ?...^_^
Hope we'll see a little bit of what we saw in Argentina June Test 2...get out n run, kick passes across the field, the faster side of rugby.
Hope we won't be as boring as everybody says here !...

 

[welshglory]

yeaahhh but we never know, now do we ?...^_^
Hope we'll see a little bit of what we saw in Argentina June Test 2...get out n run, kick passes across the field, the faster side of rugby.
Hope we won't be as boring as everybody says here !...

To be honest pretty much every test nation plays a boring game plan nowadays. It's just the way things are.
At the end of the day a strong defence and kicking game will win you the game 9/10.
The Allblacks success over the past year has been built on it, granted they don't play a boring game!

 

[Big Ewis]

^ well you know it's like everything in life man. Someone starts playing a certain way that works, you've got to start doing it as well, and others follow and here you have the entire world doing the same thing because, well, it's a decade-over-decade worth proven point. It's like you're at war, and somebody starts using nuclear warheads. You're gonna start wanting some yourself...it's a chain-reaction.
You're right though. Even teams like Aus and SA haven't been as exciting as in the past. I mean they've barely looked "SH" this past TRC if you see what I mean.

But I maintain France still has the potential to play exciting french rugby. Just names like Clerc, Fofana, Médard (not with us yet, I know), Picamoles, Michalak, Trinh Duc, Dusautoir...I dunno, sounds good to me ! But we'll see...
I've got a lot of analyzing to do these November tests - in stead of just enjoying the game, I ought to pay attention to the game plans and styles a bit more...if it's true we do play just like the English these days...

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Dusautoir has been ruled out of the tour, with a knee injury. And all of a sudden all the squad looks significantly weaker. I am afraid PSA may start Lauret, calling Guyot as a back up: he thinks in openside/blindside terms, unlike most french coaches/people, so I don't see him calling up Lapandry or Nyanga, the two that would deserve the spot on form (surtout Nyanga).

 

[Tony Manx]

Dusautoir has been ruled out of the tour, with a knee injury. And all of a sudden all the squad looks significantly weaker. I am afraid PSA may start Lauret, calling Guyot as a back up: he thinks in openside/blindside terms, unlike most french coaches/people, so I don't see him calling up Lapandry or Nyanga, the two that would deserve the spot on form (surtout Nyanga).

Whilst acknowledging that he is no true replacement to the Player of the Year (and ex Biarritz player) Dusatoir (for after all who would be), I think you are being a bit hard on Lauret who will not let anyone down and I would wonder about Guyot being selected after having not played anywhere near a full game after returning from injury...it would be a gamble that!

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Lauret is a good player, but I was coming from a Dusautoir-Ouedraogo-Picamoles backrow, and that holds only because Dusautoir owns the breakdown and the inside tackles, so the other two can go long and aupport the outer runners. Lauret is not as good as to trust him with a full backrow's breakdown work. I guess something like Lauret-Gunther-Picamoles could work, or Lauret-Picamoles-Chouly. I'd go for Gunther-Ouedraogo-Picamoles if selecting from the original 33, or would bring Nyanga straight into the starting lineup (though I don't think PSA will hand a starting spot to whoever is coming into the squad to replace Dusautoir).

 

[Big Ewis]

**** that's right. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK !!!!! WHY THE HELL DID IT HAVE TO BE THIERRYYYYY !!!
He's missing at least the first two. He may be back for Samoa lol, as if that makes any difference...ffs.

I predict a good 6N in '13 though. We finished just FOURTH last year, for a country like France that's just ridiculous - especially with the team we had on paper. We always rebound right back, historically.
But I srs have my doubts about the Aussie visit. We'll have just 4 days to prepare, they've just drawn with NZ and played an entire TRC together...we've got Dusautoir out, Médard out too...and apparently some experimentation going on...yikes !

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Nyanga has been called up in place of injured Dusautoir. Most people will be happy about this.

 

[Big Ewis]

Nyanga...yeah we need a black dude to replace Thierry ! :lol:
I haven't actually seen him play a whole lot, by coincidence...saw a ton of matches of the Fr intl' team this past decade but managed to never notice him...good defender right ? A little bit like Dusautoir, strong, rigid and a knack for tackles I'd imagine ? Very very close physiologically to Thierry in fact, also...1m87 with his 100kg +. Younger though.

 

[psychic duck]

Whilst acknowledging that he is no true replacement to the Player of the Year (and ex Biarritz player) Dusatoir (for after all who would be), I think you are being a bit hard on Lauret who will not let anyone down and I would wonder about Guyot being selected after having not played anywhere near a full game after returning from injury...it would be a gamble that!

Lauret is a good player, but I was coming from a Dusautoir-Ouedraogo-Picamoles backrow, and that holds only because Dusautoir owns the breakdown and the inside tackles, so the other two can go long and aupport the outer runners. Lauret is not as good as to trust him with a full backrow's breakdown work. I guess something like Lauret-Gunther-Picamoles could work, or Lauret-Picamoles-Chouly. I'd go for Gunther-Ouedraogo-Picamoles if selecting from the original 33, or would bring Nyanga straight into the starting lineup (though I don't think PSA will hand a starting spot to whoever is coming into the squad to replace Dusautoir).

I'm sorry but Lauret just isn't up to international standard. He was outplayed by a rookie in Tomás de la Vega in June.

France have a number of options that are better than Lauret. Nyanga, Ouedraogo, Gunther and Lapandry are all clearly better than Lauret.

I think France should go with a back row of Ouedraogo, Nyanga and Picamoles.