[2015 RWC] Warm Up Match: England vs France (15/08/2015)

[TobesHodges]

Date: Saturday, 15 August, 20:00 BST​

England XV:

1.Mako Vunipola 2.Rob Webber 3.Kieran Brookes 4.George Kruis 5.Geoff Parling 6.Tom Wood 7.Calum Clark 8.Ben Morgan 9.Richard Wigglesworth 10.Owen Farrell 11.Jonny May 12.Sam Burgess 13.Henry Slade 14.Anthony Watson 15.Alex Goode

Replacments: 16.Luke Cowan-Dickie 17.Alex Corbisiero 18.David Wilson 19.Dave Attwood 20.James Haskell 21.Danny Care 22.Danny Cipriani 23.Billy Twelvetrees
​

France XV:​

1.Vincent Debaty 2.Dimitri Szarzewski 3.Nicolas Mas 4.Alexandre Fanquari 5.Yoann Maestri 6.Fulgence Ouedraogo 7.Yannick Nyanga 8.Louis Picamoles 9.Morgan Parra 10.Francois Trinh-Duc 11. Sofiane Guitoune 12.Remi Lamerat 13.Alexandre Dumoulin 14.Brice Dulin 15.Scott Spedding​

Replacements: 16.Guilhem Guirado 17.Xavier Chiocci 18.Uini Antonio 19.Sebastien Vahaamahina 20.Loaan Goujon 21.Rory Krockett 22.Remi Tales 23.Gael Fickou​

 

[French TommyGun]

Wow England are so confident they're only going to play with 8 players!?? To be fair that'll probably be more than enough!

 

[Raggs]

Wow England are so confident they're only going to play with 8 players!?? To be fair that'll probably be more than enough!

I count 23... 15 + 8. Did you not see the list 1-15 of players in bold?

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I count 23... 15 + 8. Did you not see the list 1-15 of players in bold?

I can only see 8 as well in bold? Forum issues me thinks

 

[Maverick1987]

I can only see the starting forwards and the replacements not the starting backs

 

[TobesHodges]

I can only see 8 as well in bold? Forum issues me thinks

Sorted.. It's a mobile App problem.

 

[French TommyGun]

Well I've been following the training camp updates for both teams and it feels like England have already won!
They're all really positive and competitive and will do whatever it takes to play in the World Cup! But in complete contrast France are talking like they've already been defeated! One player even said in an interview if he doesn't get pick it wouldn't bother him in the slightest! That playing in the World Cup was never a life long dream of his so he's not that bothered!?
So yeah... We're a good team and everyone one know France can beat the best on their day but... seems to me that they don't even believe in them selves

 

[HowieLO6]

I can only see the starting forwards and the replacements not the starting backs

You're not missing much.

 

[ratsapprentice]

One player even said in an interview if he doesn't get pick it wouldn't bother him in the slightest! That playing in the World Cup was never a life long dream of his so he's not that bothered!?

Really?!

Who?

 

[Tony Manx]

You're not missing much.

It is ok now!!

 

[Every Time Ref]

I guess inevitably Burgess is the big talking point, and while interested to see how he copes, I'm not that hopeful he's going to prove to be international class. Based on the games he played twelve for Bath I expect:

Decent running threat but no big highlight-reel breaks. Hitting the gainline hard.

Attracting defenders well and creating space for others outside him.

A couple of successful offloads, a couple of offloads to ground.

Shaky defensive positioning. Especially running out the line for the big hit and not making it.

A handful of big, dominant hits in defence.

Overall, moments of real promise but not strong enough basics to play 12 in a team that aspires to win the World Cup.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Shaky defensive positioning. Especially running out the line for the big hit and not making it.

Wouldn't actually be too bad in a Farrell Sr. defence - he often has one guy go shooting out of the line (usually Farrell) to force a decision/mistake - get Burgess doing this rather than Farrell and he'll put the fear of God into the opposition Halfbacks.

 

[TobesHodges]

Well I've been following the training camp updates for both teams and it feels like England have already won!
They're all really positive and competitive and will do whatever it takes to play in the World Cup! But in complete contrast France are talking like they've already been defeated! One player even said in an interview if he doesn't get pick it wouldn't bother him in the slightest! That playing in the World Cup was never a life long dream of his so he's not that bothered!?
So yeah... We're a good team and everyone one know France can beat the best on their day but... seems to me that they don't even believe in them selves

Also Camille Lopez and Teddy Thomas have been cut from the squad.. Like wtf, I thought Lopez was decent and Thomas looked sensational when he played.. I think Phillipe has lost it.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Wouldn't actually be too bad in a Farrell Sr. defence - he often has one guy go shooting out of the line (usually Farrell) to force a decision/mistake - get Burgess doing this rather than Farrell and he'll put the fear of God into the opposition Halfbacks.

Still has to get the timing right for it to be effective though, which he didn't always for Bath

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

364kg front row + 219kg second row + 326kg back row = 909kg pack

A pack of Marler-Hartley-Cole-Launch-Lawes-Wood-Robshaw-Vunipola weighs 923kg. Not as much of a weight disparity as I'd first thought. The second row seemed a little lightweight, but it's not apparently, and Vunipola single-handedly drags it up a little. (stats dragged off Google, absolutely no faith in them)
Clark at 97kg seems a little bizarre, with the other flankers being around 110kg.

I'm excited about the pack tbh. Looks really interesting and actually quite strong.

 

[TobesHodges]

The 25 Man France Squad going to England.
Prop:
1- uini atonio (Atlantique Stade Rochelais)
2 Xavier Chiocci (RC Toulon)
3- VINCENT DEBATY (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
4- NICOLAS MAS (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
5- RABAH SLIMANI (Paris Stade French)
Hooker:
6- GUILHEM GUIRADO (RC Toulon)
7- Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing 92)
Second Row:
8- ALEXANDRE FLANQUART (Paris Stade French)
9- YOANN MAESTRI (Stade Toulousain)
10- Sébastien Vahaamahina (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Flanker:
11- YANNICK NYANGA (Racing 92)
12- FULGENCE OUEDRAOGO (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
Number 8:
13- loann goujon (Union Bordeaux Bègles)
14- Louis Picamoles (Stade Toulousain)
Backs
Scrum Half:
15- Rory Kockott (Castres)
16- MORGAN PARRA (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Fly Half:
17- REMI TALES (Racing 92)
18- FRANCOIS TRINH DUKE (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)
Centres:
19- ALEXANDRE Dumoulin (Racing 92)
20- Gaël Fickou (Stade Toulousain)
21- Rémi Lamerat (Castres)
Outside Backs:
22- BRICE DULIN (Racing 92)
23- Sofiane Guitoune (Union Bordeaux Bègles)
24- YOANN HUGET (Stade Toulousain)
25- SCOTT SPEDDING (ASM Clermont Auvergne)

Looks like there going to play close to their best team..

 

[Tony Manx]

Also Camille Lopez and Teddy Thomas have been cut from the squad.. Like wtf, I thought Lopez was decent and Thomas looked sensational when he played.. I think Phillipe has lost it.

Not sure that I agree with you that PSA has lost it on basis of the two people he has cut!

I would agree, for many reasons that he has lost whatever he had but then that was not a lot in any case!

By dropping Lopez he has come to his senses and retained by far the best 10 in France in FTD.

I believe that Thomas has extraordinary talent but has been susceptible to ****ling injuries and there are concerns about his commitment although I am NOT saying that he is the player who is reported to have said that "he does not care if he is selected or not as the RWC was not high in his dreams"!

I was told that when he was in Biarritz he was a little too full of himself! This is, of course, could be total rubbish..........

There are two ways to look at the French squad to travel......

If they win well against the second team of England they will gain some needed confidence but not get too many plaudits and

If they lose, their confidence will take an almighty battering!!

I can not understand why (like Gatland and Schmidt) they did not arrange the strengths of their teams - although that worked for Wales did it not!!

I would reiterate that these games are just a waste of time being played as they are and will do nothing to get the real team ready for the battle ahead.

For instance, we have not played a settled so called "first team" since the 6N in March (and the players not been on the field since May at all) and we are all still wondering what the back line is going to look like, although the scrum is fairly settled, yet we do not play the main team at this stage (at least to get rid of rustiness and play the combinations), whilst the SH teams are playing hard tough matches..............madness!!

 

[French TommyGun]

Really?!

Who?

Vahaamahina « Je l’ai déjà dit, pour moi, ce n’est pas comme certains pour qui la Coupe du monde est un rêve. Quand j’étais petit, je ne jouais pas au rugby, je ne suis pas né dedans. Là, le fait d’y être, je commence à voir ce que représente pour eux une Coupe du monde. »

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That is......not the attitude you want from your internationals, especially in a world cup year.

 

[valley commando]

Vahaamahina « Je l'ai déjà dit, pour moi, ce n'est pas comme certains pour qui la Coupe du monde est un rêve. Quand j'étais petit, je ne jouais pas au rugby, je ne suis pas né dedans. Là, le fait d'y être, je commence à voir ce que représente pour eux une Coupe du monde. »

So he's just being honest if you read the interview he's taking inspiration from other squad members who have stronger rugby backgrounds.