Surely you jest France?

[FlukeArtist]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10755127

 

[M Two One]

"In the past if you wind the French team up, they'll respond. Over the past decade they haven't done that. We've probably taken it to the other side of the coin and they don't get wound up at all."

While I don't agree with everything in this article, this rang a bell. It is true that the French national team has been soft and it will be interesting to see how they play against Tonga with their proposed alterations.

Ellis, a Yorkshireman whose background is in league, is not advocating a return to their nut-cracking, manual-eye-examining ways, but acknowledges they might have to add a bit of pepper at the breakdown.

I only ask one favor to the future coach, please to God do not ever call up David Attoub. That's going to extremes.

 

[Amobokoboko]

While watching the highlights of the NZ-FRnce game, the commentator said the French coach wasn't aiming at winning the game. they will proceed anyhow and he did stress that being second in the pool would create much better opportunities for the QF then winning the pool. As England will most likely win their pool I don't really understand what he was talking about. As I do rate the English in a better position than the French.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

In the last 4 years, France has played England 4 times, with only one win for the French. If you take a longer time frame, say since RWC 2003, England has won half of the 12 games played. If you consider the entire professional era, each country has 11 wins. In World Cups, England has won three times ('91, 2003 and 2007) and France one (1995). In a WC quarterfinal, I'd give England a 60%-70% chance of winning. If France does progress to the SF, they would play Wales or Ireland surely. That goes for a 50% chance of winning (I'd actually say France would be favourite, but it may be my bias). So, coming second in the pool would give about 1/6 of a chance of reaching the final.
If France had won the pool, playing Argentina would be about a 60%-70% chance of a win (I know, we've made the mistake of underestimating Argentina before, but this time I just don't see them playing that well) and in the case of progressing to the SF, beating Wallabies or Springboks would be a 10%-20% chance of winning I'd reckon, which is about a 1/9-1/10 of a chance of reaching the final. If the goal was to reach the semis, winning the pool wouild have bee better, but that's not the case.