[2014 EOYT] France vs Argentina

[Big Ewis]

:cryy: fckng gutted. We started to look like the bad old France around that 3rd quarter of the game, that was scary...I really really wanted to make it 3/3, was sure it'd happen, and had got used to winning with a normal-looking France again...so this is very painful.

I'm not looking for excuses but how was that last disruption from the side on the last play from a Puma not a yellow like PSA was asking for ?

I'm glad we managed to score a real team try, from absolute scratch. Very positive signs going forward we can score like a team, not just playing personal hero ball. Glad we kept them try-less. But 4 DG I couldn't believe it. Lots of 3pointers left in the dust also, a couple of makeable ones...unfortunate.

But at least this wasn't France of 2013 til June 2014, and the Pumas were fkng awesome. Such intensity, nothing like what we'd seen in MF and much better than in Italy.
A good earned win in Paris, well done.

At least we beat Aus. I would've hated losing to Aus but beating Arg.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Agrentina really deserve this - France are only in this decision ironically because their scrum was cut to pieces and the ref found a penalty for them.

That was my thought too. What was that penalty about? Did one of our guys leave the formation early or something? What did i miss?

 

[Big Ewis]

That was my thought too. What was that penalty about? Did one of our guys leave the formation early or something? What did i miss?

the no.18 TH prop scrummages at an angle the whole way and turns the scrum illegally without offering any serious pressure up front.

 

[Jaguares]

Uini was 120+ kgs for under 16s. He's a unit.

He's too heavy to play modern rugby, he must play American football. For some reason he was not picked by a Super Rugby franchise and Kiwis know too much about our sport. He's like Skelton, too much size but poor rugby skills

 

[TRF_Cymro]

He's too heavy to play modern rugby, he must play American football. For some reason he was not picked by a Super Rugby franchise and Kiwis know too much about our sport. He's like Skelton, too much size but poor rugby skills

Skelton has come good rugby skills!

 

[Big Ewis]

hehe Skelton doesn't have skill ?? Conrad, I thought you watched SR, and the Aus sides in particular ? Come on man.
As for Atonio, I can only hold you accountable for speaking on one half of Rugby you saw from him. I understand you don't watch La Rochelle, but judging on 40min is lame. He's constantly praised for possessing skill for such a huge 140kg+ frame.

 

[ruggabee]

He's too heavy to play modern rugby, he must play American football. For some reason he was not picked by a Super Rugby franchise and Kiwis know too much about our sport. He's like Skelton, too much size but poor rugby skills

He was considered too unfit. Decided to leave NZ after a couple of goes for Counties.

 

[Horacito]

For some reason, we can't play a perfect rugby match: today was the scrum. Of course is the youth-Ayerza wasn't able to give us his experience: the oldest trick in the book is to leave the other team push you to get early-push penalties. The whole match the same thing, and working one after the other one.

Poor decisions when we had them -that kick from Cubelli- and unable to close the match when we had to: Ireland, England or the other two monsters never do that.

In the good side, it's obvious that Nico Sánchez and Cubelli have great chemistry, and it seems Hourcade reads me carefully (LOL) and we have little Tomi as the starter. BTW, the kids showing how good PladAr is, beating the hell out of the french and demonstrating we have almost THREE players per position.

2/3, not bad, but shoulda been better.

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry, I forgot, and it deserves its own post:

JAVIER ORTEGA DESIO

 

[Jaguares]

Skelton has come good rugby skills!

He played 7 test matches with the golden jersey and only was a true impact player against a poor French side at home?

Most Aussies have criticized him very hard, there are few who think he's an international level player. His scrum is poor, he can't hold the spine in place, he almost killed to Kepu in the scrums. His line-out is nonexistent and as impact player hasn't been such against top teams as NZ or SA, even against Argentina in Mendoza. Australia has a HUGE crisis in the second row and even he has failed to earn a place in the starting XV, plus he get tired fast. He isn't a world class player. Size is not everything.

Kane Douglas > Will Skelton

 

[TRF_Cymro]

He played 7 test matches with the golden jersey and only was a true impact player against a poor French side at home?

Most Aussies have criticized him very hard, there are few who think he's an international level player. Their scrum is poor, he can't hold the spine in place, he almost killed to Kepu in the scrums. His line-out is nonexistent and as impact player hasn't been such against top teams as NZ or SA, even against Argentina in Mendoza. Australia has a HUGE crisis in the second row and even he has failed to earn a place in the starting XV, plus he get tired fast. He isn't a world class player


Kane Douglas > Will Skelton

I see it differently, from the Tahs games I watched this year he was pretty good, and he's been pretty tidy for Australia too this year. If I remember correctly he wasn't selected for some of the games in the Rugby Championship this year, so it is hard to judge him against the top yet. Wasn't debating if he was World Class because he isn't. Pity Douglas chose to move to Leinster and move himself out of contention for Australia. He is a very good lock.

Anyway back to the game ...

Thought Argentina played well for large parts of the game, felt that France left it far to late to make a comeback.

 

[Jaguares]

I see it differently, from the Tahs games I watched this year he was pretty good, and he's been pretty tidy for Australia too this year. If I remember correctly he wasn't selected for some of the games in the Rugby Championship this year, so it is hard to judge him against the top yet. Wasn't debating if he was World Class because he isn't. Pity Douglas chose to move to Leinster and move himself out of contention for Australia. He is a very good lock.

I saw almost all Tahs' matches this year, ask anyone who reads the Super Rugby section at TRF. He has been a true impact player playing Super Rugby, but Super Rugby and International rugby are different levels. Kurtley Beale was also a big part of the Waratahs champions but at international level he has been poor in recent years. I don't remember his last game at international level in good form. In Dublin was a disaster again, playing against Saffers in SA was poor too, he couldn't stop a Springbok

 

[Darwin]

France should win this match. Hence I predict Argentina to win by 4 points.

Well I was close I won $200 on the match too (Argentina 12-) so I'm pretty happy. I'm glad France are such a predictable rugby side...

 

[Manu_ARG_JPN]

Go Pumas Go

Hi All,

what ranking will appear after beating France ?

Thanks

 

[kovana]

So..the team that plays negative rugby wins...

Well done.. Rugby the loser on this occasion IMO..

BTW.. no change in rankings for arg.

 

[ianw16]

So..the team that plays negative rugby wins...

Well done.. Rugby the loser on this occasion IMO..

BTW.. no change in rankings for arg.

Might not have improved places-wise, but would certainly have improved points-wise. Bloody funny as well. Good old France, always good for a ***** up!!!!

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

the no.18 TH prop scrummages at an angle the whole way and turns the scrum illegally without offering any serious pressure up front.

Thank you

 

[Big Ewis]

this match was very interesting because it was symptomatic of things beyond the bad coaching staff. I think as long as PSA is there, his incompetence will never just magically go away, but we had the keys to win this *if we really wanted it*. This was a classic France game, in hindsight, and in a way, it's almost comforting.
It's comforting because it generates a real fluctuation in form, which is oh so French - rather than no fluctuation at all but complete chaos and utter ineptness supreme every test match like previously. It's comforting because it means France are back, with their old symptoms.

We beat a good Australian side and really should've won by more, that's a 160° turn from a possible 180°. That means we didn't randomly hang in and survive, it means we actually played *real Rugby* for 80min, albeit with highs and lows. But lots of highs, mind you. And the one team that spoiled the party, the one team that came here to defy us at home and take a win on our soil in this very positive dynamic we were on, literally this (partial) resurrection was with no surprise the team that would offer the most hunger, the most implication and relentless aggression and commitment. How French. How very, very French. You can change the lineup, put in new faces, even abroad-born Frenchmen if you want, but that volatility will always be there. And Saint-André can't instill hunger into this team, not the way they need it...

Argentina took the game in that first 50min. They put everything they had at us on the ground, in the air, and in those drop goals. They stored up stored up before the storm would come, and when it came, our 10-0 run, it wasn't enough as they managed to kill off our last hornet's flight for goal and smother our last breath of life and it was all over. We couldn't buy back our first 50min of more or less casual Rugby, maybe/probably in 35min but not in 30min.


The one try of the match, a real team movement from nothing transgressing the defense, another very comforting sight and fact of this game:

 

[Jbobo]

Problem with France is that they simply can't put two decent performances together. This is down to a weakness psychologically, and weak cover for their first team. I am not of the opinion that getting rid of PSA will change this. You need to change the Top14 or it will not get better fast. I'd be a bit worried about the coming 6N to be honest my French friends :/

Kudos to Argentina, the better team won this one!

 

[Jaguares]

:dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance:

 

[Tony Manx]

Problem with France is that they simply can't put two decent performances together. This is down to a weakness psychologically, and weak cover for their first team. I am not of the opinion that getting rid of PSA will change this. You need to change the Top14 or it will not get better fast. I'd be a bit worried about the coming 6N to be honest my French friends :/

Kudos to Argentina, the better team won this one!

I would Stick to what you know something about my friend as do not think you know too much about current French rugby!!