RWC: All Blacks - France (24-09-2011, 15:30)

[TRF_Olyy]

Hey, don't burden us with him, he left here to go to NZ - he's a NZ journalist writing for a NZ paper

 

[donmcdazzle]

If France win that game, will it be the end of the NZ world ?

Yes.

 

[thomasfaller]

Ok, so if I summarize correctly a second-string french side according to NZ medias is when France drops their only remaining #10 "specialist" (remember Skrela is injured or...?) to put a FH instead...

I would have put Traille, he already played as a 10 for France and even if he has as many flair as my grandmother on the field, at least he's defensively better than Parra, and it's still less dangerous to have him here than at the back (up-and-enders...argh )

For the rest where's the second string ? That paper has been written by someone who obviously was frozen just after 2007...Harinordoquy was at its peak in 2007, now other players are challenging him seriously. William is an awesome number 2 but Dimitri is also really good and faster than William, we are lucky to have two world-class hookers and the AB's scrum is going to discover it on saturday I'm afraid, as this is maybe the only situation where we can cause them some trouble.

I still see AB's by more than 20, as France needs to have something at stake to really produce their better rugby. We regularly drop 3rd place matches by lack of motivation and I believe this is also what will happen here as we would not suffer from a pure accounting point of view of losing to the ABs...

Well the paper talks about a French Farce...

The only real joke I see is the fact that a seat at a Pool Game is priced at 460 NZ$ I believe 280 â'¬ for a pool game!!
That's a real joke

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Imanol's a good backrower to have on the bench, as well, as he can cover all positions

Picamoles is on fire atm at 8, very destructive, so deserves his spot

 

[jaunard06]

Imanol's a good backrower to have on the bench, as well, as he can cover all positions

Picamoles is on fire atm at 8, very destructive, so deserves his spot

Fully agree (and well summarized).
No "farce" here, I cannot imagine any of those players dropping such a game...

 

[Jer1cho]

Imanol's a good backrower to have on the bench, as well, as he can cover all positions

Picamoles is on fire atm at 8, very destructive, so deserves his spot

Agree. I actually think that the French forwards are going to try to hit the All Blacks as hard as they can. Picamoles is the kind of guy who can run all over you if you don't front up physically. I also think that the retardedness of Graham Henry not selecting Wyatt Crocket in the squad is going to bite them hard. I am expecting the All Black scrum to turbo reverse.

It's in the backline where I feel the French might come up short. Nonu is going to have a field day running straight at Parra.

 

[jaunard06]

It's in the backline where I feel the French might come up short. Nonu is going to have a field day running straight at Parra.

This is why I would have put Traille instead. That's a win-win: you get a tougher central defence AND a better fullback !

 

[nickdnz]

Agree. I actually think that the French forwards are going to try to hit the All Blacks as hard as they can. Picamoles is the kind of guy who can run all over you if you don't front up physically. I also think that the retardedness of Graham Henry not selecting Wyatt Crocket in the squad is going to bite them hard. I am expecting the All Black scrum to turbo reverse.

It's in the backline where I feel the French might come up short. Nonu is going to have a field day running straight at Parra.

I also think the forwards will hit the AB's hard, but I'm confident that the All Blacks pack will be able to get parity if not better the French. I've though a lot about the French scrum, and I'm not as pessimistic about our scrum as I was during the Tri Nations. Woodcock has improved every game and is looking like he's nearly back to his old self, however there is no doubt that Wyatt Crockett is still the form loosehead in New Zealand. The only thing that I can see hurting the All Blacks, is if we take Brad Thorn off the field, in which we'll no doubt look pretty average. Otherwise I predict the scrums will be very competitive. Jean-Baptiste Poux, Dimitri Szarzewski, Luc Ducalcon don't worry me too much and actually seem like they're going for a mobile approach then to out scrummage the All Blacks.

People are making a lot of Parra at flyhalf but it seems just as strange to be playing Maxime Mermoz outside him. It seems like Rougerie is going to be relied on heavily for defending.

 

[jaunard06]

Agree with previous post, there's more mobility than brute force in that french front row. Ducalcon is far from being as powerful as Nicolas Mas, although he's a decent prop that should do the job. I would worry much more against England or Wales, not to say Argentina.

 

[Aout]

With this French first row, the AB have a chance to do something in scrums. Such a pity that all our best props are injured... (Mas & Domingo)

 

[jaunard06]

You can add Barcella who IMO was even better than Domingo before his injury and that now is only at 50% in this RWC...

 

[Aout]

Yes, before his injury he was our best prop. He never fully recovered.

 

[Icemn]

I'd predict a lineup of:
Woodcock, Mealamu, O Franks, Thorn, Whitelock, Kaino, McCaw, Thomson, Cowan, Carter, Kahui, Nonu, Smith, Jane, Dagg.

i wont mind that team but i would go for mills instead of dagg.... i don't know why :? but i feel more comfortable with Mills at the back...

 

[ranger]

With this French first row, the AB have a chance to do something in scrums. Such a pity that all our best props are injured... (Mas & Domingo)

You act like the All Blacks need a diminished French front row to "do something" in the scrums. I honestly beleive that Owen Franks is just as good if not better than any other tighthead in France. Hore and Mealamu aren't scrum specialists but they hold their own, Woodcock has been out of form. But still, the All Blacks front row isn't in too much danger of getting outclassed in the scrums by any other side.

 

[jaunard06]

You act like the All Blacks need a diminished French front row to "do something" in the scrums. I honestly beleive that Owen Franks is just as good if not better than any other tighthead in France. Hore and Mealamu aren't scrum specialists but they hold their own, Woodcock has been out of form. But still, the All Blacks front row isn't in too much danger of getting outclassed in the scrums by any other side.

Being 'outclassed', certainly not. But recent confrontations b/t the two sides saw the AB scrum being regularly penalized, and scrummaging is usually not our main problem when it comes to play ABs. It is, err, all the rest. :lol:

 

[ranger]

Being 'outclassed', certainly not. But recent confrontations b/t the two sides saw the AB scrum being regularly penalized, and scrummaging is usually not our main problem when it comes to play ABs. It is, err, all the rest. :lol:

The All Blacks scored a pushover try against the French feed last time they played.. i even have a wee gif of it that i like to watch when i'm feeling sad.

 

[JW.]

You act like the All Blacks need a diminished French front row to "do something" in the scrums. I honestly beleive that Owen Franks is just as good if not better than any other tighthead in France. Hore and Mealamu aren't scrum specialists but they hold their own, Woodcock has been out of form. But still, the All Blacks front row isn't in too much danger of getting outclassed in the scrums by any other side.

I'd say the AB's scrum showed where it's at against Tonga.

 

[ranger]

I'd say the AB's scrum showed where it's at against Tonga.

Why do i get the feeling that we may have different interpretations of this sentence..

 

[JW.]

Why do i get the feeling that we may have different interpretations of this sentence..

IMO you guys haven't got a weak scrum but I wouldn't call it strong. I'm expecting France to have the upper hand in the scrum seeing there scrum has been rather impressive over the last years.

 

[ranger]

IMO you guys haven't got a weak scrum but I wouldn't call it strong. I'm expecting France to have the upper hand in the scrum seeing there scrum has been rather impressive over the last years.

I don't understaaannd. I can't remember the last time the first choice All Blacks scrum was bettered. Carter is all but guaranteed clean ball on his own feed and its uncommon for the All Blacks to go a whole match without winning at least one tighthead. If thats not a strong scrum then what the hell is?

The last time NZ played France they scored a pushover try against the feed and a few matches before that both French props feigned injury to force uncontested scrums so they would stop conceding possesion on their own put in.

Why do people have such short memories..