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

[Surefire]

I like to see the concern in some English fan's posts, Flood vs Wilko., but I don't think it will matter. As much as I want to see France win, I have a difficult time seeing how. My only hope is that many times when I think for sure France will win, they lose, and when I think things are hopeless, they win. I think Mas and Dusautoir are injured more then they will admit, the Parra experiment is M.L. being stubborn & England may not be flashy but they find a way to win.
Hope I am wrong but looking forward to the game. Actually I am looking forward to all the games in the QFs should be a great weekend!

 

[j-dawg]

The problem is there are 2 choices: Wilko and Flood. Wilko is consistently **** but England three times out of 5 do the job over crap teams. Flood fluxuates between very good to utter, utter **** and it's impossible to know which version you'll get.

Of course there's always Hodgson. He's routinely not too bad, but you guarantee a loss.

What would you do?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Put Hodgson at 10, make him the captain, give him a crown and give him a £400,000 bonus as well

 

[SelimNiai]

What would you do?

Give up, go home and let the "journalists" in the tabloids have a feild day. Or stay, lose and the same

 

[Teh Mite]

What would you do?

Strangle the man who decided to play Geraghty at 12 and ruin him forever.

 

[j-dawg]

Give up, go home and let the "journalists" in the tabloids have a feild day. Or stay, lose and the same

Just for that, England are going to knock you out in the Semi's. Just remeber that.

 

[abczyx]

England to win. They weren't great against Scotland, but scarce are the words that adequately elucidate just how gut-wrenchingly awful France were against both NZ and Tonga.

 

[j'nuh]

Did Harinordoquy lose form since the six nations, because I've been wondering why he hasn't been starting (until now) for France?

 

[Saintjay]

They also forget that my granny would outpace Hape, Flood is a dream for for any back row forward with ball in hand and Ashton has the rugby brain of a 15 year old. Nice lad and all that, but we don't need nice. Pleased to see that few are touting Banahan.

Top try scorer in the RWC so far, a debatable world try of the year. One of the better England players in the six nations. He is strong, fast paced, runs good lines and is pretty much want you want in a winger. He is also in the dog house for being abusive to hotel staff.

So to cover two points, nice lad maybe not, rugby brain of a 15 year old maybe not.

 

[Saintjay]

Just for that, England are going to knock you out in the Semi's. Just remeber that.

The Irish might have that honour, then us

 

[Saintjay]

BBC saying Flood is starting at 12 with Wilkinson, Palmer in for Lawes, Easter at eight.

Eng XV: Foden Ashton Tuilagi Flood Cueto Wilkinson Youngs Stevens Thompson Cole Deacon Palmer Croft Moody Easter

 

[Darwin]

BBC saying Flood is starting at 12 with Wilkinson, Palmer in for Lawes, Easter at eight.

Eng XV: Foden Ashton Tuilagi Flood Cueto Wilkinson Youngs Stevens Thompson Cole Deacon Palmer Croft Moody Easter

Replacements: Hartley, Corbisiero, Shaw, Lawes, Haskell, Wigglesworth, Banahan.

Some interesting decisions - Deacon over Lawes, Easter over Haskell, and 5/2 split on the bench are surprises for me.

 

[donmcdazzle]

That backline would make me nervous if I was an Englishman.

 

[Rhyer]

France will win, they'll run you off the park, too many dumb slow people in your pack.

 

[donmcdazzle]

I hope France can pull of their play-off magic against someone other than the All Blacks for once. Come on you Frenchies, knock them over would ya.

 

[Sixesandsevens]

Im actually really pleased with the England selection, Lawes played like a tool last weekend and to be honest I think he will make more impact from the bench, Im always a fan of having two tens instead of a two bosh centres and a ten, and although Haskell has been our best man around the park, technically he isnt good enough at the base to start a quarter final vs France in my opinion, and Im a big Haskell fan.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

[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]

 

[Sorp111]

2 Locks on the bench, 2 fly halves on the pitch, Haskell on the bench (I thought he looked better than Moody), Stevens starting (Most penalities given away, Corb has looked better) , Banahan covering all the back positions apart from scrum half. I am at a loss to understand this selection, and genuinely would like some one to explain it. It's a sad indictment of the original squad selection when the two players chosen as centres (Hape, Banahan) are not deemed good enough to start.

 

[elgringoborracho]

France will win, they'll run you off the park, too many dumb slow people in your pack.

Thats stupid

 

[gingergenius]

well, nice seeing my suggestion of Flood at 12 being taken seriously. Just a shame it's being experimented in the QF and not against Georgia. Other selections, I don't understand. Stevens has been exposed against good tightheads recently, whereas Corbisiero has taken to internationals like a duck to water. Bringing Palmer in is good, but why o why has he still found space for Deacon?