France November squad

[Taranus]

Bit of corroboration that Doussain has been called up: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,9817_8221158,00.html

 

[Tony Manx]

French 23 V Australia

Forwards (13): Domingo, Forestier, Kayser, Szarzewski, Mas, Debaty, Maestri, Pape, Suta, Nyanga, Ouedraogo, Picamoles, Chouly.Back (10): Parra, Machenaud, Michalak, Trinh-Duc, Clerc, Dulin, Fofana Fritz, Huget, Mermoz.

 

[Big Ewis]

^ yeah I was just going to post that...:

Forwards (13): Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Yannick Forestier (Castres), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing-Metro), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse, Pascal Pape (capt, Stade Francais), Jocelino Suta (Toulon), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)


Backs (10): Maxime Machenaud (Racing-Metro), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Frederic Michalak (Toulon), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), Brice Dulin (Castres), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Maxime Mermoz (Toulon)



Looks solid...some guys missing but of course "some guys missing" in every single side atm...but not a bad squad at all.

 

[Big Ewis]

I'm sorry, not dbl-posting but this is a different idea:

Yoann Huget. Don't you guys think he's a tad underrated ?!
Strong at the wing (100kg), thick but also fast...he's had some quite fantastic individual performances here and there, awesome tries...yet ppl don't like hearing his name in the official int'l selection.

Any thoughts ? Inconsistent ?...

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I think it's pretty much the best squad given the circumstances. I'd have only kept Gunther instead of Ouedraogo and I had predicted Attoub instead of Debaty.
It was known that PSA would keep two 9's and two 10's, which imo is a waste given Michalak and Parra's (at a stretch) polyfunctionality.
If every player is picked at his position, the side would be (most likely, imo):
1. Domingo
2. Szarzewski
3. Mas
4. Maestri
5. Papé
6. Nyanga
7. Ouedraogo
8. Picamoles
9. Parra
10. Trinh-Duc
11. Huget
12. Mermoz
13. Fritz
14. Clerc
15. Dulin

The possible variations are:
- Changes in the front row. There may be changes at 2 or 3... but I don't really think so.
- Playing either Picamole or Chouly at flanker. This would add muscle to the backrow, and I wouldn't be against it. Given that PSA called 4 flankers and 2 no 8's, I think he sees both players exclusively at 8.
- Chages in te halfback pairing. Despite some crakcheads over the french forums wanting to play Machenaud instead of Parra, I really don't see this happenning. We may see Michalak instead of TD though.
- Fofana starting. It could be in place of any of the two centres. Fofana-Fritz was tried during the 6N, and the wingers got too bored and went on strike, so I don't think that'll be tried again for a little while (unless maybe Fritz goes to 12 and Fofana to 13, whch they have been both doing more often for their clubs.)
- Fofana at the wing. I don't think Clerc has any chance of not starting, so it would mean moving Huget to the bench or to FB, with Dulin taking the bench spot.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

On Huget, I think that as most french fans don't follow every Bayonne game, his bad 6N in 2011 kind of stuck in people's heads for too long, and his suspension after that didn't help. I think that going back to Toulouse helped him a lot.

 

[Tony Manx]

It was known that PSA would keep two 9's and two 10's, which imo is a waste given Michalak and Parra's (at a stretch) polyfunctionality............ Despite some crackheads over the french forums wanting to play Machenaud instead of Parra, I really don't see this happenning. We may see Michalak instead of TD though.

Totally agree with you about having two 9's and 10's.....does not make sense!

Also, I agree that Parra is the 10 in France but it would be crazy to bring on Michalak until he was needed to do something special either because the game is "won" or it is "lost" and not before!!

 

[Big Ewis]

On Huget, I think that as most french fans don't follow every Bayonne game, his bad 6N in 2011 kind of stuck in people's heads for too long, and his suspension after that didn't help. I think that going back to Toulouse helped him a lot.

yep.
But I mean he's a neat athelete. Looked good last time I saw him for e.g. (for whtvr it's worth) against Argentina June 2012, test 2. And he's had some killer tries in top14...
The problem for a lot of wingers (of course the little ones à la Dominici/Shane Williams, but even the taller ones like Clerc) is that to maintain their good "aero-dynamic" ability, i.e.: running fast and being nice and athletic and be able to writhe in between defenders, they remain rather slim for the rugby kind. A Guy like Habana manages to have both bulk and blazing speed, but he's a black dude lol let's be honest, and is one in a million anyways...
That's why Huget comes to mind as a guy with a little bit of both. Hard to move around at 100kg, but still with a strong first step and solid speed from then....
Anyways:

yeah (TONY MANX) the 9 and 10 thing...of course, it begs the comment: "oh how atypical", but surely PSA has smt planned out there, not just random...we'll see how that pans out, not sure what the point is really...hard to even think of one.


Say guys, what's our flaw (BESIDES the "which France turns up today" problem) ?
We seem pretty damn fundamentally sound to me...

 

[Tony Manx]

yeah (TONY MANX) the 9 and 10 thing...of course, it begs the comment: "oh how atypical", but surely PSA has smt planned out there, not just random...we'll see how that pans out, not sure what the point is really...hard to even think of one.
.

My point is that Michalak as a mercurial player should not be a starting pick (especially at 10) as he will probably give away as many points as he will make. If a game seems "lost" bring him on and lets see what he can do to rescue the situation as there is nothing to lose. If the games is "won" lets bring him on and let him entertain us with his unlimited talents! Please do not doubt that I think he is brilliant and is playing as well this season as I have seen him - but there is still the propensity of too many costly mistakes!

As for PSA has something planned.....with Lagisquet in the equation, I have to wonder!

 

[FoxyDread]

Hello, my first post, I´m quite new to Rugby Union (i have turned my back on football after many years) and whilst interested in the sport my knowledge isn´t yet good, so please forgive me if my enquiries are a little basic. Am i right in thinking that all of these 23 will feature on Match Day or willl some return to their club to play in the weekend round of games. If so which players do you think will miss out and play club rugby this weekend.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Hey FoxyDread. The list was trimmed from 33 to 23, with ten players going back to their clubs. All these 23 players will be featuring (15 starters plus 8 benchmen, usually all 8 replacements take the field).
Welcome to the forum, and more imortantly, welcome to rugby!

 

[Taranus]

Apart from the 33 players called up are here any others that you think may be in the core group of players considered for the RWC 2015? Maybe Ducalcon, Malzieu, Yann David, any others?

 

[Big Ewis]

My point is that Michalak as a mercurial player should not be a starting pick (especially at 10) as he will probably give away as many points as he will make. If a game seems "lost" bring him on and lets see what he can do to rescue the situation as there is nothing to lose. If the games is "won" lets bring him on and let him entertain us with his unlimited talents! Please do not doubt that I think he is brilliant and is playing as well this season as I have seen him - but there is still the propensity of too many costly mistakes!

As for PSA has something planned.....with Lagisquet in the equation, I have to wonder!

Fred Michalak certainly can be brilliant, yes...we'll just have to see what he can bring against Australia and Argentina.

 

[racingmetro92]

I think the team will be :

1 - Domingo
2 - Kayser
3 - Debaty

They know them very well, they play in the same club and i think the scrum will be very important

4 - Maestri
5 - Papé (cap)

It's the second row since the last 6 nations and it's a big satisfaction

6 - Nyanga
7 - Ouedraogo
8 - Picamoles

Nyanga for Dusautoir, Ouedraogo for Bonnaire (retired) and Picamoles who is for me one of the best n8

9 - Machenaud
10 - Trinh-Duc

Machenaud because he's doing a very good season, he's the best player in the Racing Metro and Parra has a little injury. Trinh-Duc because Michalak plays scrum-half in Toulon and Trinh-Duc is in this team since a long time.

11 - Clerc
12 - Fofana
13 - Mermoz
14 - Huget

Nothing to say about Clerc Fofana and Mermoz are very good but Huget is a very very poor player

15 - Dulin

We discovered him in Argentina in June and he is a good player and Medard isn't here

 

[FoxyDread]

Thanks for the welcome and the info Zefrenchy. Clermont and Toulouse are hard hit for this week´s games, but that´s off topic.

 

[Surefire]

Hello Racingmetro92,

If Parra is not 100%, its not a bad idea to start Machenaud. He seems up to the task, I saw him play against Munster in October and he has good field presence. Also being young and fresh, he might not be intimidated by the start against Australia. I was surprised Parra was in the 23 after they announced an injury concern. If Parra is 100%, I would give him the start on the basis of his goal kicking is excellent. I agree with the above posts that 2 9s & 2 10s seems too much. I am a big fan of Trinh-Duc, so I would like to see him start. Overall I like the team selection