France v Wales, 09/02/13

[Bluemoon]

Lovely finish from North and a nice little risky kick from Biggar.

C'mon Wales. France have been awful, but a win in paris is a win in paris.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Great kick for North there, and a great penalty by HP. Game over?

 

[Mr.cyclopede]

PSA dehors !!! (oops I forgot Lagisquet...!!)
I know it's easy, but how could I blame the players

 

[wertas]

You actually could. Machenaud and Michalak failed in this match. Parra distributed ball faster, but Michalak was always too deep, so no danger for Wales. Absolutely zero in defence.

 

[smb64]

Wow, I expected more from that match.

I don't understand, whats happened to France? They look dire. I hardly even noticed them string together a single backs move.

At least Wales ended their losing streak, they will take confidence - interested to see how they progress from now on in the tournament.

 

[wertas]

What else you could expect when Machenaud is slow and has no control over forwards, Michalak is always too deep. Mermoz is invisible, Fofana is wasted on wing, Hughet is not full-back, but winger. So?

 

[Mr.cyclopede]

Not only Michalak's position is too deep, but all the line is...
So maybe should we say to Lagisquet that N'gwenya is not in the XV de France.

Latest wooden spoon year for France...Let me check...1957 that's it?
Go on Scotland this is the century occasion

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Very boring game, great win for Wales though - happy for them. As much as I love Kearney, I think Halfpenny is now pretty much nailed on as the starting 15 for the Lions.

 

[Tony Manx]

Great try by North and icing on a good game by Biggar who I thought was probably man of the match rather than Halfpenny.

I feel that Wales,of two poor team performances really, deserve their win and happy to say so with a tear in my eye for France!

As regards the French team, I do not think that anything will change with PSA and Lagisquet in charge.......(could not wait to see the back of Lagisquet from Biarritz the first time never mind the second and he is one of those directly responsible for the ills of that great club) the front row needs to be looked at, the half backs need replacing, the back line needs complete overhaul and the full back should be a full back!!

So....I reckon at least 8 changes but then everyone knew this before the 6N started.

Michalak has been very good early season as 9 at Toulon and, I will concede, not bad at 10 in the Autumn Internationals but he does not like contact, has no defence, he plays too far behind the gain line and he is too mercurial to play international rugby in that he loses as many as he wins. His pass to the head of the French player that started the moves to the Welsh try amply demonstrates this.......

Sad day for Les Bleus but England beware an injured France....someone is going to get the backlash!!!


Edit----what a t... Davies is "Great Great win and what character" and Williams "one of Wales's greatest ever wins" and Woodward also, who should know better............what a load of cobblers

 

[Saintjay]

Interesting problem for Wales, Jones looked more of a captain than Warbs. The lad must be wondering where it all is going wrong.

 

[Big Ewis]

Pure French flair on display. They were absolutely fantastic. An inability to quite conclude, and strangely despite this classic display of scoring ability...again, just pure French flair. Michalak's passes were absolutely tremendous. Our backs were putting on a show with the fancy distribution, togetherness and pure class. We ran the ball amazingly well...what else can be said really, a part from the fact that we lost I mean.

...
oh yes, I know ! I'd have to add this (quoting from Michalak himself in the post-match 30-sec interview given to France 2):
"We suck."

 

[wertas]

France need to change:
9. Machenaud -> Parra
10. Michalak -> Trinc-Duc
12. Mermoz -> Fofana
15. Hughet -> Dullin (?)
If Fall is fit, play him and Hughet on wings.

 

[Tony Manx]

France need to change:
9. Machenaud -> Parra
10. Michalak -> Trinc-Duc
12. Mermoz -> Fofana
15. Hughet -> Dullin (?)
If Fall is fit, play him and Hughet on wings.

........at least!!

 

[Big Ewis]

Oh and about Wales: great defense, better than France's (which amongst so many things, was excellent).
I'm very, very glad for you your streak is over, and in a way, I find it absolutely hilarious it started after beating France last year, as it ended beating France this year.
That try was pretty good, the kick-pass excellent. Scrum looked good in parts today, and this against the top scrummaging nation France is.

Pretty crappy performance overall though, but not as GLORIOUS as the French performance. And you were away, and at least you scored a try, and ultimately of course won the match.

But watching 80min of..............."this".........for that result...

I cannot hide dear lads I do quite feel like buying myself a double-barreled shotgun and going Kurt Cobain at this very exact moment.

 

[wertas]

And what a hell was new Michalak trademark pass, it is very nice Lithuanian phrase to decribe it, he was actually passing "hot potato". Gets ball and releases it immediatelly without checking if receiving player is ready and in general if it good place to pass the ball.

 

[Mr.cyclopede]

As regards the French team, I do not think that anything will change with PSA and Lagisquet in charge.......(could not wait to see the back of Lagisquet from Biarritz the first time never mind the second and he is one of those directly responsible for the ills of that great club) the front row needs to be looked at, the half backs need replacing, the back line needs complete overhaul and the full back should be a full back!!

Didn't have any opinion on PSA, but never liked Biarritz game and found it permanently overrated, despite some of the most courageous and talented players in France (Harinordoquy, Betsen,...).

I think we didn't play anything but a maul on our line outs...what a game plan!

 

[Largejanner]

Well, what a turgid load of old tosh that was!
Wales reminded me of some of the low grade England teams we`ve had to endure post 2003, although the result had to trump performance when you`ve not won in 8 games I guess.
Scotland will beat Wales by 10+ points!

 

[Big Ewis]

And what a hell was new Michalak trademark pass, it is very nice Lithuanian phrase to decribe it, he was actually passing "hot potato". Gets ball and releases it immediatelly without checking if receiving player is ready and in general if it good place to pass the ball.

nonsense...Michalak was pure French Flair today. Pure.
French.

Flair.

...oh God my stomach hurts....

 

[j'nuh]

Worrying times for France. The next two rounds see France travel to England and Ireland and it's feasible that they'll lose both and enter the final round of matches without any points, needing a win just to draw level on points with the 5th place team (every other team already has a win under their belts).

 

[martinspoonboy1]

nonsense...Michalak was pure French Flair today. Pure.
French.

Flair.

...oh God my stomach hurts....

love it !