France v Italy

[Nidhogg]

Mon dieu

Lievremont has gone mad, but in a good way. Go France!

 

[Fantasy King]

French Team has been announced - 3 new caps, and Floch starting his first game after subbing on in the England game a couple of weeks ago...

France: 15-Anthony Floch, 14-Aurelien Rougerie, 13-Yannick Jauzion, 12-Yann David, 11-Julien Malzieu, 10-Francis Trinh-Duc, 9-Dimitri Yachvili,

8-Louis Picamoles, 7-Fulgence Ouedraogo, 6-Ibrahim Diarra, 5-Jerome Thion, 4-Lionel Nallet (captain), 3-Nicolas Mas, 2-Dimitri Szarzewski, 1-Fabien Barcella

Replacements: 16-Guilhem Guirado, 17-Jean-Baptiste Poux, 18-Arnaud Mela, 19-Julien Bonnaire, 20-Julien Tomas, 21-Damien Traille, 22-Vincent Clerc.

 

[An Tarbh]

I've no problem with the back three he's picked, don't agree with Yachvili being in there, I know there's no kicker but I'm not sure what it says to Parra after the performance he put in against England, if this season is about development then surely he's a prime candidate to keep his place. I also think that one of Dussautoir or Vermeulen should be in the back row to provide more experience alongside the newer players.

 

[DonBilly]

<div class='quotemain'> come on italy! win like 9 july 2006! [/b]

july 2006... :euh:
[/b][/quote]

This must be the date of the last poofball World Cup final.

 

[danit]

<div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotemain'> come on italy! win like 9 july 2006! [/b]

july 2006... :euh:
[/b][/quote]

This must be the date of the last poofball World Cup final.
[/b][/quote]oh my.... :blink: poofball... :wall:

he'd better remember Grenoble 22 mar 1997...

 

[danit]

Italy XV to face France

15 Andrea MARCATO (Treviso, 5 caps)
14 Kaine ROBERTSON (Viadana, 28 caps)
13 Gonzalo CANALE (Clermont-Auvergne, 39 caps)
12 Mirco BERGAMASCO (Stade Francais, 50 caps)
11 Ezio GALON (Overmach Parma, 17 caps)
10 Andrea MASI (Biarritz Olympique, 38 caps)
9 Simon PICONE (Treviso, 13 caps)
8 Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 51 caps) â€" capitano
7 Alessandro ZANNI (Calvisano, 20 caps)
6 Josh SOLE (Viadana, 26 caps)
5 Marco BORTOLAMI (Gloucester RFC, 65 caps)
4 Carlo Antonio DEL FAVA (Ulster, 26 caps)
3 Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps)
2 Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Calvisano, 9 caps)
1 Andrea LO CICERO (Racing Metro Paris, 74 caps)

16 Fabio ONGARO (Saracens, 51 caps)
17 Carlos NIETO (Gloucester RFC, 24 caps)
18 Salvatore PERUGINI (Stade Toulousain, 50 caps)
19 Jacobus ERASMUS (Viadana, uncapped)
20 Pietro TRAVAGLI (Overmach Parma, 5 caps)
21 Enrico PATRIZIO (Petrarca Padova, 1 cap)
22 Alberto SGARBI (Treviso, 2 caps)

Mallet givin' in with Masi at fh... :angry:
the expected XV for the rest with Robertson back from injury at winger

 

[Pericle]

...in our fowards we trust

 

[elgringoborracho]

<div class='quotemain'>
France XV
15 Floch
14Rougerie
13 Jauzion
12 David
11 Malzieu
10 Trinh Duc
9 Yachvili
8 Ouedraogo
7 Picamoles
6 Diarra
5 Thion
4 Nallet (cap.)
3 Mas
2 Szarzewski
1 Barcella
Remplaçants:Guirado, Poux, Mela, Bonnaire, Traille, Tomas, Clerc

Lievremont really wants to test his "debutants"

Barcella is predicted to have a tough game against Castrogiovanni, the backrow is totally young and unexperienced, backs strong as usual but with a 19yrs old debutant (Yann David) and the (actually) best NH winger on the bench...

France by 15 (but should struggle a lot in the first half and in the scrummage)
[/b]

Is Lievremont having a joke with us all? Even Graham Henry wasn't this audacious in selecting youth for the All Blacks and he took a lot stick from the Rugby public.

Italy have a real chance of winning this now and I won't be surprised if they do, and it will serve France right if they think they can go out and win every week with pretty much an U-21 national side. [/b][/quote]

Exactly, it would serve us right. So it's very clever from Lievremont!

 

[Nidhogg]

Luckily for France, Masi is once again selected at stand off. I can see an improvement upon the Wales game, and two good plays by italian backs instead of just one. Perhaps this time they can hold on to the ball 2 meters out. Italy are undoubtetly stronger in the pack, at least on paper. They are more experienced, more used to playing with each other, etc. The thing is that the pack can't bring you across the pitch like a good kicker can. The italian forwards have been strong as ever, but it's really frustrating to see good forwards play go up in smoke by lack of vision in the backs.

It Italy have the ability to control posession through their forwards, but they lack the kicking skills to move themselves around the park efficiently. How ever good the forwards may be, a driving maul just isn't going to get you to the oppositions tryline from your own half. If they can dominate territory, they should be able to win. With Masi at FH, I don't see taht happening though.

France to take it, though my trust in les blues has been shaken somewhat since the last round of play. It'll most likely be a tight affair.

 

[Stillknox]

I've no problem with the back three he's picked, don't agree with Yachvili being in there, I know there's no kicker but I'm not sure what it says to Parra after the performance he put in against England, if this season is about development then surely he's a prime candidate to keep his place. I also think that one of Dussautoir or Vermeulen should be in the back row to provide more experience alongside the newer players. [/b]

Lievremont philosophy is if Yachivili was on the bench last week, he must play this time. Everybody (youngsters and experienced players) must have at least one chance. It's the same thing for Thion or Floch for example.

I think it's a nice way to manage a group - and the players's egos.

 

[Kyle Broflowsky]

Excellent selection from Lievremont as usual. One regret, Bonnaire won't start on the field to stabilize this young 3rd row.

Let's be crazy :bana: I predict a defeat against Italy and a great victory at the Millenium after Wales will have defeated Ireland.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotemain'> I've no problem with the back three he's picked, don't agree with Yachvili being in there, I know there's no kicker but I'm not sure what it says to Parra after the performance he put in against England, if this season is about development then surely he's a prime candidate to keep his place. I also think that one of Dussautoir or Vermeulen should be in the back row to provide more experience alongside the newer players. [/b]

Lievremont philosophy is if Yachivili was on the bench last week, he must play this time. Everybody (youngsters and experienced players) must have at least one chance. It's the same thing for Thion or Floch for example.

I think it's a nice way to manage a group - and the players's egos.
[/b][/quote]

I understand the approach and it's certainly one he can try given the number of players at his disposal but I'm not sure what message he's sending out to the players by dropping Clerc and Heymans but leaving in Rougerie who in my opinion was the worst of the back three.

At least he's being consistent in dropping the best players.

 

[Stillknox]

I think it's precisely because he was the worst of the back three that he's still there: Lievremont and co let him a opportunity to do better in a "easier game". Trinh-Duc was not a full satisfaction too, unlike Parra, so he's still there. Malzieu had only one game in this tournament, and a good game, so he's back too.... and this is the occasion to see Clermont's back three this time. We already know what Clerc is capable of, so no need to put him in the starting team. And if the game goes wrong he, Bonnaire and the others confirmed players can enter in the second half.

No doubt that Parra/Elissalde, Heymans, Bonnaire, Clerc, and maybe Skrela & Vermeulen too will be on the field against Wales. And I think that Lievremont is clever enought to explain his strategy to all of these 'forgotten' players.

 

[An Tarbh]

A chance to make up for previous dissappointments isn't the worst way to approach things but how long can he realistically continue with this strategy?

 

[erwanseb]

One must not forget that there were 5 games played at the same time as the top 14 against 2 in a standard year.

There must have been some kind agreement between Lievremont and the clubs to avoid disrupting the top 14 by selecting too many players from a single team and draw players from as many clubs as possible.

But maybe I am reading too many conspiracy theories. Even if such an agreements exists, I do not mind that much as it was an excellent opportunity to see new players.

But I doubt that will be the same next year.

 

[DonBilly]

One must not forget that there were 5 games played at the same time as the top 14 against 2 in a standard year.

There must have been some kind agreement between Lievremont and the clubs to avoid disrupting the top 14 by selecting too many players from a single team and draw players from as many clubs as possible.

But maybe I am reading too many conspiracy theories. Even if such an agreements exists, I do not mind that much as it was an excellent opportunity to see new players.

But I doubt that will be the same next year.





[/b]

Next year he won't be supposed to experiment as much as this current year.

 

[Deano]

Mallet continues with Masi. Maybe he will give him the whole tournament and then see from there. I suppose we havent got much to lose now anyway. We already got slaughtered by Wales so one more hammering doesnt matter

 

[giannes]

Mallet continues with Masi. Maybe he will give him the whole tournament and then see from there. I suppose we havent got much to lose now anyway. We already got slaughtered by Wales so one more hammering doesnt matter [/b]

Yeah probably it doesn't matter for the italian supporters, but I think experienced players in our team will be really focused to play a good game against a "new" french side, especially in the first half because I think in the second half France will have on the pitch its best players ant they will go for a win

 

[w3lshrugby]

Now then, an Italy win gives Wales the championship (providing the Scots can hold on for 7 minutes)

 

[RC]

I think every single welshman will be out there cheering on the Italians tomorrow.
If Italy can't beat France then at least keep them close to a single digit difference in the score line.