RWC: France - Japan (10-09-2011, 18:00)

[TRF_Olyy]

North Harbour Stadium, Auckland (10-09-2011, 18:00)

When France and Japan meet in North Harbour, it will be the second time these teams will play each other at the World Cup. It was back in 2003 when Scotland, Fiji and the United States completed Pool B. It was the 18th of October and the venue was Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville. The French had no trouble at all and with a 51-29 score the Japanese warriors were given their biggest defeat in the group stages that year. Frédéric Michalak, Aurélien Rougerie (twice), Fabien Pelous, Christophe Dominici and Jean-Jacques Crenca crossed the try-line for France with Michalak (5) and Gérald Merceron added the conversions while Michalak also knocked over 3 penalties. For Japan, the 29 points were awarded by scoring 2 converted tries (George Konia and Daisuke Ohata) and 5 penalties by Toru Kurihara.

When we fast-forward 8 years into the future, we will be facing another one-sided match. The chances of Japan beating France are as slim as the chances of women making a rational decision. Japan will be happy if they end with a single point, while France will be going for the full 5!




North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
10/09/2011
18:00
Referee: Steve Walsh (AUS)


[TABLE="class: grid"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]France[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Japan[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cedric Heymans[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]Shaun Webb[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Maxime Medard[/TD]
[TD]14[/TD]
[TD]Kosuke Endo[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Aurelien Rougérie[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[TD]Koji Taira[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fabrice Estebanez[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]Ryan Nicholas[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Vincent Clerc[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]Hirotoki Onozawa[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Francois Trinh-Duc[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]James Arlidge[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dimitri Yachvili[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]Fumiaki Tanaka[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Raphael Lakafia[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]Ryukoliniasi Holani[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Imanol Harinordoquy[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]Michael Leitch[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Thierry Dusautoir (C)[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Lionel Nallet[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]Takashi Kikutani[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Julien Pierre[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]Luke Thompson[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Nicolas Mas[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]Kensuke Hatakeyama[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]William Servat[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]Shota Horie[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fabien Barcella[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]Hisateru Hirashima[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dimitri Szarzewski[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]Yusuke Aoke[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Jean-Baptiste Poux[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[TD]Nozomu Fujita[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Pascal Pape[/TD]
[TD]18[/TD]
[TD]Hitoshi Ono[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Julien Bonnaire[/TD]
[TD]19[/TD]
[TD]Itaru Taniguchi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Morgan Parra[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]Atsushi Hiwasa[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]David Skrela[/TD]
[TD]21[/TD]
[TD]Murray Williams[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]David Marty[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD]Alisi Tupuailai[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

​

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

vBookie France - Japan

vBookie added

 

[Aout]

God... these odds are normal ? 1/100 ? That's quite low :/

 

[Me 1]

The chances of Japan beating France are as slim as the chances of women making a rational decision.

 

[beerholder]

^^Lol...^^^^

Japan has strong plays. Since France will probably train its reserves in this one I would expect a convincing but not astronomical score.

 

[ExcaLiBuR]

France to win 40+ points

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

France to either win by 30 or two be nilled in a spectacular Japanese performance.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I've always (that's since 2003) liked how the japanese play. Their moves from setpieces are often outstanding. There's no way they can win this, however. France by 37.

 

[Darwin]

I've always (that's since 2003) liked how the japanese play. Their moves from setpieces are often outstanding. There's no way they can win this, however. France by 37.

Having played against a few Japanese based teams in my school days I can tell you even at that level their set piece moves were pretty outstanding - the amount of time they must spend practicing such moves must be huge.

I think France will be to good in the end though - I'm picking them to take it by 30.

 

[Bail]

I think many of you overestimate France. They just have an horrible generation of players. If Japan finally solves their scoring problem, France can very well lose this one and beat Tonga at the end.

 

[M Two One]

France by 20 +

 

[TRF_Olyy]

France have a horrible generation of players?

Cracking front row, cracking back row, cracking halfback pairing, cracking back three

 

[Aout]

I think many of you overestimate France. They just have an horrible generation of players. If Japan finally solves their scoring problem, France can very well lose this one and beat Tonga at the end.

Nice troll.

 

[Bail]

http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/breves2011/20110901_124307_le-japon-decrypte-lundi.html

Marc Lièvremont admited he doesn't even know Japanese players. Is this guy a professional ? France is once again shining for self-centering. French never watched Japan playing !! That's unprofessional. When they will discover Japan, they will just understand their mistake and say "OMG, they improved a lot in four years...".

I don't know which self centering is the biggest between french one (nobody exist except France) or anglo-saxon one (rugby will always be ours)...

Did somebody noticed here that what happenned in 2007 was only the beginning of the end of Foundation Nations domination ? Did you noticed that 95% of the players were professional ?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I don't know which self centering is the biggest between french one (nobody exist except France) or anglo-saxon one (rugby will always be ours)...

Jog on. I'm sick of people painting England rugby fans to be something they're really not.

You're thinking of England football fans

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I don't know which self centering is the biggest between french one (nobody exist except France) or anglo-saxon one (rugby will always be ours)...

I don't know how you can object such an obvious fact. It's not self-centredness, it's just the truth.

 

[Aout]

I don't know how you can object such an obvious fact. It's not self-centredness, it's just the truth.

/Troll On

Actually the whole world is a bit French, as Theodore Zeldin once said : "There's no nation, no democracy which can write its own History without acknowledging a debt or a direct influence to France"

/Troll Off

Lievremont exactly said he didn't follow the Japanese championship on a daily basis, and that he could hardly give the name of a Japanese player. But he's not alone, and other people in the French staff have probably a deeper knowledge of Japanese rugby. I guess it's the same thing for each nations, head coaches do not know everything, and that's why they're not alone.

 

[beerholder]

Lievremont exactly said he didn't follow the Japanese championship on a daily basis, and that he could hardly give the name of a Japanese player. But he's not alone, and other people in the French staff have probably a deeper knowledge of Japanese rugby. I guess it's the same thing for each nations, head coaches do not know everything, and that's why they're not alone.

Besides the fact that the names are hard to pronounce (or remember), Japan plays a team game and don't have players that stand out. If France play relaxed and confident they won't have any problems.

 

[Surefire]

http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/breves2011/20110901_124307_le-japon-decrypte-lundi.html

Marc Lièvremont admited he doesn't even know Japanese players. Is this guy a professional ? France is once again shining for self-centering. French never watched Japan playing !! That's unprofessional. When they will discover Japan, they will just understand their mistake and say "OMG, they improved a lot in four years...".

I don't know which self centering is the biggest between french one (nobody exist except France) or anglo-saxon one (rugby will always be ours)...

Did somebody noticed here that what happenned in 2007 was only the beginning of the end of Foundation Nations domination ? Did you noticed that 95% of the players were professional ?

Please read what you link too more carefully. Either you did not understand it or read too fast.

Self Centering is not a description I find appropriate for any fan/player/coach of our wonderful game.

Also your statistic of "95% of the players...." should return from the place you pulled it out of

 

[erwanseb]

I would not read much into Lievremont statement, it is obviously extremely difficult to watch Japanese rugby in France, I have watched their seven team in HK, their passing/running game is first class , better than Italy for example.
With a powerful pack, they would break into the top 8 teams and I actually rate them above Tonga (albeit depending on selection).
This is a typically tricky game, not very well known players with great technical abilities, a few import players, a first game. France must prevent them from getting into their stride and try to keep things simple by pinning them down into their own half, using forward power, kicking, and very simple back moves, the danger during the first game is to over-elaborate.
I would be happy with two penalty tries from the scrum and I would bet on at least one during the game.
France met Japan in 2003, it was not pretty as the score was settled only in the second half.