France - World Cup 2015 Discussion Thread

[TRF_stormer2010]

France at the World Rugby Rugby World Cup 2015

Sat, Sep 19 2015
Kick off:20:00
Rugby World Cup 2015, Pool D, Match 5
France
v
Italy
Twickenham, London

Wed, Sep 23 2015
Kick off:20:00
Rugby World Cup 2015, Pool D, Match 11
France
v
Romania
The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London

Thu, Oct 1 2015
Kick off:20:00
Rugby World Cup 2015, Pool D, Match 22
France
v
Canada
Stadiummk, Milton Keynes

Sun, Oct 11 2015
Kick off:16:45
Rugby World Cup 2015, Pool D, Match 39
France
v
Ireland
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff



​

First of all please do not do a Google search for 'FFR' at work. Secondly, lets discuss France in relation to the upcoming RWC tournament. I mean it is criminal that arguably the unluckiest country not to have won the ***le hasn't had a thread open for discussion yet. So, discuss...

​

 

[nickdnz]

Glad you brought this up, as I've had the chance to do a bit of research.


France (i​/fraːns/; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française),[note 16]​ is a sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Why you scallywag!

 

[TobesHodges]

They will be good coming off the back of a state Francis ***le win, whom are mostly French guys, apart from he amazing Parrise..

My player watch :-
Dulin
Spedding
Silmani
Galan
Plisson or Lopez

 

[FrenchFan]

They will be good coming off the back of a state Francis ***le win, whom are mostly French guys, apart from he amazing Parrise..

My player watch :-
Dulin
Spedding
Silmani
Galan
Plisson or Lopez

You should see the state Francis in

 

[Chistera]

They will be good coming off the back of a state Francis ***le win, whom are mostly French guys, apart from he amazing Parrise..

My player watch :-
Dulin
Spedding
Silmani
Galan
Plisson or Lopez

No Galan or Lopez in the squad, Plisson is currently recovering from a long-term injury and still uncertain to take part in the World Cup.
What's most interesting to me is that, after 4 year of unsuccesful search for a fitting n.10, France are back to old timers Trinh-Duc and Michalak... Lopez, who's been starting at fly-half for over a year didn't even make the cut in the extended squad, as if Ford had taken the boot from the English squad and Flood had been called back in (he technically can't, playing in France and all, as if).
Parra/Trinh-Duc was the logic partnership for years, and Saint-André may be finally forced to play these 2 together.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16016_63549,00.html

PR: What do you think of France's chances at the World Cup?

BL: They do have a chance because they have good players. It's true that they've been playing badly for three years - they've been very inconsistent. But a World Cup is exceptional. Essentially you only need to win three games - the quarter, semi, and final... so anything is possible.

Strange comment from Bernard Laporte, last time I checked every team has to play 7 matches and win at least 5 of them to win a RWC. Is he forgetting they will almost certainly need to win matches in Pool D and especially against Ireland and Italy to top that pool? Or is he expecting France to do it the hard way and beat NZ, SA and England/Australia/Ireland in the final? Maybe something lost in translation.

 

[psychic duck]

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16016_63549,00.html



Strange comment from Bernard Laporte, last time I checked every team has to play 7 matches and win at least 5 of them to win a RWC. Is he forgetting they will almost certainly need to win matches in Pool D and especially against Ireland and Italy to top that pool? Or is he expecting France to do it the hard way and beat NZ, SA and England/Australia/Ireland in the final? Maybe something lost in translation.

What he probably means is that barring the England/Wales/Australia pool, and the Samoa/Scotland showdown. The pool stages are really predictable, and it shouldn't be too taxing for Ireland or France to at least reach the quarters.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

What he probably means is that barring the England/Wales/Australia pool, and the Samoa/Scotland showdown. The pool stages are really predictable, and it shouldn't be too taxing for Ireland or France to at least reach the quarters.

True, but the order in which pool D finishes is important. Realistically it is between Ireland and France to go through in pool D, but to top it will be important to have an easier route to the final. To say France essentially only have to win 3 matches to win the RWC is being disingenuous. Ireland v France will be one of the top 5 pool games imo and beating Italy, who France have lost to in the past, will go a long way to deciding who will top Pool D and face more than likely Argentina in the quarters, England/Australia/Wales in the semis and NZ/SA in the final.

 

[FrenchFan]

No Galan or Lopez in the squad, Plisson is currently recovering from a long-term injury and still uncertain to take part in the World Cup.
What's most interesting to me is that, after 4 year of unsuccesful search for a fitting n.10, France are back to old timers Trinh-Duc and Michalak... Lopez, who's been starting at fly-half for over a year didn't even make the cut in the extended squad, as if Ford had taken the boot from the English squad and Flood had been called back in (he technically can't, playing in France and all, as if).

Plisson is recovering from injury but is now out on a technicality. Last week it was revealed the LNR agreement could not include 37 players, only 36. The staff have admitted they were not aware of it. So Plisson as the 37th player had to be withdrawn. You can't beat it for amateurism!
Must have done wonders to his confidence. Stade Français won't be impressed at the way he's been treated since 2013 when Lagisquet was all over the media saying Plisson was akin to the 2nd Coming of JC. They will be only too happy to have him back just in time for the start of the season. Another one for the clubs..

Parra/Trinh-Duc was the logic partnership for years, and Saint-André may be finally forced to play these 2 together.

or one or both could miss out. FTD has not been part of the staff's plan at all while he's been the best 10 in the league when fit. His inclusion in the WC training squad does not make a lot of sense at such a late stage, and his omission over the last 4 years does not make any sense at all. Parra and the staff don't get on. I think he could miss out as there 4 SH in the group. If he does they may go with the 3 weakest of the lot: STB, Kockott, Michalak _?!

 

[FrenchFan]

Plisson is recovering from injury but is now out on a technicality. Last week it was revealed the LNR agreement could not include 37 players, only 36. The staff have admitted they were not aware of it. So Plisson as the 37th player had to be withdrawn. You can't beat it for amateurism!
Must have done wonders to his confidence. Stade Français won't be impressed at the way he's been treated since 2013 when Lagisquet was all over the media saying Plisson was akin to the 2nd Coming of JC. They will be only too happy to have him back just in time for the start of the season. Another one for the clubs..

More on the Plisson-is-he-in-or-is-he-out episode

Sounds like even the mild mannered and diplomatic Quesada - the only head coach who has not had a proper run-in with les Bleus embattled staff (a record in itself) - is running out of patience.

Plisson is now back training with his club. Morne Steyn is out with the SA squad. So it's fair to say SF are happy to hold on to Plisson after it has been announced he could not be included in the training squad anyway. Yet, amazingly, the staff still reserve the right to call Plisson 'should we need him but we're not sure if we will need him'.

After messing around with the player, they're now messing around with his club. Not a good idea.

"Phillipe (Saint-André) said it might still be open for Jules but he is not entirely sure. But it seems to me if he was sure he could select Jules he would have informed me. But he is still unsure. Yet I get the feeling it'll be difficult for Jules to go to the WC. We have now settled on the fact Jules will stay with us. It's up to Philippe to put an end to this to and fro." (Quesada)

http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/coupe-du-monde/2015/gonzalo-quesada-le-confirme-ca-va-etre-complique-de- disputer-la-coupe-du-monde-pour-jules-plisson_sto4831230/story.shtml

 

[Chistera]

More on the Plisson-is-he-in-or-is-he-out episode

Sounds like even the mild mannered and diplomatic Quesada - the only head coach who has not had a proper run-in with les Bleus embattled staff (a record in itself) - is running out of patience.

Plisson is now back training with his club. Morne Steyn is out with the SA squad. So it's fair to say SF are happy to hold on to Plisson after it has been announced he could not be included in the training squad anyway. Yet, amazingly, the staff still reserve the right to call Plisson 'should we need him but we're not sure if we will need him'.

After messing around with the player, they're now messing around with his club. Not a good idea.

"Phillipe (Saint-André) said it might still be open for Jules but he is not entirely sure. But it seems to me if he was sure he could select Jules he would have informed me. But he is still unsure. Yet I get the feeling it'll be difficult for Jules to go to the WC. We have now settled on the fact Jules will stay with us. It's up to Philippe to put an end to this to and fro." (Quesada)

http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/coupe-du-monde/2015/gonzalo-quesada-le-confirme-ca-va-etre-complique-de- disputer-la-coupe-du-monde-pour-jules-plisson_sto4831230/story.shtml

Anyhow, it wouldn't make any sense to try to include a flyhalf in a squad which has been training and playing together for 2 months... Best for France and SF if Plisson stayed home. We can't really expect Saint-André to make sense, selecting Michalak was a head-scracther as well. I really hope that Parra gets the starting spot but let's remember that the best Top 14 scrum-half -Machenaud- will be watching the world cup on his couch...

 

[FrenchFan]

Anyhow, it wouldn't make any sense to try to include a flyhalf in a squad which has been training and playing together for 2 months... Best for France and SF if Plisson stayed home. We can't really expect Saint-André to make sense, selecting Michalak was a head-scracther as well. I really hope that Parra gets the starting spot but let's remember that the best Top 14 scrum-half -Machenaud- will be watching the world cup on his couch...

I agree but they were happy to call him as a last minute filler versus England when Lopez was pulled out by his club. This messing around of players is what's ******* off the clubs and this is what, among many other things, has lost them their support - except maybe Stade Francais, but that one looks about to go as well.

Also by the same logic FTD shouldn't be in either. He's only been called once in the entire season. He's played even less than Plisson under the current staff, yet he is in.

How can players find their bearing and settle into their position in this mess.

The staff is completely at sea with the halfbacks. They haven't developed any pair. It's the same story for the centres. They have shafted the only 10 (Lopez) whom they had given decent game time. So now they're stuck.

Will it be FTD who has been systematically omitted for 4 yrs?
will it be Tales who's been called regularly but virtually never used?
will it be Michalak who is well past it at international level? I bet Michalak will stay on account of his ability to cover both 9-10 pos.

They don't know who is going, who is staying. They're just edging their bet with the clubs to keep their options open with no less than 4 flyhalves. How can anyone work with these people.
If they leave out FTD or one of them gets injured in august then they'll be forced to call back Plisson. And the door is now closing with his club as Quesada hinted yesterday. By the time these clowns wake up, the season will have kicked off and SF will need their player as they have no other flyhalf. I can't imagine SF will want to play the early season without both Plisson and Steyn.

Machenaud's omission is absurd.

 

[French TommyGun]

When I saw FTD and Parra in the 36 training squad I got very excited. But then it dawned on me that PSA will never pick them, and if he does the chances of them in the actual starting XV together is extremely low!
He has consistently pick the worth half back pairing he can find. So on that logic alone the most obvious half back pairing for this World Cup is undoubtedly Kockott / Michelak. I mean just look at those 2 names written down on paper "Kockott / Michelak" it just looks like a PSA selection!

 

[gaston le gaff]

This could well be true, if it is we will get FTD back for the start of the season, but this time i think PSA will have to pick him pressure from above but then again sillier thinks have happened in the PSA reign.

 

[French TommyGun]

So who do you guys think will be dropped on the 23rd?
There's obviously some places with more competition than other. For instance the midfield 1 or 2 really good players will get dropped out of Bastaraud, Lamerat, Dumoulin, Fickou and Fonana!

Fofana is through for sure but out of the other 4 I would say it's pretty close! Opinions?

 

[French TommyGun]

Première ligne : Uini Atonio, Eddy Ben Arous, Vincent Debaty, Nicolas Mas, Rabah Slimani, Guilhem Guirado, Benjamin Kayser, Dimitri Szarzewski
Deuxième ligne : Alexandre Flanquart, Yoann Maestri, Pascal Papé
Troisième ligne : Thierry Dusautoir, Bernard Le Roux, Yannick Nyanga, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Damien Chouly, Louis Picamoles
Demis de mêlée : Rory Kockott, Morgan Parra, Sébastien Tillous-Borde
Ouvreurs : Frédéric Michalak, Rémi Tales
Trois quarts : Mathieu Bastareaud, Alexandre Dumoulin, Gaël Fickou, Wesley Fofana, Brice Dulin, Sofiane Guitoune, Yoann Huget, Noa Nakaitaci, Scott Spedding

 

[French TommyGun]

He dropped Trinh-duc!?? PSA dropped Trinh-Duc??!?!?!?
What an idiot!! Our number 1 fly half is Michelak?! I must be living in some mixed up backwards world because Trinh-duc was the obvious choice in my eyes. What a C**t!

 

[martinspoonboy1]

He dropped Trinh-duc!?? PSA dropped Trinh-Duc??!?!?!?
What an idiot!! Our number 1 fly half is Michelak?! I must be living in some mixed up backwards world because Trinh-duc was the obvious choice in my eyes. What a C**t!

.
You just know that he's going to fall apart against Ireland.

 

[Tony Manx]

He dropped Trinh-duc!?? PSA dropped Trinh-Duc??!?!?!?
What an idiot!! Our number 1 fly half is Michelak?! I must be living in some mixed up backwards world because Trinh-duc was the obvious choice in my eyes. What a C**t!

Well it's is PSA and most, I say most, of his other choices were logical!

This was a much better showing by France and, over the two matches, I would say that Blanco (the puppeteer rather than the monkey) would be the more pleased than Lancaster!

Do not get me wrong, either of these sides playing like this, and each taking their foot of the pedal when the game was "won", would be hammered by the big three, Ireland and possibly Wales!!

Michalak is there because he can kick goals (and has obviously some soiled goods on someone) and is the one big error in selection! Like Carlos Spencer and Townsend, he could, when he was younger, win big games but could lose as many!

Imagine what France could have done with that possession if FRD had been playing!!

At this stage, France should qualify but I could not say the same for England!