Italy v France, 03/02/13

[jaunard06]

Bastareaud and/or Chouly to enter as impact players in middle of 2nd half...

 

[Big Ewis]

^ Absolutely. Was thinking about Bastareaud's impact fresh off the bench during the middle of the battle...mmmm.

And WHY oh whyyyyyy did PSA leave Nyanga out ?!!! This would have made the sickest 3rd row in rugby with Pic+Dusautoir+Nyanga, goddaaaaaamn !!!...
Picamoles VS Serrrrgio should be a nice matchup though.
I wish we can see one of his (Picamoles) famous brutal charges from behind the ruck as he loves to do.


EDIT:
oh and to pass the time before Sunday, here's a cool little read yeh ?http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3820_8460071,00.html

 

[French TommyGun]

^ Absolutely. Was thinking about Bastareaud's impact fresh off the bench during the middle of the battle...mmmm.

And WHY oh whyyyyyy did PSA leave Nyanga out ?!!! This would have made the sickest 3rd row in rugby with Pic+Dusautoir+Nyanga, goddaaaaaamn !!!...
Picamoles VS Serrrrgio should be a nice matchup though.
I wish we can see one of his (Picamoles) famous brutal charges from behind the ruck as he loves to do.


EDIT:
oh and to pass the time before Sunday, here's a cool little read yeh ?http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3820_8460071,00.html

Good effort with that link Yeo very good read!

 

[French TommyGun]

I particularly like the bit about the battle to come between Picamoles and Parisse!
"Go On Picamoles! Show him what you're made of!!"

 

[Big Ewis]

^ ah, my pleasure man.
Yes, it's funny it's exactly the way I thought about the matchup: Sergio is the athletic one, the Ferrari - Picamoles is the brutal one, the bulldozer.
Will be very cool...

 

[jaunard06]

^ Absolutely. Was thinking about Bastareaud's impact fresh off the bench during the middle of the battle...mmmm.

And WHY oh whyyyyyy did PSA leave Nyanga out ?!!! This would have made the sickest 3rd row in rugby with Pic+Dusautoir+Nyanga, goddaaaaaamn !!!...
Picamoles VS Serrrrgio should be a nice matchup though.
I wish we can see one of his (Picamoles) famous brutal charges from behind the ruck as he loves to do.


EDIT:
oh and to pass the time before Sunday, here's a cool little read yeh ?http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3820_8460071,00.html

"Italy will match the ferocity of the Samoan onslaught"
Let's be serious....every single Samoan player including wings wouldn't be ridiculous up front in a Top 14 team. Italians are physical but not to that extent...
Also Samoans were uber-motivated by the idea of a 3rd win in 3 matches, for Italy this will only be the 1st match of the 6N.

"In fact, there is a complete absence of a specialist on the bench for any of the back three"
On the other side, this is the key point of that weird french selection...

Anyways Brunel is doing a fantastic job with Italy and we can really fear another "upset".

 

[Gavin]

Italy: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Giovambattista Venditti, 13 Tommaso Benvenuti, 12 Alberto Sgarbi, 11 Luke McLean, 10 Luciano Orquera, 9 Tobias Botes, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Simone Favaro, 6 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Francesco Minto, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Andrea Lo Cicero.
Replacements: 16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Alberto De Marchi , 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Antonio Pavanello, 20 Paul Derbyshire, 21 Edoardo Gori, 22 Kristopher Burton, 23 Gonzalo Canale.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_8460071,00.html

 

[Luar]

I understand that we don't have great possibility, France team is strong, and probably we need something more in ours. But the last time in Rome France lost 22-21, and it will be amazing if I will see another game like that...

 

[jaunard06]

I understand that we don't have great possibility, France team is strong, and probably we need something more in ours. But the last time in Rome France lost 22-21, and it will be amazing if I will see another game like that...

Looks to be your 1st post...welcome
As I said previously Jacques Brunel is doign an outstanding job with the italian team, he was coaching Perpignan when they were one of the very best Top 14 team.
He generally instill some "physicality" in his team's game, relying mostly on the combination strong pack/defense / good scorer rather than open game.
This is typically the kind of opposition France doesn't like, so it should be an interesting match; given the weakened back line France got for this game I don't expect a lot of flair on our side either

 

[Big Ewis]

^ with Michalak running the show, I'm easily anticipating some good old French Flair jaunard, Picamoles eating up the field with ball in hand off-loads to Fofana/Fall/Huget...

I dunno, I'd be REALLY happy with Clerc/Nyanga/Malzieu in, but I can't complain with our current squad either.

And it's true it's typically the kind of opposition we "don't like" but with the kind of forwards we've got I'm not exactly concerned...

 

[Big Ewis]

(not a double post)
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3820_8464567,00.html

The more I read up on it, the more I have a sensation for the toughness this match is going to generate...last year was a nice big victory in Paris against Italy, but this year it's the first time we're going back since their 2011 victory.
I really believe we're winning this, but it seems that with each moment towards the match tomorrow; thinking/analyzing/reading; it appears tougher and tougher !

I really do think it'll be comparable (not EXACTLY the same) to the Samoa match last November. When ppl (incl. Saint-André) said "this is the toughest test of the tour" and all, I thought come on let's not exaggerate, we're going to beat them heftily still; and in fact they were so starving and intense it took us a grind-out performance and keeping our cool to beat them...

 

[Yorkshire Kiwi]

COMON Italy

Not a chance to we win, but still....

 

[lynam1104]

Stadio Olmpico is seriously impressive have to say.

 

[Tony Manx]

What a brilliant try from McClean starting it in the 22 to Parisse's finish!

 

[Nielsch]

Stadio Olmpico is seriously impressive have to say.

I'm kinda surprised it's not a full house actually. It was last 6N match against Scotland.

 

[kesh]

What a start, go Forza Italia!

 

[Nielsch]

Forza italia!

 

[Yorkshire Kiwi]

I'm kinda surprised it's not a full house actually. It was last 6N match against Scotland.

massive resession currently... Roma cant fill it for the footbal lany longer either

 

[Tony Manx]

Equally good....allez les bleus!!

 

[lynam1104]

Good game so far both teams playing with pace and italy's ten (no idea how to spell it) is controlling well