RWC Quarter Final: England - France (08-10-2011, 20:30)

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Eden Park, Auckland (08-10-2011, 20:30)

​

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD] England [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] France [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ben Foden [/TD][TD] 15 [/TD][TD] Maxime Médard [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Chris Ashton [/TD][TD] 14 [/TD][TD] Vincent Clerc [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Manu Tuilagi [/TD][TD] 13 [/TD][TD] Aurélien Rougerie [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Toby Flood [/TD][TD] 12 [/TD][TD] Maxime Merdoz [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Mark Cueto [/TD][TD] 11 [/TD][TD] Alexis Palisson [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jonny Wilkinson [/TD][TD] 10 [/TD][TD] Morgan Parra [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ben Youngs [/TD][TD] 9 [/TD][TD] Dimitri Yachvili [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Nick Easter [/TD][TD] 8 [/TD][TD] Imanol Harinordoquy [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Lewis Moody [/TD][TD] 7 [/TD][TD] Julien Bonnaire [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Tom Croft [/TD][TD] 6 [/TD][TD] Thierry Dusautoir [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Tom Palmer [/TD][TD] 5 [/TD][TD] Lionel Nallet [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Louis Deacon [/TD][TD] 4 [/TD][TD] Pascal Pape [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dan Cole [/TD][TD] 3 [/TD][TD] Nicolas Mas [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Steve Thompson [/TD][TD] 2 [/TD][TD] William Servat [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Matt Stevens [/TD][TD] 1 [/TD][TD] Jean-Baptiste Poux [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dylan Hartley [/TD][TD] 16 [/TD][TD] Dimitri Szarzewski [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Alex Corbisiero [/TD][TD] 17 [/TD][TD] Fabien Barcella [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Courtney Lawes [/TD][TD] 18 [/TD][TD] Julien Pierre [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Simon Shaw [/TD][TD] 19 [/TD][TD] Louis Picamoles [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] James Haskell [/TD][TD] 20 [/TD][TD] Francois Trinh-Duc [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Richard Wigglesworth [/TD][TD] 21 [/TD][TD] David Marty [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Matt Banahan [/TD][TD] 22 [/TD][TD] Cédric Heymans [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[Sam Owen]

This will be a good clash, Im gonna go for the English, I think they've quietly gone about their work in pool play and improved along the way. Sheridan is a big loss but they'll be ok without.

Frances best game was against the All Blacks but since then they havent improved much. I think England will win but you never know with the French come quarter final time.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It really is going to be a "Who plays the crappest on the night"
Both teams playing bad at the moment, but both teams have the potential to be great - hopefully England switch on for this (and the following matches) and France don't :lol:

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

In 2007 they lost to Argentina and didn't look solid... I think some Kiwi's remember what happened in Cardiff in the QF. France is a team that can lose the one day without impressive a single soul and beat the best teams the next. I don't know how they do it though

 

[JW.]

France have been awfull this whole RWC even more so than England and that makes me nervous. Because they are a talented squad that could produce a one off match and beat anyone.

But really hope England get there act together, they haven't been playing very well, it's time for people to stand up and play well and inspire. We have got a path to the final against opposition we have beaten this year and can beat but not if we don't play to our very best.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

vBookie QF Roses-Coqs

I added the first knock-out vBookie!

 

[BladeMode]

Pity a team like Scottland or Samoa did nt go through. The French does not deserve to be in the quarters. Too many issues. Similar to the soccer world cup. England by 15 but they might battle to get past the semi's. They have played average teams and had average results.

 

[Bucephalus]

For an Englishman its a worry, France have got their howler out of the way and it wouldnt surprise me if they suddenly play a stormer, having said that we do regularly do a number on them.

England really have done nothing though and would do a great deal better if they played to their strengths and not the strengths which Johnson seems to think exists.

 

[B10]

I don't have a clue what the result will be, depends a lot on who plays at 10 for both teams IMO.

My team would be:

1. Corbs
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Lawes
5. Palmer
6. Croft
7. Haskell
8. Waldrom
9. Youngs
10. Flood
11. Cueto
12. Hape
13. Tuilagi
14. Ashton
15. Foden

16. Thompson
17. Stevens
18. Shaw
19. Wood
20. Wiggy
21. Wilko
22. Banahan (assuming Delon is banned)

Obviously won't be this though. Waldrom wont be in the 22. Moody will play. Tindal will play if fit and Wilko will probably start.

 

[Peat]

This will be a good clash,

Sam, I admire your optimism. I'm mentally preparing myself for 80 minutes of appalling rugby with an English loss...

 

[cardassian]

Reckon England will edge this one.
Not by playing well but because France are terribad and were planning to have a fifa like explosion and get knocked out in the pool stages, however this was ruined for them by Canada beating Tonga

 

[Siva Tau]

Two teams who look awful at moment. England to edge it but drop goals and penalties with France losing but scoring more tries.

 

[Mr.cyclopede]

Two teams who look awful at moment. England to edge it but drop goals and penalties with France losing but scoring more tries.

Thinking exactly the opposite (not about the awful looking teams)...Let's see on saturday !

 

[Tricia McMillan]

So why does the vBookie have an option for a draw? To cover the small chance that it goes all the way through extra time to a kicking competition?

 

[JW.]

So why does the vBookie have an option for a draw? To cover the small chance that it goes all the way through extra time to a kicking competition?

Good point . Lets hope it doesn't get to that I don't think I could cope, after Argentinia and Scotland.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Every vBookie has 5 options. This will mean the score after 80 minutes. If a team wins after extra time, the vBookie will register it as a draw.

 

[gingergenius]

I don't have a clue what the result will be, depends a lot on who plays at 10 for both teams IMO.

My team would be:

1. Corbs
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Lawes
5. Palmer
6. Croft
7. Haskell
8. Waldrom
9. Youngs
10. Flood
11. Cueto
12. Hape
13. Tuilagi
14. Ashton
15. Foden

16. Thompson
17. Stevens
18. Shaw
19. Wood
20. Wiggy
21. Wilko
22. Banahan (assuming Delon is banned)

Obviously won't be this though. Waldrom wont be in the 22. Moody will play. Tindal will play if fit and Wilko will probably start.

Why would Armitage be banned? It was a nothing incident, at least with Lawes' citing there was a likelihood that it was malicious...

 

[B10]

Why would Armitage be banned? It was a nothing incident, at least with Lawes' citing there was a likelihood that it was malicious...

I don't think it deserves a ban but we're England and everything else is going wrong. So he's bound to get banned.

 

[Dizzy]

Well I'm gonna go with England for the simple fact that Tonga pretty much handed France their QF. Otherwise I would've backed France all the way.
England have been missing alot of penalties and that's a worry because I feel that is their strong point. Although Wilkinson's deadly drop goals seem to be on target.
I wasn't sure if Tonga knew that if they got the bonus point they would be in the QF, and I'd say France were happy to lose knowing it didn't matter. They played poorly against all teams in pool play and if Tonga were committed to the finals, I'd say France wouldn't be there.

England by 10

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Armitage has got a 1 game ban so will miss this one
Fingers and toes crossed that Cueto is OK, because otherwise it's Banahan starting....