RWC 2011: THE FINAL!!! France vs. New Zealand

[donmcdazzle]

French can't be written off. We beat Aus cause our forwards were too good. Guess what? France have an awesome loose trio and a great tight 5 so the battle up front will be much, much closer. This game will be close, as an AB fan I'm very wary/nervous of this French side.

 

[Amiga500]

It is very hard to look past the Kiwis.


But even though they have been playing pish up to now... if there is one team in the world capable of pulling a performance out of nowhere... its France.

 

[Devv11]

NZ will beat france. Theyre better than them in nearly every position...

 

[groga]

NZ will beat france. Theyre better than them in nearly every position...

I'd take Para over kiwis number 10.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Well, that's not a guarantee for victory, we know that after the last couple of matches

 

[BRSTLDRGN]

NZ will beat france. Theyre better than them in nearly every position...

Harinordoquay is better than Reid and I'd take Dusatoir over Kaino, but only just. Yachvilli takes it over Weepu but thats about all player-to-player matchups the French edge in my eyes.

 

[pierre]

if it's France-NZ will there be a coin toss to determine who wears home colours?

Have a look to : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10759315

 

[thomasfaller]

Have a look to : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10759315

Isn't that classy?

 

[Isurus]

Harinordoquay is better than Reid and I'd take Dusatoir over Kaino, but only just. Yachvilli takes it over Weepu but thats about all player-to-player matchups the French edge in my eyes.

Yachvilli probably is better than Weepu but I would have Read and Kaino over the French backrowers any day of the week. Kaino is the best 6 in the world right now and Read was just about the best 8 on the planet in the TriNations until he got injured. He is purring nicely now though and I expect to see him at his best in the final.

There was a great passage of play today a few minutes before half time where Australia were on attack, the ball came to McCabe who just managed to release it before getting battered by Kaino. Elsom hit the ball at pace with space in front of him before Read came from nowhere and put a textbook tackle on him, put him on his back, and completely eliminated the threat. Was textbook offensive defence and it made me smile

 

[Devv11]

Strange that the french would give up their colours as they would lose out on the physchological edge but nonetheless good sportsmanship shown

 

[Saintjay]

Yep and that's what England and Wales thought too. Don't get me wrong I think the All Blacks will win but the French have been the underdogs for the last two games and won.

I am sure like most of the All Blacks fans the worry is that if they can still win playing so poor, what might happen if they decide to play like they can.

Of all the NH teams the french always seem the least concerned about facing the All Blacks and the myth that goes with it.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD] France [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] New Zealand [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Maxime Medard [/TD][TD] Dagg [/TD][TD] Israel Dagg [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Vincent Clerc [/TD][TD] Jane [/TD][TD] Cory Jane [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Aurelien Rougerie [/TD][TD] = [/TD][TD] Conrad Smith [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Maxime Mermoz [/TD][TD] Nonu [/TD][TD] Ma'a Nonu [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Alexis Palisson [/TD][TD] = [/TD][TD] Richard Kahui [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Morgan Parra [/TD][TD] Parra [/TD][TD] Aaron Cruden [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dimitri Yachvili [/TD][TD] Yachvili [/TD][TD] Piri Weepu [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Imanol Harinordoquy [/TD][TD] = [/TD][TD] Kieran Read [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Julien Bonnaire [/TD][TD] McCaw [/TD][TD] Richie McCaw [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Thierry Dussautoir [/TD][TD] = [/TD][TD] Jerome Kaino [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Lionel Nallet [/TD][TD] Nallet [/TD][TD] Sam Whitelock [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Pascal Pape [/TD][TD] Thorn [/TD][TD] Brad Thorn [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Nicholas Mas [/TD][TD] Franks [/TD][TD] Owen Franks [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] William Servat [/TD][TD] Mealamu [/TD][TD] Keven Mealamu [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jean-Baptiste Poux [/TD][TD] Woodcock [/TD][TD] Tony Woodcock [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]


My view on who's better... Doesn't say anything about the outcome though

 

[nickdnz]

Harinordoquay is better than Reid and I'd take Dusatoir over Kaino, but only just. Yachvilli takes it over Weepu but thats about all player-to-player matchups the French edge in my eyes.

Disagree with all of that to be honest. Weepu is probably the form 9 in the competition and the All Blacks savior (I'm a big Yachvilli fan as well, but he was only really fantastic against England, he was pretty quiet against Wales). I'd also take Kaino and Read as the best in their positions in the world. Dusatoir is more of an openside anyway, it's just the French play left to right. There is literally no one I'd take from the French team to the All Blacks, but obvioisly I'm not writing them off, as that can come back to bite us.

I will say one thing. If the French win this Rugby World Cup, I wan't the movie rights!

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I think the RWC needs to be won by a team who is licensed in the official game

 

[big ginger 8]

I'd rather Servat over Mealamu and Mas over Franks. Also shouldn't you be comparing Dusautoir to McCaw and Bonnaire to Kaino.

 

[BRSTLDRGN]

Disagree with all of that to be honest. Weepu is probably the form 9 in the competition and the All Blacks savior (I'm a big Yachvilli fan as well, but he was only really fantastic against England, he was pretty quiet against Wales). I'd also take Kaino and Read as the best in their positions in the world. Dusatoir is more of an openside anyway, it's just the French play left to right. There is literally no one I'd take from the French team to the All Blacks, but obvioisly I'm not writing them off, as that can come back to bite us.

I will say one thing. If the French win this Rugby World Cup, I wan't the movie rights!

That's fair enough, I did say "only just" in terms of thinking the French 6 and 8 were better. I do rate both of them highly but just hold Harinordoquay and Dusatoir a bit higher. Maybe that's a NH thing

 

[nickdnz]

That's fair enough, I did say "only just" in terms of thinking the French 6 and 8 were better. I do rate both of them highly but just hold Harinordoquay and Dusatoir a bit higher. Maybe that's a NH thing

Or it's a kiwi thing .

I'm a fan of all three players you mentioned, having followed Biarritz for several years, but I suppose each player have their advantages and disadvantages. There are plenty of world class players playing for France and I guess we'll get to see who's better on the day.

 

[tbhp]

Of all the NH teams the french always seem the least concerned about facing the All Blacks and the myth that goes with it.

That's because they are not particularly frightening, no more than the other big teams i mean. SA and Aus have a better world cup record, with two wins, and if France wins this time they will also be ahead. I don't see what all the fuss is about. Every world cup you hear people say they are clear favourites, and yet they rarely win, so that means nothing.

We still respect them, of course, they are the country of rugby, however that says nothing about the outcome of the match.

 

[beerholder]

I think the RWC needs to be won by a team who is licensed in the official game

Haha, I see what you did there...

 

[j-dawg]

Is allowing France into the Semi-Final, and thus the Final, England biggest outrage this World cup? It's definatley up there...