France v Wales, 09/02/13

[Draggs]

That was November 2010, I think.
Still a poor centre though, with regards to distribution.

I'd rather see Roberts drop some weight, speed up and play outside Beck.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Just saw this. Jonathan Davies who is not a "natural passer" according to Wales skills coach Mark Jones, was one of the lowest scorers on Brian Moore's Mouth Challenge. On a par with Pudsey Bear and John Inverdale. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/9176198.stm

Is it only now they know this? It's been a problem since he started regional rugby and even playing youth rugby. Davies was a converted flanker who's passing was never outstanding.

 

[Draggs]

Flanker, except he can't tackle or ruck or anything.

 

[Big Ewis]

No offence but youre waffling . . . .

man I'm tired of wasteful internet arguments...no in reality I'm not waffling, if this is to get back at me coz I said you were waffling then ok...I'm waffling. Deal ?

 

[Surefire]

I agree with some of Jaunard's posts on this thread. I think if France had scored in the final moments of the Italy game, it would only have glossed over problems with this France team. France should win this game this weekend, however I am having difficulty seeing how they do that. One advantage seems to be Wales is having difficulty as well. It will be interesting for sure, to see which team can get it together first. France are at home, so that might help, but I see it as being very close.

Yoe & Jaunard, I think we are forgetting to quickly about Lievremont's coaching ability, and looking at the past with rose colored glasses. I believe he lost respect of the players even before the world cup. That WC team showed a lot of fortitude getting to the final and of course had some luck. I am not ready to give up on PSA yet, although this tournament will be a telling sign.

 

[kesh]

That was November 2010, I think.
Still a poor centre though, with regards to distribution.

I'd rather see Roberts drop some weight, speed up and play outside Beck.

Interesting match up Roberts / Bastareaud, the latter been near 19 stone of centre. He just going a another big french lump who starts blowing early on?

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I don't know what you're on Jaunard and Yoe, but saying that Lièvremont's selection were "normal" is just beyond any sense of reality. The guy chose Baby at 10 for a 6N game, played Traille at 10 (and at every other imaginable position) with desastrous results. He selected players such as Arnaud Mela (28 yo and not particularly good at time of selection), Benoît Lescouls (30 yo), Renaud Boyoud (28), David Janin (31), Tibauth Lacroix, Mathieu Lièvremont (33 yo), Pierre Correia (for a single cap), Yannick Caballero (at lock and for 1 cap), Julien Puricelli (28 yo), and other selections as crazy. He lost against Italy in a much worse way than last weekend. He lost against Tonga. Every source agrees that the WC it was the players coaching themselves. He left Jauzion and Poitrenaud out of the WC.
PSA has made Fofana play at the wing and Trinh-Duc as fullback cover. Every other decision is arguable, but far from crazy.

And Jaunard, please, calling a test match a "friendly" only tells about your ignorance regarding the history and the spirit of this beautiful game.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

man I'm tired of wasteful internet arguments...no in reality I'm not waffling, if this is to get back at me coz I said you were waffling then ok...I'm waffling. Deal ?

Hit the nail on the head! Nah im only kidding! You reckon Bastareud will have a field day against roberts?

 

[psychic duck]

I don't know what you're on Jaunard and Yoe, but saying that Lièvremont's selection were "normal" is just beyond any sense of reality. The guy chose Baby at 10 for a 6N game, played Traille at 10 (and at every other imaginable position) with desastrous results. He selected players such as Arnaud Mela (28 yo and not particularly good at time of selection), Benoît Lescouls (30 yo), Renaud Boyoud (28), David Janin (31), Tibauth Lacroix, Mathieu Lièvremont (33 yo), Pierre Correia (for a single cap), Yannick Caballero (at lock and for 1 cap), Julien Puricelli (28 yo), and other selections as crazy. He lost against Italy in a much worse way than last weekend. He lost against Tonga. Every source agrees that the WC it was the players coaching themselves. He left Jauzion and Poitrenaud out of the WC.
PSA has made Fofana play at the wing and Trinh-Duc as fullback cover. Every other decision is arguable, but far from crazy.

And Jaunard, please, calling a test match a "friendly" only tells about your ignorance regarding the history and the spirit of this beautiful game.

A few of the players Lievremont selected who were never good enough:
Lionel Mazars (must have been at least 25 better French centres)
Sébastien Tillous-Borde (ahead of Parra, Yachvili, Elissalde, Tomas and Dupuy was ludicrous)
Renaud Boyoud (Bayonne reserve prop)
Benoît Baby (At fly half, when he was Clermont third choice full back/winger at the time)
Arnaud Mela (who?)
Damien Traille (at 10)
Julien Brugnaut (Munster reject)

Add to that the team he took to Australia in 2008 that was awful.

 

[wertas]

But still, guy had a style

On the other hand, I liked his "stupid" or "questionable" selection of Parra at 10. However, in reality there is no huge difference for French scrum-half to move to fly-half. And even Parra at 10 I consider quite successful selection as he managed to tackle and stop oposite jym-monkey centers.

 

[Big Ewis]

I don't know what you're on Jaunard and Yoe, but saying that Lièvremont's selection were "normal" is just beyond any sense of reality. The guy chose Baby at 10 for a 6N game, played Traille at 10 (and at every other imaginable position) with desastrous results. He selected players such as Arnaud Mela (28 yo and not particularly good at time of selection), Benoît Lescouls (30 yo), Renaud Boyoud (28), David Janin (31), Tibauth Lacroix, Mathieu Lièvremont (33 yo), Pierre Correia (for a single cap), Yannick Caballero (at lock and for 1 cap), Julien Puricelli (28 yo), and other selections as crazy. He lost against Italy in a much worse way than last weekend. He lost against Tonga. Every source agrees that the WC it was the players coaching themselves. He left Jauzion and Poitrenaud out of the WC.
PSA has made Fofana play at the wing and Trinh-Duc as fullback cover. Every other decision is arguable, but far from crazy.

And Jaunard, please, calling a test match a "friendly" only tells about your ignorance regarding the history and the spirit of this beautiful game.

uhmmm man, I don't think Lievremont's selection was normal, I declared the exact opposite !
and wow, forgot about just how bad the selections were.....
And about the RWC, I think he was kind of like a "mate" for the team, he would just get angry as a friend would but I really don't think he was strategically up to the challenge, and yes judging by the immense fluctuation in results, surely the players seemed coach-less...not exactly under control !...

And jaunard's not dead serious about calling test matches "friendly" man, easy now !! :lol:

And about PSA (Surefire): I'm not even sure we could call this 6N a true test. We'll never be too sure how coachable our current players are, and he may put in an honest, thorough effort but come out empty handed...He certainly, certainly has proven he can instill the winning spirit and gather his team in strong solidarity in November. That team then was really good, maybe it can show up again a few times this tournament, and hopefully, at least once in NZ this summer........

Hit the nail on the head! Nah im only kidding! You reckon Bastareud will have a field day against roberts?

my bad man, couldn't tell if you were kidding or dead serious trying to get at me...
well as someone pointed it out on this very thread somewhere, Bastareaud means we're slow(er) on defense at midfield...but of course it also means there's more power and ball-in-hand ability during the match on the other end (and not just for the last 3min this time....). I was pleased to hear he's starting...he's shown tremendous maturity and enthusiasm during all interviews, sees this as a golden opportunity, and knows his place is all too precarious...unstable...could be left out just like that. This ought to be (OUGHT to be....) his redemption for les bleus, and last time he was there we did get a Grand Slam (of course not saying it's all him...). He was in great form for Toulon before this tournament, and we haven't seen any of him the first match in Rome...

 

[Tony Manx]

Boujellal of Toulon is on record today as saying that FFR pays the clubs 500 euro a day for the use of their players (who he says have gross annual salaries of between 700 and 800k!!) when on International duty......maybe this explains why the clubs do not co-operate with the national team? He also wonders whether it should become the Top 12 to better schedule matches and play SH winners in play offs!!

 

[Big Ewis]

READ UP, *****ES !!

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_8478513,00.html

caaaaaaaan't waaaaaaait !! :crazy:

 

[gaston le gaff]

Boujellal of Toulon is on record today as saying that FFR pays the clubs 500 euro a day for the use of their players (who he says have gross annual salaries of between 700 and 800k!!) when on International duty......maybe this explains why the clubs do not co-operate with the national team? He also wonders whether it should become the Top 12 to better schedule matches and play SH winners in play offs!!

He was talking about gross annual salaries at Toulon and nowhere else except maybe Racing !!!!!!!

 

[RWC2011Fan]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...5-Les-Bleus-fans-snub-team.html#axzz2KOSSQ5A0
That's pretty much the price of a Super 15 match.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

my bad man, couldn't tell if you were kidding or dead serious trying to get at me...
well as someone pointed it out on this very thread somewhere, Bastareaud means we're slow(er) on defense at midfield...but of course it also means there's more power and ball-in-hand ability during the match on the other end (and not just for the last 3min this time....). I was pleased to hear he's starting...he's shown tremendous maturity and enthusiasm during all interviews, sees this as a golden opportunity, and knows his place is all too precarious...unstable...could be left out just like that. This ought to be (OUGHT to be....) his redemption for les bleus, and last time he was there we did get a Grand Slam (of course not saying it's all him...). He was in great form for Toulon before this tournament, and we haven't seen any of him the first match in Rome...[/QUOTE]


Yeah ive seen a few of Toulons games this season and if he gets up to speed it draws atleast 3 into the tackle leaving space out wide, any news of vincent clercs return?

 

[Big Ewis]

^ noooooooo man, I'm....well not to say "devastated", but reaaaaaaally let down by his injury....ouch !!
He was still scoring tries this past November (two against Argentina in fact), I really really wanted him to give France that extra boost he always gives us....and continue piling up those tries at int'l level....
no news so far for me....bummmmmmed out big time !

RWC2011Fan :
yeh it's anti-patriotic and yadi yada...but seriously, what a fkn bummer. Most hyped up side for the tournament, off a fantastic November, and then for stupid reasons not in our best form, and bam we lose to Italy...it's like we've lost all prestige and all the magic of a possible GSlam for the whole tournament...it's like we've lost already. I understand the fans, we're a Tier 1 nation, we're not fkn Bangladesh or wtvr...we take a loss like that very seriously, it's understandable.

 

[jaunard06]

I don't know what you're on Jaunard and Yoe, but saying that Lièvremont's selection were "normal" is just beyond any sense of reality. The guy chose Baby at 10 for a 6N game, played Traille at 10 (and at every other imaginable position) with desastrous results. He selected players such as Arnaud Mela (28 yo and not particularly good at time of selection), Benoît Lescouls (30 yo), Renaud Boyoud (28), David Janin (31), Tibauth Lacroix, Mathieu Lièvremont (33 yo), Pierre Correia (for a single cap), Yannick Caballero (at lock and for 1 cap), Julien Puricelli (28 yo), and other selections as crazy. He lost against Italy in a much worse way than last weekend. He lost against Tonga. Every source agrees that the WC it was the players coaching themselves. He left Jauzion and Poitrenaud out of the WC.
PSA has made Fofana play at the wing and Trinh-Duc as fullback cover. Every other decision is arguable, but far from crazy.

And Jaunard, please, calling a test match a "friendly" only tells about your ignorance regarding the history and the spirit of this beautiful game.

In the case of Traille he already played as FH since 2005 as this is Bernard Laporte who first did it several times, so I don't see why you put the blame on Lievremont ! He can also play as 15, he is a versatile player and this is the reason why Laporte - yes again - that selects him in 2007. Arnaud Mela played only 4 times and was first team player only once, and during his 4 caps got 3 victories, he played at his usual place. Benoit Lecouls was selected only once in 2008, during this year he played in little provincial clubs known as "Stade Toulousain" and "Biarritz Olympique", where he played numerous internationals with both clubs. He also played at his usual place. Renaud Boyoud played only once for France essentially because the european cups were played at the same time and the first choice players coming from Stade Toulousain, USAP, or ASM were not available.

I could go on but I think that's enough to show that your list is pointless. I don't even comment your last sentence as it is utterly stupid.

 

[Tony Manx]

In the case of Traille he already played as FH since 2005 as this is Bernard Laporte who first did it several times, so I don't see why you put the blame on Lievremont ! He can also play as 15, he is a versatile player and this is the reason why Laporte - yes again - that selects him in 2007.

That just means that Laporte was just as wrong as Lievremont as Traille is NOT a FH and never was ......................he was not good for France in that position, and, in the absence of a FH at BO for the last five years, at least, he has been picked to play there now and again only to be as poor as everyone else who has been tried.....

He is, sorry was, an excellent centre and more than capable full back due to his ability under the high ball and length of kicking but never a FH!

Other than that comment, will not intervene in the argument..................

 

[ZeFrenchy]

And jaunard's not dead serious about calling test matches "friendly" man, easy now !! :lol:

XD

I could go on but I think that's enough to show that your list is pointless. I don't even comment your last sentence as it is utterly stupid.

You are defending Lièvremont's choices, you can do that if you want. You seem to be against the world wide public opinion but, again, it's your right. Now, saying that PSA's choice are crazy and that Lièvremont's selections wer normal in comparison is just stupid.

And, you should read a bit from time to time. Tours and test matches have made the history of this sport. France was even against the creation of the World Cup, because of the belief that it was individual games that mattered. That's why a Grand Slam is such a bigger deal than winning the 6N with no GS. That's why the Lions' tours are still the highlight of the rugby international calendar, even more so then the RWC for some. Lièvremont contributed to the devaluing of a test cap, maybe the reason why you are insisting in calling a test match a "friendly". The touring squads he used in June tours, the game against Tonga or against the AB in the pool stages of the RWC were a bigger disgrace than any loss to Italy we've had.
I don't think your opinion on that is stupid, just plainly ignorant. It's sad that you have such a short memory. Someone your age should know all this.