Is Laporte as cunning as a fox with a degree in cunning from Oxford University?

[shtove]

Last November France used Traille at 10 to play a kicking game against the ABs. France got hammered.

They tried it in the second test as well, and got slightly less hammered.

They tried it in the first half of yesterday's 1/4 final, and again got slightly less hammered. Then in the second half they changed tack and ran in two good tries and withstood the AB siege.

Was it Laporte's strategy to lure Henry in to a trap by making him think France would just repeat last November and hope for a lucky break? Or was it the players who screamed "Won't you let me pass!" and took it on themselves to change the game? Michalak's substitution was kind of late, which suggests Laporte was cunning. But the tactics had changed before that point.

I think I'll go with Laporte on this one. He screwed up against Argentina, but showed intelligence for the two games against England before the RWC.

 

[Ripper]

Laportes a retard.

That's the worst thing outside of this situation - Laporte's Stupid Fat Bald Head is going to swell to some gigantic porportions and he's going to treated like some sort of supergenius.

The guys the French version of Eddie Jones - catches lightning in the bottle for once in their otherwise sad career and he will get anything he wants. Shame he won't hang around to screw the French over like Jones did the Aussies.

Not anything malicous towards the French, but I just hopes he crashes and burns.

 

[Cymro]

Last November France used Traille at 10 to play a kicking game against the ABs. France got hammered.

They tried it in the second test as well, and got slightly less hammered.

They tried it in the first half of yesterday's 1/4 final, and again got slightly less hammered. Then in the second half they changed tack and ran in two good tries and withstood the AB siege.

Was it Laporte's strategy to lure Henry in to a trap by making him think France would just repeat last November and hope for a lucky break? Or was it the players who screamed "Won't you let me pass!" and took it on themselves to change the game? Michalak's substitution was kind of late, which suggests Laporte was cunning. But the tactics had changed before that point.

I think I'll go with Laporte on this one. He screwed up against Argentina, but showed intelligence for the two games against England before the RWC.



[/b]

I agree with that to be honest, what was said on the Scrum V last night that most teams dont pick a strong XV but they pick a 22 with a bench that can now have a dynamic change in the game if you get me! And Michalak was that example!

 

[Klarkash-ton]

Laportes a retard.

That's the worst thing outside of this situation - Laporte's Stupid Fat Bald Head is going to swell to some gigantic porportions and he's going to treated like some sort of supergenius.

The guys the French version of Eddie Jones - catches lightning in the bottle for once in their otherwise sad career and he will get anything he wants. Shame he won't hang around to screw the French over like Jones did the Aussies.

Not anything malicous towards the French, but I just hopes he crashes and burns.
[/b]

the team won it, not Laporte.

"here's my game plan, mon ami, we just kick the ball to them and make 178 tackles."

 

[shazbooger]

Yep. He's become knows as Crazy Bernie over here. I dont think he got much right against the AB's to be honest. 30% posession, 35% territory. Hardly the result of a shrewd coach.

Defensive heroics, some dodgy refereeing (i'm not dragging up that debate again, but it would be stupid to ignore that the ref missed one or two key incidents that would have reversed the result), and some really really poor decisions from the AB's, won the game in the end. I dont think anything he did had much of an impact (aside from his use of the bench).