RBS 6 Nations - France vs England - 11/03/2012, 15:00

[Zed]

Are the game highlights available anywhere on the net? Other than BBC as that doesn't work in Australia - region issues.

 

[barthelemy]

Are the game highlights available anywhere on the net? Other than BBC as that doesn't work in Australia - region issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh85eCuzURo
not great quality though..

 

[welshglory]

There's a youtube channel which puts full games up http://www.youtube.com/user/Matt8929. You might have to wait a day or two for this weekends games

 

[oldscumbagonian]

I rather like the Guardian's take on France's first-half performance - it "put the dim into dimanche".

Seriously though, France have some problems in building a team for 2015. There aren't many of the current team that will be around at this level in 2015 so maybe they're going to have to "do an England" and cut out many of those players and bring in the youngsters. The trouble is that some of those players are still playing well and it will be hard to drop them (I though Hairy Donkey had a magnificent game yesterday although maybe he was at fault for Croft's try), especially when there are no obvious younger players to replace them. Some hard decisions for PSA but it probably needs to be done even if it means they struggle in the 6N for a couple of years. But that is a tournament that is increasingly becoming the platform for developing a side to do well in the WC, rather than an end in itself.

 

[HowieLO6]

For all those who called for Croft to be dropped, SIT DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One game doth not a comeback make. Remind me of the other games since, pretty much, the Lions tour he has played this well.

I'd still have him on the bench, Robshaw at 6, Wood at 7.

For the Northampton-ites amongst you, what is Wood like as far as a lineout option goes?

 

[barthelemy]

I rather like the Guardian's take on France's first-half performance - it "put the dim into dimanche".

Seriously though, France have some problems in building a team for 2015. There aren't many of the current team that will be around at this level in 2015 so maybe they're going to have to "do an England" and cut out many of those players and bring in the youngsters. The trouble is that some of those players are still playing well and it will be hard to drop them (I though Hairy Donkey had a magnificent game yesterday although maybe he was at fault for Croft's try), especially when there are no obvious younger players to replace them. Some hard decisions for PSA but it probably needs to be done even if it means they struggle in the 6N for a couple of years. But that is a tournament that is increasingly becoming the platform for developing a side to do well in the WC, rather than an end in itself.

As I said, we are dependent on almost grand fathers, all in their thirties and I do not see a lot of replacement to come in, Mainly about our back row. First Row should be ok with Swarzewsky, Debatty and guys like Ducalcon, Second row should be ok with Maestri, Millo chlewsky and other yound guys...but the third row is a problem : Dussautoir, Harinordoquy and Bonnaire have to be replaced and a part Picamoles or Ouedrago, there are not a lot of players to come behind.

I'm not worried for our backline, the other way around I'm keen on getting rid of guys like Rougerie or Pointrenaud...

France performance was really poor in the first half, I feel that it is related to the fact that players are a bit burned and specifically our forward pack.

 

[welshglory]

As I said, we are dependent on almost grand fathers, all in their thirties and I do not see a lot of replacement to come in, Mainly about our back row. First Row should be ok with Swarzewsky, Debatty and guys like Ducalcon, Second row should be ok with Maestri, Millo chlewsky and other yound guys...but the third row is a problem : Dussautoir, Harinordoquy and Bonnaire have to be replaced and a part Picamoles or Ouedrago, there are not a lot of players to come behind.

I'm not worried for our backline, the other way around I'm keen on getting rid of guys like Rougerie or Pointrenaud...

France performance was really poor in the first half, I feel that it is related to the fact that players are a bit burned and specifically our forward pack.

Really?
You also have guys like Nyanga, Lakafia, Lauret and Lapandry who have looked very good when i've seen them play

 

[barthelemy]

Really?
You also have guys like Nyanga, Lakafia, Lauret and Lapandry who have looked very good when i've seen them play

Yep there are some guys but I'm not sure they are at the level of Dussautoir or Harinordoquy..And even nyanga is not young anymore for example. Forgot Lakafia on this one, true

 

[welshglory]

I see what you mean but Dussautoir didn't always look world class IMO, he has grown into that role especially in the last 4 years.
Nyanga may not be young but at 28 he isn't old surely. He should be hitting his peek soon.

And you don't want to get too obsessed with picking young squads, it doesn't work for everybody.

 

[welshglory]

Although after the 2015 world cup you might be in big trouble because of the amount of foreign players in the league.

 

[Big Ewis]

Someone definitely needs to call an exorcist for Owen Farrell when he's kicking

Seriously !! haha...I get a little cold and scared inside when there's a penalty and he's kicking...the kid's just 20 though, he's still got braces doesn't he ?!!
What an EERIE expression lol...

 

[barthelemy]

I see what you mean but Dussautoir didn't always look world class IMO, he has grown into that role especially in the last 4 years.
Nyanga may not be young but at 28 he isn't old surely. He should be hitting his peek soon.

And you don't want to get too obsessed with picking young squads, it doesn't work for everybody.

I agree with all of these. In the meantime, I feel we are really at the end of a generation, this generation post 1999 with still some guys like Rougerie and Poitrenaud, the Laporte generation (Dussautoir, Harinordoquy, Bonnaire, Nallet, Servat) and I feel that we need changes, we need some fresh blood.

Why a french rugby player should be only old to be in his peek ?? Look at ther english team, Even if they did not demonstrate too much yesterday, they are already up to make some good matches. the Welsh team is still young, the scots are also very young ...Saint Andre has already said that he would take some young players for the summer tour, which is already a move in the good direction. I really would love to start the next tournament with the old guys only as replacement....

For Nyanga yeah why not..Depends on your perspective...if it is a 6th nations perspective yeah, could be one of the selected players..If it is a world cup perspective, I think we should not even think about him...

You are right on our championship having too much foreigners, this is bad for the national team definitly. And also, the eternal problem of the weak French federation of rugby which is unable to stand in front of rich clubs.

 

[Big Ewis]

Note: quite some harsh, uncalled for, acid comments by the English on here. You guys are all for fairplay but then you get so excited over a win. Some guy just told me France would be competing for the wooden spoon next year lol.
I guess the animosity of the world cup carried on to this right here...

 

[Teh Mite]

Note: quite some harsh, uncalled for, acid comments by the English on here. You guys are all for fairplay but then you get so excited over a win. Some guy just told me France would be competing for the wooden spoon next year lol.
I guess the animosity of the world cup carried on to this right here...

Da Fuq???



Obvious troll is obvious...

 

[barthelemy]

Note: quite some harsh, uncalled for, acid comments by the English on here. You guys are all for fairplay but then you get so excited over a win. Some guy just told me France would be competing for the wooden spoon next year lol.
I guess the animosity of the world cup carried on to this right here...

It is only one troll (Mustardcharlie) who has said that...

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

....I mean, this is the team that barely made it on top of Italy a few weeks back !!!....yeah it was in Rome, but so was this in Paris !!...

Do I need to remind you that France lost in Rome last year?

 

[barthelemy]

Do I need to remind you that France lost in Rome last year?

Touche !

 

[mstar]

Great performance by England, but the silly errors still there!! and its sooo frustrating!!
Ashton giving away a silly penalty for backchatting and warned later as well -i swear he is on a tightrope when he plays as he constantly making remarks to the referee.

Robshaw was great made more tackles then any other player on the pitch. His work-rate is immense, and gets the "dirty shirt" award (once again, he is undefeated in this award). I was also impressed with Parling in the loose again a very high tackle rate.

Shame about Botha i thought he was very good while he was on, his work-rate and tackling is great.
Somehow i just think England could make things soo much easier if they cut out the silly penlaties. I know we was not helped by the ref (sin bin of sharpes was a joke).

Morgan was great, i have a suspicion that teams will figure him out now as they know he is a great ball carrier and stop him in his tracks. More worringly is he seems to fade after 55-65mins. Is it his fitness? tactical i don't know.

Manu again was fanstastic great running and tackling. Barrit was as usual a rock in our defence kept things water-tight.
Farrell again played well, what impressed me in this game was his tackling ability he tackled hard he has a unusual high tackle rate maybe its a part of the game he has worked on?

The team on this form how can Tom Wood get in the side? I really can't think why against Ireland they got a good chance of winning.

 

[Teh Mite]

Maybe Tom Wood being the best English back tow by a considerable margin, not to mention a natural openside flanker, could lend weight to his cause.


That said, the England way is to take a good player and put them in the wrong shirt. In the AIs we can expect wood at 6, Doran-Jones at loosehead, Hodgson at centre, Foden on the wing and Youngs in an England Shirt...

 

[Big Ewis]

Do I need to remind you that France lost in Rome last year?

If you want to display your complete lack of logic then yes you may remind me that we lost to Italy by a point. I'm talking about this current, present English team and this current French team, not last year or the year before that or Michael Jackson's death. If anything you should be happy: a super youthful English team that barely made it over Italy actually beat France IN PARIS the very next weeks later. It defies logic, but it happened...and now we have to live with it. It's annoying...and silly. But it happened. Gosh darn it, it happened...