[2014 Mid-Year Test] Australia vs. France 07/06/14

[RoosTah]

Wallabies look fantastic, and I'm really glad the shroud of Cooper seems to have lifted, I never rated him and this Brumbies/Warratahs spine seems to be working for you buuuuut the French are not the All Blacks not to mention Australia isn't England.
You have to beat the All Blacks up front first.

Australia outplayed England in last years EOYT. Dominated everything but the scoreboard. A little like England against NZ tonight actually.

 

[SomeOke]

Australia outplayed England in last years EOYT. Dominated everything but the scoreboard. A little like England against NZ tonight actually.

Wallabies are great, they look good, I wish them well but A > B > C doesn't apply and a lot can change in a year. Maybe you're dominate the All Blacks this year, I'm just saying it's to early to say anything for sure.

Anyway what do people think about Beale starting over Toomoa? I think he offers a little more.

 

[Jaguares]

Wallabies are great, they look good, I wish them well but A > B > C doesn't apply and a lot can change in a year. Maybe you're dominate the All Blacks this year, I'm just saying it's to early to say anything for sure.

Anyway what do people think about Beale starting over Toomoa? I think he offers a little more.

Beale is more magic, more fantastic but Toomua is more solid, better defense. So I think:

Wallabies vs Europe's team/Tier 2 team = Beale
Wallabies vs ABs or Boks = Toomua



Or maybe Beale with AAC at 13 because Beale-Kuridrani at the same time is a poor defense IMO.

Toomua-Kuridrani
Beale-AAC

 

[RoosTah]

Wallabies are great, they look good, I wish them well but A > B > C doesn't apply and a lot can change in a year. Maybe you're dominate the All Blacks this year, I'm just saying it's to early to say anything for sure.

Anyway what do people think about Beale starting over Toomoa? I think he offers a little more.

Not saying that we'd beat NZ, just countering what I saw as an inference that England are a class above. I see you were really just talking about their forward strength though.

On Toomua, I think he had a great game and is far more reliable in defence and around the park in general. Beale is a very unpredictable player, and probably works better off the bench.

Other than that I thought Foley had a great game, while White was solid and Phipps was disappointing off the Bench - Genia has to be back next week.

 

[Jaguares]

Other than that I thought Foley had a great game, while White was solid and Phipps was disappointing off the Bench - Genia has to be back next week.

Phipps is crappy, I hate him

 

[RoosTah]

Phipps is crappy, I hate him

Thing is, he's been wonderful for the Waratahs for most of this year. Just doesn't step up at test level right now clearly.

 

[Big Ewis]

of course knowing France they'll bounce back in game 2. It would be hilarious if they took exactly another 50 in the face next week, but that won't happen.
I feel awful for the players. As a fan I'm not hurt by this because I understand where it's coming from. It would've been nice to avoid it, but it barely hurts at all tbh. But for the players themselves...they must be depressed beyond our grasp. I think it's the most stressful of all Rugby nations atm, to play for France. There's so much unknown, so much instability, everything is precarious from one's mental strength to the actual gameplan...they kind of just go out there and 'see what happens'.

They must feel so disillusioned, and the last thing you want to give the Wallabies is *instability*. Even if you have mediocre guys, but at least hold your own in the scrum, lineout, and have a steady progression with your rucks, play organized defense nice and regular, you can get away with a decent effort and keep that scoreline trimmed way down. Australia have often been France's cryptonite because they feed off of that like piranhas. Their backline is starving for that insecurity. And it was sharp today. But not THAT sharp to put 50 on a Tier 1 nation, France was obviously diarrhea.

 

[dasNdanger]

Australia could teach NZ something about showing up for a game...




das

 

[Big Ewis]

Australia could teach NZ something about showing up for a game...




das

and France could show England a whole lot about not showing up, if you get what I'm implying. Wallabies were very good, but let's not get over ourselves. France was in disaster-mode. Never saw this coming, I was actually quietly expecting a very tight game, and possibly a French win.

 

[big ginger 8]

and France could show England a whole lot about not showing up, if you get what I'm implying. Wallabies were very good, but let's not get over ourselves. France was in disaster-mode. Never saw this coming, I was actually quietly expecting a very tight game, and possibly a French win.

France were actually looking pretty good the first 15 minutes are so. It's hard for me not to think the biggest issue for the French is their mentality, even more so than any coaches.

 

[Big Ewis]

France were actually looking pretty good the first 15 minutes are so. It's hard for me not to think the biggest issue for the French is their mentality, even more so than any coaches.

I see what you're saying, but obviously it's the coaching still, ginger. They did look really sharp on the first attack, but as I keep saying, because of the sheer class of some of our guys, alone, you'll see France putting nice pieces of action together. On that first movement they looked like they were getting 7 points for sure. But you see it in the finishing in plays, in the huge holes mid-way through matches where nothing happens, France are literally playing as it goes. They're randomly trying to bring the ball up the pitch, and somehow score. It worked against England last Feb, remember ? Didn't work at all in Cardiff. We got "out-strategized" in Wales.
There are no plans B or C. Plan A itself is unclear most of the time. And then frustration sets in.
We have literally spent all of 2013 til now playing hard, but aimlessly. And the only reasons we didn't ship 40 in each one of those games are the following two things:
- PSA has taught and achieved very good defense.
- Our players are really good individually.

As for the mental part, France are very easily disrupted. And this goes back to what I've been saying: there's enormous scrutiny over their heads, and it seems like every game is just redemption for the previous. Like they're constantly late, in the wrong, and have to make up for their mistakes. It's like there's almost no confidence there since the start of 2013, and that comes from having no certainty, no gameplan to lean onto, nothing tangible to hold or squeeze, and the accumulation of negativity. The players have to count on their lonesome selves to make anything happen. The coaches are only really good at answering the press.
Of course, with a guy like Michalak, yes it's mental. He's always been a roller-coaster type of guy.

I hope this helps whoever is reading understand our situation.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

if PSA stays as france's coach after this there is a problem with french rugby atm jesus

 

[Big Ewis]

that's right Scotty. Everybody knows that in France, trust me.

An interesting look at the stats for the game - although Australia seemed to have dominated the game throughout, and in key areas notably, the stats actually show a slightly more balanced combat than I amongst others could've imagined. I guess this shows stats alone ain't worth nothin', but always interesting to find more or less parity than expected on the sheet:




Yes they smash us in the clean break column as guessed by all, but looking at the defenders beaten stat for example: 21 vs 20.
And we actually got about the same tackle-rate: 85%. Would you imagine the Aussies missed 20 tackles that game ?
Our rucks were more tidy and efficient too.
They actually stole one of our scrums (hahahahahahaaha !!!!!....) but we got 2 of theirs.
We completed all 5 mauls, they lost a couple.
We actually both conceded as many turnovers (!!). Stunning stat.
And they conceded 10 penalties including 2 free-kicks Vs 7 and 0 from us.

Finally, we made a drop goal, they didn't. So in a way we have an advantage there. In a way, just in a way, we're a tad bit superior. And if you sort of think about it, I think in a way, that makes us the much better team, hands down. I don't want to say it, because I'm such a humble sweetheart, but in a sense, we really won that match. I mean, I'm not being bitter or wtvr, it's just...just fact.

 

[TheSaffycen]

I agree with you Ewis, remove the top 2 columns because they don't mean anything in the context of the game
But seriously this is bad for France.. like real bad. Australia had one week together and they put 50... 50 points on France ! 7 tries and really could have had more. The problem for France is the coaching but also the players are gutless.. however anyone wants too put it, they just are. There is no pride in them and it then just turns into a heaping pile of ****. As people have said players like Fofana, Huget, Dulin, Parra, Dusautoir, Picamoles it's a real achievement to **** up so badly that these guys look ****ing lost on the international stage.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

i didn't feel the french have they're best XV not with injury either. like in my opinion Dulin should have started, i dont know what Felix Le Bourhis is like if he's good or not idk. and michalak... thats all i got to say, but can someone tell me how he played ?

 

[Big Ewis]

I agree with you Ewis, remove the top 2 columns because they don't mean anything in the context of the game
But seriously this is bad for France.. like real bad. Australia had one week together and they put 50... 50 points on France ! 7 tries and really could have had more. The problem for France is the coaching but also the players are gutless.. however anyone wants too put it, they just are. There is no pride in them and it then just turns into a heaping pile of ****. As people have said players like Fofana, Huget, Dulin, Parra, Dusautoir, Picamoles it's a real achievement to **** up so badly that these guys look ****ing lost on the international stage.

Rugby is a team sport. And there are 15 players to manage at the same time, so much more complex than most team sports. If you tell those guys stupid things, repeatedly, that differ greatly from what they're used to in their clubs, that aren't simple and clear, and that aren't even efficient if they do work.....


And what you're saying about those quality players fkng up, it's silly. Picamoles can only do what the coaches tell him to, and his surrounding players can only do what the coaches tell them. Seeing Picamoles outnumbered and isolated isn't his fault. He's just doing Picamoles stuff. The staff can't be fkd to put together something simple enough that players can understand easily, without having to improvise on EVERY FKNG POSSESSION.

Scotty:
Le Bourhis I haven't seen much, but I know he's good. But he's a center at Bordeaux, not a fkng winger. Michalak started off well, until he wandered into Michalakness.
Yes I want Dulin to start too next week.

EDIT: but Scotty, it's important to mention that France could have the best XV available, and even non-French players, even All-black players; it won't change the fact that it's a team sport, it's not tennis, or basketball where it's just 5 guys on the floor, it's Rugby, and the entire culture of the team needs to change. Everything, everything. EVERY-THING about the PSA/Lagisquet era must be long forgotten. Except the defense (but not today's defense !).
It doesn't matter all that much who plays for us. The players themselves are a minor issue.

 

[wertas]

Not sure about picture quality, but you can see:

a) number 11 has one or two hand on the ball
b) ball is on white line (in goal area)
c) 5m scrum to Australia (TMO ignored that and gave try)

Could anyone explain what is wrong with my understanding?

 

[Big Ewis]

View attachment 2981

Not sure about picture quality, but you can see:

a) number 11 has one or two hand on the ball
b) ball is on white line (in goal area)
c) 5m scrum to Australia (TMO ignored that and gave try)

Could anyone explain what is wrong with my understanding?

you're right he is grounding the ball there...but there was a knock-on before/during that moment, and on video it seemed like a valid Wallaby try. But anyways, this isn't an important thing considering all the rest !

 

[Draggs]

So if the next two tests go like this, or even worse, does anybody think PSA and his lot could face the sack, or are they committed to 2015 now? New coach would have November tests, Six Nations, and a few summer tests. I think the biggest issue would be who. Galthié has been building a steady side with MHR, but I don't know what his contract is like. Maybe FFR can wheel out a huge cheque and guy him for the next 18 months...

 

[nzlizard]

France would have to be disappointed with that display, really poor effort by them, maybe it shows that picking the form players like Aus did can work in the right approach.