France v All Blacks
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@Tregaskis said in France:
I going to call an AB loss in this one. Based on not much; last match of the year, press distractions, gut instinct, dodgy wingers.
Wallabies just played a B team against them and won fairly easily. The scoreline flattered the French.
I'd be severely disappointed if we dropped this one.
Australia won fairly easily, by 25-23? I didn't see the game, but media reports suggest France missed an injury time drop goal.
That's a pretty loose definition of "won fairly easily".
I watched it and felt that France were just hanging on for much of the game. Wallabies should have won by more. Thought it was quite a contrast in intensity to the game played beforehand in Dublin.
But I guess who knows with France.
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With Speeding out it takes some of the pressure off us, his long range goal kicking can really hurt you. Plus he seemed like the glue that made that winger pairing work. Lopez is no mug with the boot but he would have been second choice and doesn't have the same kind of range.
Weather looks to be holding so should have conditions for running rugby.
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@mooshld I said difficult, not impossible, and you've named only one. Plus, he hasn't actually been that good in recent seasons.
Depends on your bench mark for good of the NH fly halves, In my view he is there and abouts with Ford being the stand out play maker and the rest doing the chasing.
Doussain probably moves the line better but as he doesn't kick goals very well its somewhat limiting. But if you have Para or Speeding playing that is no issue.
Don't get me wrong France has a lot of imports now but they still have quality players. Guy Noves has a very distinct style of play he likes and both of those 10's can play it pretty well. He is a traditionalist he likes quick ball and backs scoring tries. Well he did when Toulouse where at their heights.
You write off the french at your own peril. For me their biggest strength is also their biggest weakness both their wingers are great ball in hand but neither are great kickers and neither are that strong turning. Front foot though and those boys can finish. Finally Louis P is due a big game and he has the skillset to be the best 8 in the world on his day.
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@mooshld I've actually always liked Trinh-Duc and don't think he got enough French caps over his career. However, I'm comparing the outhalf stock in France now to the past, where they always had a good number of quality players to come in. The situation today is as bad as it's been in last 40 years, worse probably, and the main reason is the club game employing too many foreign players. They're not just from the SH hemisphere either anymore, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Italian, Georgian etc.
I agree they do have quality players, but they're clearly not the force they were even 5 years ago, certainly in the player depth charts.
Oh and yes, Picamoles is class and has been very good recently, he seems a bit lighter and more mobile. -
From what I've seen, Picamoles has been playing very well for Northampton.
On the fly-halves, to be honest I'm not that sold on any of the Frenchies. Not a position with great strength in depth. Ok in depth would be my summation.
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@bluedex Not sure they were a force 5 years ago apart from one standout game in the WC final they got rolled by Tonga and even then Trinh Duc was their first choice out half until he again got injured.
I know what your saying but France have not been consistently a strong rugby team in a good 15 years and the results bare that out. But on their day they can tussle with anyone. I agree that the club structure and the threat of relegation is a big issue here. They are starting to see some benefits now of guys getting capped who have immigrated here just to play. (Plenty in this weeks team as well) Will that make them a stronger team in the future. Maybe these are all guys in professional environments who are playing with some of the best players in the world.
Will it affect the identity of the French team, absolutely.
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With all this bullshit happening with the Irish, and every time we go to the UK, I wouldn't mind if in 2018 we didn't tour the UK and/or Ireland. Tour France instead, play 3 tests 1 warm up game against a club, even a game against Italy. 2 test in the rugby heart land (South and South West of France) and the 3rd in Paris. The monies going to be the same as 3 tests across the UK.
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@Wreck-Diver said in France:
With all this bullshit happening with the Irish, and every time we go to the UK, I wouldn't mind if in 2018 we didn't tour the UK and/or Ireland. Tour France instead, play 3 tests 1 warm up game against a club, even a game against Italy. 2 test in the rugby heart land (South and South West of France) and the 3rd in Paris. The monies going to be the same as 3 tests across the UK.
+1. Would love a classic tour of France, rather than touring the Home Nations and getting the same old crap from their media. A 3-test series against France with a lucrative test en route in America or Asia would be just dandy.
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@Wreck-Diver said in France:
With all this bullshit happening with the Irish, and every time we go to the UK, I wouldn't mind if in 2018 we didn't tour the UK and/or Ireland. Tour France instead, play 3 tests 1 warm up game against a club, even a game against Italy. 2 test in the rugby heart land (South and South West of France) and the 3rd in Paris. The monies going to be the same as 3 tests across the UK.
Great idea, especially to get to the rugby heartland in the south west. Even when the test is in Paris those buggers load up in the buses and travel to Paris to watch then get straight back on to go home. I once ended up stopped at a rest area with a bus load of them on the way to a game. They were hammering the red wine and oysters it was barely 11 in the morning. I didn't dare tell them where I was from for fear of being abducted onto their bus.
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@Wreck-Diver said in France:
With all this bullshit happening with the Irish, and every time we go to the UK, I wouldn't mind if in 2018 we didn't tour the UK and/or Ireland. Tour France instead, play 3 tests 1 warm up game against a club, even a game against Italy. 2 test in the rugby heart land (South and South West of France) and the 3rd in Paris. The monies going to be the same as 3 tests across the UK.
Great idea, especially to get to the rugby heartland in the south west. Even when the test is in Paris those buggers load up in the buses and travel to Paris to watch then get straight back on to go home. I once ended up stopped at a rest area with a bus load of them on the way to a game. They were hammering the red wine and oysters it was barely 11 in the morning. I didn't dare tell them where I was from for fear of being abducted onto their bus.
South West of France is great, I go every summer they love their rugby
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I did a pre-season tour down in the SW many years ago. Great hosting, great food & wine, lost every game and had a brilliant time. Even in the smaller villages the standard is surprisingly uncompromising and very, very parochial.
One of the best tours I went on.
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@Billy-Tell said in France:
@Wreck-Diver said in France:
With all this bullshit happening with the Irish, and every time we go to the UK, I wouldn't mind if in 2018 we didn't tour the UK and/or Ireland. Tour France instead, play 3 tests 1 warm up game against a club, even a game against Italy. 2 test in the rugby heart land (South and South West of France) and the 3rd in Paris. The monies going to be the same as 3 tests across the UK.
+1. Would love a classic tour of France, rather than touring the Home Nations and getting the same old crap from their media. A 3-test series against France with a lucrative test en route in America or Asia would be just dandy.
Great idea. Whinging home nations press don't appreciate us. having had the pleasure of touring the south of France like a few other posters here, it really is one of the best rugby regions in the world. We were playing in a pre 2007 RWC tournament in small towns/villages around Montpellier and were treated like kings wherever we went.
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@Billy-Tell said in France:
@Wreck-Diver said in France:
With all this bullshit happening with the Irish, and every time we go to the UK, I wouldn't mind if in 2018 we didn't tour the UK and/or Ireland. Tour France instead, play 3 tests 1 warm up game against a club, even a game against Italy. 2 test in the rugby heart land (South and South West of France) and the 3rd in Paris. The monies going to be the same as 3 tests across the UK.
+1. Would love a classic tour of France, rather than touring the Home Nations and getting the same old crap from their media. A 3-test series against France with a lucrative test en route in America or Asia would be just dandy.
Great idea. Whinging home nations press don't appreciate us. having had the pleasure of touring the south of France like a few other posters here, it really is one of the best rugby regions in the world. We were playing in a pre 2007 RWC tournament in small towns/villages around Montpellier and were treated like kings wherever we went.
TSF golden oldies tour anyone?
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It would be awesome to have an away series v France, I agree.
That used to be the only NH country that SH sides did multi-test tours to. Although I think always only ever 2 tests for some reason.
With new soccer stadiums in Bordeaux and other southern cities for euro 2016 it would be decently profitable too.
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@Wreck-Diver Great concept. You should pitch the idea to Steve Tew
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@mimic The Ireland-Aust and Wales-SA games aren't on live though. I was hoping to watch one of those before the AB test but there are only replays later in the day.
The only other live games on Sun morning are Eng-Arg and Exeter Chiefs v Worcester Warriors - WTF?
Just saw that Ireland-Australia is live on Rugby pop up 2..
Wales-SA is on Rugby pop up 1 after the Italy-Tonga match
