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

[TRF_Olyy]

France have announced their team, and it's now been added to the original post


Got to say: It looks bloody good!

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Good team indeed, although I don't really see the point of playing Yachvili over Parra with such a flarey backline.

I'm praying for Barcella not to get injured again.

 

[Aout]

There's NO way Japan will win against this team.

 

[Darwin]

Strong looking team - slightly surprised to see Raphael Lakafia at number 8 (meaning Harinordoquy is starting at 7). I thought Lakafia looked ok in the match I saw him play vs Ireland, but in my opinion it Harinordoquy always plays better at 8 rather than 7 (though to be fair I haven't seen him play that much, so I am probably completely wrong!).

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Harinordoquy played 7 all season with Lakafia playing 8. By taking Lakafia and Picamoles in the squad, Lièvremont made it quite clear that he was taking Imanol as a flanker I think.

 

[Aout]

But I still can't see Lakafia starting big games at n8. Picamoles is going to be the first choice.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Unrelated to this match, but I really rate Picamoles

 

[Darwin]

Harinordoquy played 7 all season with Lakafia playing 8. By taking Lakafia and Picamoles in the squad, Lièvremont made it quite clear that he was taking Imanol as a flanker I think.

Cheers. I think Harinordoquy is a good flanker, but he's only really stop out to me on the international scene as a Number 8 - I will watch closely how he goes at 7 in this match though. Obviously Lievremont wants a big powerful ball runner at 8 - I've always been impressed with Picamaloes.

I've always been of the opinion that the Number 8 should be 'constructive' and he blind-side flanker 'destructive' - this is probably due to the fact this has been so successful for the AB's over the last 20 years. The AB's have had some great 'constructive' 8's (e.g. Brooke, So'ioalo, Read) and some great 'destructive' blindsides (e.g. Collins, Kaino)... obviously it depends how France want to use their loose-trio - they may well get the best out of Harinordoquy in the 7 jersey.

 

[Steveskiez7]

I was really hoping they were gonna give Fulgence a run against Japan, disappointed he's not even on the bench.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Cheers. I think Harinordoquy is a good flanker, but he's only really stop out to me on the international scene as a Number 8 - I will watch closely how he goes at 7 in this match though. Obviously Lievremont wants a big powerful ball runner at 8 - I've always been impressed with Picamaloes.

I've always been of the opinion that the Number 8 should be 'constructive' and he blind-side flanker 'destructive' - this is probably due to the fact this has been so successful for the AB's over the last 20 years. The AB's have had some great 'constructive' 8's (e.g. Brooke, So'ioalo, Read) and some great 'destructive' blindsides (e.g. Collins, Kaino)... obviously it depends how France want to use their loose-trio - they may well get the best out of Harinordoquy in the 7 jersey.

The thing is that in France they have always played left/right flanker instead of open/blindside, so usually flankers are very complete players (and, hence, most of them can play 8). The problem with that is that they are usually not destructive players and/or extremely strong ballcarriers, which is why I understand that Lièvremont wants someone like Picamoles or Lakafia at the back of the scrum. A backrow of Dusautoir, Bonnaire (or Ouedraogo) and Harinordoquy kind of lacks destruction.

Precisely, I think this a good example of why we don't like Lièvremont over here. French rugby has never been about destruction!

 

[erwanseb]

I have always been amazed at this open/blindside concept, left/right is the way we go in France.
French players are more versatile, don't know whether it is an advantage or not but when you look at the Toulouse backline, every players has played at almost every position during the course of the season. A lot of props can play tighthead or loosehead, but then we call it right (tighthead) and left (loosehead).

To come back to the open/blindside issue, there are only two types of flankers, the good ones and the bad ones.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I don't know if it's an advantage or not either... Anyway, however a backrow forms in the scrum, what matters is its complementarity. For instance, Toulon's backrow from last year featured three players that can play all three backrow positions: Fernandez Lobbe, Van Niekerk and George Smith. Their numbers shifted all along the season, but you still had the destructor (big hits, powerful ballcarrier) in Van Niekerk, the more "playmaking" one in Fernanez Lobbe and the pilferer in George Smith, each one of them very good at the other two roles as well. Actually, you can see this in the foreign backrowers playing in France: there are not many that play only one position; the more specialized ones don't come here.
Internationally, you also have players like McCaw, Read and Burger that are more complete, but specialization seems more common.

 

[Darwin]

The thing is that in France they have always played left/right flanker instead of open/blindside, so usually flankers are very complete players (and, hence, most of them can play 8). The problem with that is that they are usually not destructive players and/or extremely strong ballcarriers, which is why I understand that Lièvremont wants someone like Picamoles or Lakafia at the back of the scrum. A backrow of Dusautoir, Bonnaire (or Ouedraogo) and Harinordoquy kind of lacks destruction. Precisely, I think this a good example of why we don't like Lièvremont over here. French rugby has never been about destruction!

Thanks for that - makes a lot of sense. Yeah I knew France often played left/right flankers, but for some reason I (wrongly) assumed that Harinordoquy would be playing blindside role. What would be your ideal French loose-forward trio? I've always been impressed with Ouedraogo, so would probably start him and Dusautoir on the flanks if I was picking the team (with Harinordoquy at 8).

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I'm a fan of Bonnaire personnally, so it would be Dusautoir, Bonnaire and Harinordoquy, but the last two often clash in their eagernass to touch the ball as often as they can. Ouedraogo and Dusautoir do not complement each other too well IMO, but Dusautoir, Ouedraogo and Harinordoquy would be second. Dusautoir, Harinordoquy and Picamoles wouild be a close third. I'd this last one is the most favoured by the french crowd.

 

[erwanseb]

Dusautoir, Harinordoquy and Picamoles although the later is unconsistent and can just make blunder after blunder, but he is the best ball carrier.
I like Lakafia but he he does not have any history of international games, he is similar to Picamoles but less prone to forgetting his brain in the dressing room.
If you need a fly half chaser, then Ouedraogo would come in but he does not jump.
Bonnaire and Harinordoquy are both outstanding line out jumpers and aerial, ideal when you face a very strong line out such as Matfield/Botha.

At the end of the day, you adapt the combo to the opponent. Against Japan, I expect a lot of attack near the ruck/scrum edges to test the Japanese physicality so Lakafia will have a big part to play.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

matchday 22 of Japan have been announced and added to the topicstart

 

[Bail]

Japan:
1. Hisateru Hirashima
2. Shota Horie
3. Kensuke Hatakeyama
4. Luke Thompson
5. Toshizumi Kitagawa
6. Takashi Kikutani (c)
7. Michael Leitch
8. Ryukoliniasi Holani
9. Fumiaki Tanaka
10. James Arlidge
11. Hirotoki Onozawa
12. Ryan Nicholas
13. Koji Taira
14. Kosuke Endo
15. Shaun Webb
Replacements:
16. Yusuke Aoki
17. Nozomu Fujita
18. Hitoshi Ono
19. Itaru Taniguchi
20. Atsushi Hiwasa
21. Murray Williams
22. Alisi Tupuailai

---
Ryan Nicholas Koji Taira combi will be a nightmare for non-top class centres Estabanez and Rougerie. Key of the game is capacity of Japan to score all their opportunities, being in the back of Taira, Nicholas, Holani, Kikutani when they break the line. Finally, Onozawa, Endo and Webb have the game in their hands.
Japan mustn't be afraid of using Shota Horie, Kensuke Hatakeyama and Luke Thompson near the try line.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

What's your prediction Bail?

 

[Getofmeland]

Teams are setting up and the French are in their white strip

 

[ACT1NUP]

Whats with the white, Last time I checked dark blue and red didn't clash... great crowd btw was gettin nervous that all our stadiums would be half full other than for AB matches.