France

Rosbif says...

@JLJ. Sorry mate. I'm afraid you are agreeing with my cousin (as I mentioned to pierredelot1). But actually, I find myself agreeing with him too. Maestri has been a real find. So too Fofana. We just need 13 more like those two!!!

(Btw, I'm sorry if I've been defending you on the other page. I know you certainly don't need or ask for my support. Just feel the French cop a lot on these pages sometimes....Mind you, it's better than MidOl where it's just a civil war between ST, Clermont and RCT)

Peace :-)

Posted 14:33 13th March 2012

gauca says...

Never mind seeing Pierre's name on the team sheet, a good replacement for Nallet, PSA should not forget Milo-chluski either, Yach as much as I love him should be no where near this squad, Biarritz may be able to win with slow ball but france I do not think can as Dupuy showed this week end.

I think we should accept that Parra TDuc are probably here to stay as the 9/10, perhaps not the best combo but changing this all the time is causing mayhem IMO, a settled pairing is what is needed.

I cannot say I am sold on the idea of Fritz/Fofana, would love to see Fofana and Estebanez running angles off of eachother. Rougerie should revert back to wing or be dropped. Fritz is too direct a runner and feel he is more there to be combative against the welsh centres than for his attacking play.

Otherwise the main area of concern going forward is the front row, Servat should start whilst he's still availiable (even if just for 40mins) alongside the impressive Debaty.

I honestly don't feel that Mas and Poux slow as they are, offer anything other than a scrum anymore. Slow in the defensive line and undynamic in attack. The sooner the likes of Barcella and Domingo can return to form/recover the better for our options.

At hooker I don't think Szarweski is as bad as the rap he is getting, he's solid enough with his throws. He just needs to stop trying to unleash miracle passes out of tackles, and take the ball in two hands to tackle, this has cost us this tournament but should be easy to fix. That said he shouldn't be starting in any team which includes Servat.

Posted 23:57 12th March 2012

Rosbif says...

pierredelot1. i see you describe fritz well! i agreed with you. very good at club level. never really showed same qualities in EdF. too easily bad discipline. i remember many red cards, some crazy ones in HCup, but also some ones he has deserved. A little the same story with poitrenaud. Always good in club. Never really the same in EdF. But he makes a big match against England.

I think we all agree on Dimitri at hooker. He has had more years than William, and still does not assure his post. Guirardo plays with Mas every week. Or Kayser who plays with Debaty and throws to Pierre in the lineout. Both are more reliable.

Strange that no-one on this website talks about Maestri? For me, he is the revelation of this 6N. He is the next Pelous. Maybe we will see him play 100 games for EdF. O'Connell of Ireland said he had played against a young monster!!

For me the backs looking at 2015 should be: 9 Doussain, 10 T-Duc, 11 Malzieu, 12 David, 13 Fofana, 14 Palisson 15 Medard, 20 Parra, 21 Beauxis, 22 Buttin (and you can see only 2 or 3 from ST, so I try not to be favourite for my club!!) You have mix of speed, power, kicking, ball in hand, younger and older. I think PSA keeps Rougerie just to counter North this weekend, then he is too old for 2015. Also Clerc will be gone before 2015.

Wiesniewski is already not so young. He should have played with Lievremont but never was picked. Also Estebanez can play 10 and is very good. But again, not so young. Wilkinson also not so young, but still teaching the French how to play 10 :-)

Posted 20:19 12th March 2012

pierredelot1 says...

Interesting that he should bring in Fritz and everybody is crowing about him. As a Toulouse supporter I like the guy, but to me he's top club not International, sure he's solid but can be temperamental and he's not going to get a lot of change out of the welsh centres. Not only that but he's not the future of French rugby. Yachvili was always going to come back into the fold and can still produce the good, but for how much longer. Oedrago was always going to return once he got his form back after injury. But oh dear Szarzewski is still there, I'm still waiting to see how he benefits the side when Servat is on the bench, sure Servat is packing it in soon, but he's still the best and most consistent hooker in the N/H, they need to find someone else. Has Wilkinson qualified yet thru residency ?

Posted 18:11 12th March 2012

caramba13 says...

Being without Yachvilli cost France the game against England. He directs the whole operation unlike any other scrum-half. A poor half-back combination (like Dupuy/Beauxis) can turn even the most talented back-line into headless chickens. Tillous-Borde/Doussain and Wisniewski are further down the line - certainly for the summer tour.

For the Welsh game Fritz must start at centre with Fofana, with Rougerie and Palisson on the wings. Whatever happened to Baby? He was one of the most impressive centres in France ..but has become too much of a liability?

Posted 16:45 12th March 2012

edhutson says...

why drop malzui? he is one of the form players in this tournament, yeah he was quiet against england but we have an awesome defence, he smashed it against italy and scotland, and played pretty well against scotland, you would have thought he would be good to have against the likes of North and Cuthbert, maybe Fofana will be on the wing? he looked good there against england and it is only this season that he has been playing center. i dont rate palisson at all, not fast enough and too small, clerc will be a loss. i dont know anything about this new kid but poitranaud didnt look too good against the english either. im worried about the state of the french back 3 now, losing medard was a big blow, sadly it looks like a welsh grand slam now

Posted 14:29 12th March 2012