Italy v France, 03/02/13

[TRF_stormer2010]

I wonder if this win for Italy and Wales' loss means Italy moves above Wales in the world rankings. I'd calculate but the results will be out in just over an hour so nah.

[TABLE="class: table_main, width: 1"]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]1(1)[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

NEW ZEALAND[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]90.08[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]2(2)[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

SOUTH AFRICA[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]86.94[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]3(3)[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

AUSTRALIA[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]86.87[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]4(5)

[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

ENGLAND[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]83.90[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]5(4)

[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

FRANCE[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]83.49[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]6(6)[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

IRELAND[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]81.33[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]7(7)[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

SAMOA[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]78.71[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]8(8)[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

ARGENTINA[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]78.71[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]9(10)

[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

ITALY[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]77.82[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: l"]10(9)

[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]

WALES[/TD]
[TD="class: l"]77.27[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Italy just a bit of a bogey side for France in combination with France not helping themselves (preparation time and selections), nothing much else to read from this game. I really do feel Wales are better than their results as I'm sure they do themselves but at some point they'll have to back it up.

 

[Big Ewis]

Incredible downfall for Wales...very promising young group in RWC, confirmed by Grand Slam......and 8 losses straight, incl. 5 at home straight.
And France OF COURSE unable to keep that 4th spot, given the very next opportunity they drop. Of course...I do hold the fatigue factor accountable, top14 authorities really ought to back the fk off at some point...

 

[Aedaphon]

Incredible downfall for Wales...very promising young group in RWC, confirmed by Grand Slam......and 8 losses straight, incl. 5 at home straight.
And France OF COURSE unable to keep that 4th spot, given the very next opportunity they drop. Of course...I do hold the fatigue factor accountable, top14 authorities really ought to back the fk off at some point...

Well they made the RWC seedings and that's what counts. This is really a rough time for Wales though looking at that ranking, and doesn't seem like it's going to be any better this weekend...

 

[Big Ewis]

Well they made the RWC seedings and that's what counts. This is really a rough time for Wales though looking at that ranking, and doesn't seem like it's going to be any better this weekend...

WELL HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT GOING TO BE BETTER THIS WEEKEND !!!!!!!!!!!.......

But anyways: any Welshman reading this, hang in there. I really do feel for you and I really hope things pick up soon guys !!...I know how important rugby is to Wales.

(not a double post)
here:


No replay for that beautiful Fall try, but anyways...
Watch at 2:53, Orquera's wit VS France's shameful, SHAMEFUL defense. Castro's just walking in for the try in the middle of traffic.

And as I've commented before, on that same play: you see Ouedraogo grabbing the little Italian no.10, sandwiching him with Picamoles on the right. Picamoles is help defense, standard stuff. But Fulgence is way slow mentally, simply takes the guy down, doesn't even care for the ball just tackles him softly, ball goes out to a WIDE open Castro just 3m from the fkn line. With Dusautoir jogging in on the right side too...

Our defense highlighted there, but generally during the match in stretches, was simply SHAMEFUL. Simply.
And fine other times too...but nothing like what we gave Australia and Argentina last Nov.

We srs need to put in way more vigor and energy, and psychologically we need a sense of urgency on defense - like we're desperate.
Fatigue ? surely...underwhelmed by the match/mild motivation ? absolutely...

 

[LittleGuy]

Italy to win the 6 Nations 2013. I'm calling it here.

You know what I was actually thinking myself of this today and it's not at all implausible, the trip to Twickenham will be very difficult but it's entirely possible that England could slip up in their other games.

One thing that stood out for me is what a great coach Brunel is, and why oddly enough the fact that the Italian squad pretty much picks itself is an advantage for him. He's essentially figured out where and when to use everyone in his lineup. Even the gutsy call of pulling Orquera out at the 65th minute paid off as whatever Burton's flaws are kicking and game management aren't among them. If Orquera can play even somewhat up to this standard throughout the tournament than Italy have a chance of doing something very special here.

Botes was a pleasant surprise this weekend as well, I had thought him starting over Gori was a mistake but I was proven wrong, he secured quick ball on numerous occasions and partnered very well with Orquera. The veterans came up huge as well, Castro and Parisse were magnificent as usual. Lo Cicero is startung to threaten some Italian cap records and I think it will help to motivate him in his likely final Six Nations to give just that little bit extra.

I think they have to avoid complacency and an emotional come down next weekend. When they beat France two years ago they ended up getting a hiding at Murrayfield the very next week, the chance is there for Italy to really do something and shock the rugby world, taking care of buisness on a relatively weak Scottish side would show that this squad can no longer be taken for granted and not just when they play in Rome.

 

[Big Ewis]

^ yeh I really really hope it's no fluke they just beat us with great momentum but then that's it...
they've got to show they can win on the road, and that they can keep that level of play and intensity somewhat on par for about 80% of the tournament...
and yes Brunel is srs an excellent coach...ffs, he's french, we can't get a fkn good coach and he's FRENCH HIMSELF !!?!...

 

[j'nuh]

I'm not sure if anyone has made this point yet, but if I was a French supporter, I would be fuming. Not for the loss, but for the apparent lack of effort and urgency in the squad coming towards the end of the game. It says it all in the way that with 4 minutes to go and a try needed to win, the French forwards were walking slowly to the lineout. The backs were barely getting back into position before the ball was being swung out to them. Some may point to fatigue, but it looked more like apathy to me.

Did anyone notice that Italy seemed to be struggling to following Nigel Owens' orders? They were pinged for taking too long to get the ball out of a ruck (first time I've seen it so far) and for something else I cannot remember shortly after. It got me wondering whether English-speaking nations get a healthy advantage in international rugby because they find it easier to follow the warnings given by referees?

 

[Thingimubob]

Wow!! Who saw that coming?

And who the hell is this Luciano Orquera guy. That would be one of the best performances by a Number 10 I have seen in a long, long time!

Confused the hell out of me as he's usually utterly dreadful! I used to groan everytime he got selected at fly half for Italy, remember a particularly bad game from him vs Aus in the RWC, seemed like everything he did would just fail. In this game, everything he did just went superbly, hats off to the guy and I really hope he keeps up that form, great stuff to watch!

 

[gaston le gaff]

I think some of you are a little hard on Ouedraogo, he was the first tackler on the Italien Castro try so 2 yards from the line he must take the legs which he does well and the second tackler must take the man and ball which he does not.!!!!!
He was also one of Frances top tacklers,(11 -12) in the 3/4 line attacking 6 times and would have scored if Parisse had not held him back which the ref ignored, but i do agree with the lack of commitment and pure aggression which was never shown by the front five and the back 3 were definelty of the pace. The question is does the TOP 14 come into play for the prep of the National team, these guys are Pros and are paid an awful lot of money the situation is known at the begining of the season as soon as the fixtures come out so just get on with it, a french player included in every match (23 list) and winning every game will earn in excess of 100,000€ which comes out at 20,000€ a game, Grand Slam no longer possible but potential earnings massive!!!!
The French also talked all week before the game how this could be the potential banana skin and all the press were on negative vibes be careful of this and that etc. until the French started to believe and came out onto the park nowhere near positive, this is a game where only positive thoughts can create a win the Italiens had that and went on to win WELL PLAYED ITALY!!!!!

 

[Cliffyboy]

Please drop Jonathan Davies

God I hate Jonathan Davies as a commentator. Wish he'd shut up..

Too right; he is by far and away the worst commentator. The irritating drone wouldn't be so unbearable were it not for the fact that he won't shut up.

 

[Cliffyboy]

I'm not sure if anyone has made this point yet, but if I was a French supporter, I would be fuming. Not for the loss, but for the apparent lack of effort and urgency in the squad coming towards the end of the game. It says it all in the way that with 4 minutes to go and a try needed to win, the French forwards were walking slowly to the lineout. The backs were barely getting back into position before the ball was being swung out to them. Some may point to fatigue, but it looked more like apathy to me.

Did anyone notice that Italy seemed to be struggling to following Nigel Owens' orders? They were pinged for taking too long to get the ball out of a ruck (first time I've seen it so far) and for something else I cannot remember shortly after. It got me wondering whether English-speaking nations get a healthy advantage in international rugby because they find it easier to follow the warnings given by referees?

I very much doubt the 'healthy advantage' as I'm sure that issue would already be well covered, but you are spot on with your observations of the French body language. I didn't think they looked too much of a united force earlier in the match, either.

 

[Helmy]

Just finished watching the match. Realised this morning that I'd forgotten about it, so decided to download it thinking what a stroke of luck I hadn't heard anything about the score, only to see a headline on the newspaper at work which gave it away. Of course, I watched it regardless as I've got a rather large soft spot for Italy.

Orquera was brilliant, although I got the feeling this was a one off type performance? I'm sure I read somewhere on here people bemoaning his selection/saying he's not a very good player. Anyway, to echo what others have said, hopefully he and the Italian team can keep it up.

Parisse and Castrogiovanni were both as immense as ever. It's also great to see some confident running and airing of the ball from the Italians, the more they do it, the better they will get, and with a solid forward pack they should do well. I hope they cause another shock or two, might even put a sneaky bet on them to tip the English over - I'm not getting carried away here, just thinking what an achievement that would be.

Also, from a Southern Hemisphere POV, I watched the first 60 or so minutes of Scotland vs England before flicking it off, mostly because Scotland were dropping off rapidly, but this game had me roped in beginning til end. I was just thinking what a wonderful promotion it was for Northern Hemisphere rugby, quality rugby from Italy, intensity the whole game, a huge vocal crowd roaring them on the whole time. I certainly can't wait to find myself in Europe one day experiencing it live myself.

 

[Big Ewis]

it sounds stupid to say things like "if they want to, they can do this, do that..." about anyone or any team in any sport...because obviously it's pro sports, and you can bet your arse they're trying hard to win given the preparation, blood sweat n tears that've led to the match.

But seriously, in France's case, we've really got a realistic case of *if they really want to, they can do it*...

 

[GaretSantana]

Grand slam decider in Rome the last day of the season?

Sure!

By the way, I don't believe there was a single italian supporter thinking to beat France in this way, before match. Two years ago we won -yes-, but it happened although France dominion of the match. This time our forwards were the key of the match, and the best Orquera ever seen in a match led us to success with his crucial offloads and his drop goal.
However, Italy still remains a team which can win against France and can lose to Scotland. Let's see if Brunel will guarantee the right "state of mind" in our players.

P.S. I personally fear much more Ireland than England or Wales!