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Ireland vs France - 09/03/2013

I don't buy it tbh. Look at that French side. With the exception of perhaps the second row there's a top player available in every single position. It's not the domestic league's fault that the national team is under performing, it's either a problem in the coaching and running of the team, or a bad attitude within the squad allied with some sort of mental frailty. Most likely a combination of all of those things.
 
^ yes you're right, but it is also the top14's fault as well. We've been through this a million times but, the same reasons: no preparation time VS 2 weeks for every other 6N side...total lack of freshness the first match of the tournament...top14 matches for many players DURING 6N tournament...
 
Something I forgot to post about and don't think anyone else has brought it up.

One of the first things forwards should learn about from defensive lineouts is to not contest an opponent's lineout 5m out from your own tryline. There's a big risk that you won't take the ball, and for a gap to open up behind your lifters which the opponent's maul can go through for an easy try. As it happened, France did exactly that (26 seconds in):

 
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I knew someone would pick on me for that. :p

You know when your team are 6 points ahead, and they've got a penalty, and they make the silly decision to turn it down but then go and score a try? It's like that. Didn't think Lawes should have contested at the time, but well done to him for getting away with it.
 
I knew someone would pick on me for that. :p

You know when your team are 6 points ahead, and they've got a penalty, and they make the silly decision to turn it down but then go and score a try? It's like that. Didn't think Lawes should have contested at the time, but well done to him for getting away with it.

It's not a blanket "bad" decision to throw up a jumper 5m out, it's just a risky strategy. High-risk decisions lead to higher rewards and higher losses, as we saw with Lawes (thank god...)

Also to reiterate what another poster said above, using Beauxis and Skrela as examples of French fly-halves getting game time is a moot point... They'd already proven themselves as international outside halves and it's no surprise to anyone that they were going to be ousted for younger options eventually. To my knowledge no Top 14 side lends out their developing players to other sides to give them a starting position and play time (as is common in the Premiership) or to play "low-reward" games such as the Anglo-Welsh cup.

That last point might actually be because there aren't really any non top-flight games in France, as far as I can tell there are only Top14 and Heineken games...?

Just to contrast France with England, Burns and Ford have been getting game time under their belts for a number of years and they're 22 and 19 respectively. By the time they're in their mid-20s they'll have much more experience than any young French 10 coming through the academy system (as far as I can tell). Farrell's the exception here because he was injury cover that turned out fantastically for Sarries... Jeremy Lin anyone?
 
That last point might actually be because there aren't really any non top-flight games in France, as far as I can tell there are only Top14 and Heineken games...?
There's the Amlin, but top clubs don't play it. And then, it is "too non top-flight".
 
You are right. Our inconsistance come from far and at first from a lake of a good rugby scool among the youth, among our litlle village. It's basic. If I'm looking what happen in the small club where my son are playing , it's a shame. It's not question of money, it's a question of WILL. You can play a good rugby even if the field it's just a grass for cow, or without shoes. But you can't play a good rugby if there are no disciplin, overall when you are a young teen-ager and start to learn a hard sport. I can't understand, sometime they play with 12 players because I don't know why? They are obliged to ask the adversaries to rent a player!!! How it can work? Rugby is at first a pleasure, Ok, but if you engage yourself in a team you have to be consequent, with the training, with the competition, it's a mark of respect for the rugby it-self but also for the tiny club you belong even if it is the badest club of the area, for your friends with you are playing with, and a mark of proud of ourself. How we can build something good with this mentality of dolce vita (sorry for our Italians-friends) . Then you have Toulon with these stars, who I love such Wilkinson, but we say in french "c'est l'arbre qui cache la forêt". The three which hide the forest. How many little town and village have his own club? And in this little club may a french Wilkinson can appear!! We need foreigners, like good english players or NZ, or SA player because they bring they own experience, culture, way to do, it's a good things to improve the level , but at the same times we have to support all this hidden rugby little clubs, and the begining of all this story it's disciplin.
The worst example his in football how with the money Paris, become a big club. Absolut artificial. There are no more soul. And hope that the rugby evolution will avoid this sad example.
By the way: félicitation au Pays de Galle! Congretulation Wales!
 
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