[2016 RBS Six Nations] Round 1: France vs. Italy (06/02/2016)

[FrenchFan]

Yea but few points on this.
Noves had very little prep time. And it's hard to reprogram them from club tactics. France will get a few bad results on the way but it will be worth it.

True. But he won't be getting more. Next June he won't have access to the players he wants due to T14 playoffs clashing with summer tour.

I agree their skills and defensive skills were poor but it will all click eventually. It will take a year or so but it will begin to build

They were poor across the board. No defense. Modern rugby starts with a solid defense. Very brittle round fringes. This is an area wehre Bezy can get exposed and it won't have gone unnoticed with other nations... Poor kicking (2 out 5). Poor scrum. No leaders. It was rugby Club Med.

I said before the game the backrow selection was surprisingly poor and it showed. How long will it take them to ditch Chouly who was again Mr Transparent.

- - - Updated - - -

I can see what you mean but their energy levels were not consistently there, their breakdown work (selection?) pretty poor, superiority in the scrum was eroded, and error count ridiculous......you can't, not even the French of old, just chuck it about without some equality in the breakdown especially with the handling errors they were making!

Yes, the attitude was far better but a better team than the Italians will not give them a win as they got today!!

I just hope that the Italians can play like this throughout the tournament and we will have some more competitive games than anyone expected!!

The biggest concern is the defense. Gerald Bastide has been identified as the weak link in Noves staff by many. He's never coached in T14. He is an FFR coach with little exposure to pro rugby. He's only coached U20s. Not good enough when top technicians are available. Noves has not gathered a world class staff around him. Big mistake.

Noves communication will be about buying himself the time (he doesn't have) and prepare the public for lack of results (he won't get). He's very good at doing that. I might pop in for his press confs as the chat the press is going to get from him will be on a different level altogether from his media-shy predecessors, even if the rugby is not.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Next June is next June at the moment he has a bunch of younsters and he will try and bring the best out of them, he has them all week again they will learn and move forward.
Yes there were plenty of mistakes but as i said this is playing badly and winning, the scrum was much better when Antonia and Poirot came on. Plissson did enough to keep FTD out i think, kicking for points was bad but it happens. Positivity will come through from this result and a much sterner test next week with Ireland, win that and France can move forwards. Italy will pose problems this season if they continue like they did yesterday.

 

[FrenchFan]

Gaston this will be the only win of the championship. I can't see anything else on les Bleus horizon. Nothing to do with optimism v pessimism.
Look at Noves approach, his staff and the politics he's up against. The writing is on the wall.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

 

[gaston le gaff]

This image was shown numerous times on French TV funny as the contact was so small the face movement was enormous but then i suppose it was down to super cameraman, fantastic images hope no one decides to cite this as it would not even go down as a slap in my book.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Gaston this will be the only win of the championship. I can't see anything else on les Bleus horizon. Nothing to do with optimism v pessimism.
Look at Noves approach, his staff and the politics he's up against. The writing is on the wall.

Maybe you can't see any other wins but most of your posts are of a negative nature towards the FRENCH NATIONAL TEAM, you give little credit when its due and have been contanstly moaning and whinging since the start of the last WC IF NOT WELL BEFORE. You have constantly told us of all the great youngsters coming throgh naming all from Toulouse and Stade, these guys are, now well some of them, now in the National squad they have played one game for their country some not even that, although they are in the squad, Rome was not build in a day and the French team neither.
I see the problems that the team has but give them time to build as everyone needs to do. Noves will provide a stepping stone to the future whether he continues or not will be up to him, but although they were sadly lacking in many departments there was progress and progress should never be strangled by negativity
Please please do not tell me this is their only win i will only believe that until its over ,and you are right!!!!!! but until i will give them my support and my posivity and unlike you (or not) many of these players i know personally, and will always support the team even though i will critisize when necessary if they do not come up to the mark....... are you just another frenchmen or other who jumps on the bandwagon of moaners and whingers i certainly am NOT !!!!!!!!

 

[FrenchFan]

I've made many points about Noves since his appointment, his staff, first selection etc. All have proved correct so far. Tell me which point was proven wrong on Saturday.

What progress did you see on Saturday?:lol: what game were you watching - if you pick dross like Chouly you're going to get the same as before.

 

[JJFlash]

Ok, FF, you are entitled to your point of view which is fine by me, even though me and others don't necessarily agree with it.
However, I find your negative approach rather tedious. You may be right that Saturday's win will be the only win of the tournament, but that will not prevent me from giving my support to the French team. Changes had to be made after the tenure of PSA, and rightly or wrongly, Guy Novès was appointed to bring some respect back to French rugby.
As gaston wrote, "Rome wasn't built in a day", and it'll take time to bring about the desired changes. Young players of proven ability at club level are being given the opportunity to see if they can perform at international level - some may step up, others may not. Bézy's first match was mixed but he deserves to be retained for the Ireland game. Camara is a young exciting player who reminds me of Yannick Nyanga when he first appeared and he may well be in the starting XV on Saturday.
Why do I have the feeling that if France lose on Saturday that you'll have a smile on your face?

 

[Tony Manx]

Ok, FF, you are entitled to your point of view which is fine by me, even though me and others don't necessarily agree with it.
However, I find your negative approach rather tedious. You may be right that Saturday's win will be the only win of the tournament, but that will not prevent me from giving my support to the French team. Changes had to be made after the tenure of PSA, and rightly or wrongly, Guy Novès was appointed to bring some respect back to French rugby.
As gaston wrote, "Rome wasn't built in a day", and it'll take time to bring about the desired changes. Young players of proven ability at club level are being given the opportunity to see if they can perform at international level - some may step up, others may not. Bézy's first match was mixed but he deserves to be retained for the Ireland game. Camara is a young exciting player who reminds me of Yannick Nyanga when he first appeared and he may well be in the starting XV on Saturday.
Why do I have the feeling that if France lose on Saturday that you'll have a smile on your face?

Just to be clear, I understand everything that FF believes but I am on the side of the "positives" - if only for my own sanity!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

I've made many points about Noves since his appointment, his staff, first selection etc. All have proved correct so far. Tell me which point was proven wrong on Saturday.

What progress did you see on Saturday?:lol: what game were you watching - if you pick dross like Chouly you're going to get the same as before.

PLAYED ONE WON ONE...ALREADY BETTER STATS THAN IRELAND WALES SCOTLAND and ITALY

 

[Groundhog]

At the very least while they looked extremely porous on defence and weak in many areas, they did at least play positive expansive rugby which is a step in the right direction. Rome wasn't built in a day and all that.

 

[FrenchFan]

You may be right that Saturday's win will be the only win of the tournament, but that will not prevent me from giving my support to the French team. Changes had to be made after the tenure of PSA, and rightly or wrongly, Guy Novès was appointed to bring some respect back to French rugby.

I'm the only one here actually discussing the team selection - thre's no comment from yourself about the players picked, Noves new staff or the game itself. Que dalle :huh:
The point I made about the poor backrow proved right on Sat. Chouly was transparent at the breakdown again when this is the most fiercely contested area of the game in intl rugby.

However, I find your negative approach rather tedious.

you're just rattling on the same cliches about positivity blabla. La méthode Coué a ses limites :lol:

As gaston wrote, "Rome wasn't built in a day", and it'll take time to bring about the desired changes.

There is no political will to change anything. The union and LNR will not reform. This is not helping Noves. So the people who hired (or should I say he talked into hiring him) are effectively working against him thru their own apathy and incompetence. Nothing has changed since the WC.
And talking about change, if you stick with failures like Chouly in a key position and put him in charge of the line-out (weird call), you'll get more of the same. Noves can't be said to have wiped the slate clean unless he gets rid for good of wasters like Chouly. Maybe he will next Sat. Picamoles is out so he'll have to make changes.

A lot of the so-called changes he's made so far are enforced due to the raft of injuries that have claimed Huget Fofana Picamoles Parra Grosso etc. How much is actually down to really making a clean break from the previous era, you tell us.

Bézy's first match was mixed but he deserves to be retained for the Ireland game. Camara is a young exciting player who reminds me of Yannick Nyanga when he first appeared and he may well be in the starting XV on Saturday.

He's going to bring in Goujon and Gourdon. They badly need Camara to start at 6 and Burban at 7. These 2 will be competitive in rucks, they're good line-out operators. Both solid tacklers and can play. Gourdon at 8 for his 1st cap? Or Camara at 7 and Lauret 6 more like it, I think Lauret is a poor pick because he is limited technically.

Ireland don't need do much. They'll dominate the breakdown. Live off mistakes. Sexton will kick the points. If we have the same defensive shape as Sat, they'll add a few tries.
I leave it to good auld Guy to BS the press like only he can after the game. He'll play a blinder even if his team doesn't.

 

[JJFlash]

Yes, I'd already mentioned that Camara could be in the XV for Ireland. Gourdon at 8 would be a good call, although a first cap against an experienced Irish back row would be a serious test, but why not?

 

[bertiec]

I think the Italians only lost due to the iffy penalty. Wales and Ireland seemed the best sides by far even if the tables do not (as yet) show it. But hellfire, let's hang on whist we can, England lead. Yeeeeeeeah.

 

[Chistera]

And talking about change, if you stick with failures like Chouly in a key position and put him in charge of the line-out (weird call), you'll get more of the same. Noves can't be said to have wiped the slate clean unless he gets rid for good of wasters like Chouly. Maybe he will next Sat. Picamoles is out so he'll have to make changes.

A lot of the so-called changes he's made so far are enforced due to the raft of injuries that have claimed Huget Fofana Picamoles Parra Grosso etc. How much is actually down to really making a clean break from the previous era, you tell us.

He's going to bring in Goujon and Gourdon. They badly need Camara to start at 6 and Burban at 7. These 2 will be competitive in rucks, they're good line-out operators. Both solid tacklers and can play. Gourdon at 8 for his 1st cap? Or Camara at 7 and Lauret 6 more like it, I think Lauret is a poor pick because he is limited technically.

Ireland don't need do much. They'll dominate the breakdown. Live off mistakes. Sexton will kick the points. If we have the same defensive shape as Sat, they'll add a few tries.
I leave it to good auld Guy to BS the press like only he can after the game. He'll play a blinder even if his team doesn't.

I really hope to see Burban and Camara along Goujon/Gourdon as well but they're more likely going to retain Lauret after a decent game and keep Chouly because we need a "lineout captain" (that's an unconvincing excuse if you ask me, seems to be out of convenience more than anything else, Camara, Lauret and others are great jumpers as well). Picamoles' injury sure is troublesome and Chouly is as the center of discussions again, him being played at 8 was one of Saint-André worst decisions and I really hoped never to see him at the back of the scrum again.
I think that Chouly's a decent player though, he doesn't deserve all the critics he's getting but there's a lot of frustration in seeing him playing considering the talent that France has in the back row: stars-in-the-making as Camara or Macalou and more complete players in their prime as Burban or Lauret. Burban's the all-around flank that France needs, solid in defense and in the rucks, a physical beast and an effective runner, he should get a real chance at cementing that 7 spot for himself long term.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Gaston this will be the only win of the championship. I can't see anything else on les Bleus horizon. Nothing to do with optimism v pessimism.
Look at Noves approach, his staff and the politics he's up against. The writing is on the wall.

Bored this morning so having a look at previous posts and i jumped on this one by our incredibly positive FF so take away the politics and look at the staff then have a look in the mirror and just admit wrong wrong wrong so where do we go from here, well Played 2 won 2!!!!! I quoted win the 3 home games and that is progress France are just one win away from progress........ Funny old world!!!!!!!

 

[TheOvalBall]

Bored this morning so having a look at previous posts and i jumped on this one by our incredibly positive FF so take away the politics and look at the staff then have a look in the mirror and just admit wrong wrong wrong so where do we go from here, well Played 2 won 2!!!!! I quoted win the 3 home games and that is progress France are just one win away from progress........ Funny old world!!!!!!!

I am seriously happy with les Blues. They didn't look their best, in both matches, but there is a bit of steel that was lacking in previous years. The Wales game is going to be huge, and i'm pretty nervous for that game.

 

[gaston le gaff]

There is no way that they should have looked their best they are a bunch of tender young greenhorns who are willing to learn, listen, and adapt to rugby at a higher level than they play at club, there is enthusiasm ambiance and a group who if they listen to what Noves preaches they could go a long way. They have 4 years to prepare for the ultimate goal and for the moment we are a little like Clermont (THEY DID FINALLY WIN ONE) finals yes but World Champs not yet!!!!!! I have confidence in Noves and the players have his respect, something that was sadly missing in the PSA era. So onwards and upwards and see what are young greenhorns can do in Wales on a Friday night with the roof firmly closed. Ireland was a massive test and they made it by the skin of their teeth but Wales will be even bigger.

 

[FrenchFan]

Bored this morning so having a look at previous posts and i jumped on this one by our incredibly positive FF so take away the politics and look at the staff then have a look in the mirror and just admit wrong wrong wrong so where do we go from here, well Played 2 won 2!!!!! I quoted win the 3 home games and that is progress France are just one win away from progress........ Funny old world!!!!!!!

Gaston all the points I made about the politics are still true though. And 2 lucky wins have not changed that.
Noves may bring a different mindset but the politics will screw him and his team.

 

[gaston le gaff]

no they will not screw Noves and his team, the FFR, LNR will have to change its ideas that is certain, yes i know all the problems i am a club official, but if sucess comes Frances way they will have to think twice about their working ways. You seem to have decided that things will never change, i personaly think in time they will if the results keep coming. Its time to listen to the powerful clubs and just then maybe co-operative systems can be put into place. However strong the politics and i do know all about it, ask yourself one question do the FFR and LNR want to win the World Cup if you think the answer is Yes , then things will change and it may just be Noves the man to start these changes or even Laporte but not sure he will get the support he needs to be elected.