A look ahead: the 2014 Six Nations

[ratsapprentice]

Exactly... a Mike Brown injury hands an EPS place to Goode on a silver platter.

 

[Patchey]

But would almost certainly result in one if Daly, Watson, Pennell, Tait etc getting a place in the squad and showing Goode up even more.

Of course, just in case you're reading this Mike, don't get injured.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I don't think so... it would just make Lancaster even more hesitant to play new wingers.

 

[Maverick1987]

Saw these posts and for a moment thought if missed a Mike Brown injury. Almost had a Quins and England doubt cardiac.

Loosing Brown would suck. However if we had both Morgan and Billy injured if be more worried. We have good back up options at full back (of course whether they would be called upon is another question). However we don't have many ball carrying forwards in the picture at the moment.

If anything number 8s we have lots of lets hypothetically say billy and Morgan got injured I wouldn't be too worried as we have Dickinson and ewers both doing decent things at club level . Although we would lack test experience Dickinson isn't a young lad and has been around a while

 

[Big Ewis]

ok ok, got it. I'll make my next voodoo session with Mike Brown in mind, loud and clear guys.

 

[Big Ewis]

(not a double p)

Ahead of the upcoming "le crunch" against England in Paris on Feb. 1st, given the current situation this is the team I'd like to see, we'll know in a few hours what PSA chose:
1 Domingo
2 Kayser
3 Mas
4 Vahaamahina
5 Papé
6 Dusautoir
7 Lauret
8 Picamoles
9 Doussain
10 Talès
11 Guitoune
12 Fofana
13 Bastareaud
14 Huget
15 Dulin

16 Szar
17 Debaty
18 Slimani
19 Maestri
20 Nyanga
21 Machenaud
22 Plisson
23 Fickou

 

[FrenchFan]

(not a double p)

Ahead of the upcoming "le crunch" against England in Paris on Feb. 1st, given the current situation this is the team I'd like to see, we'll know in a few hours what PSA chose:
1 Domingo
2 Kayser
3 Mas
4 Vahaamahina
5 Papé
6 Dusautoir
7 Lauret
8 Picamoles
9 Doussain
10 Talès
11 Guitoune
12 Fofana
13 Bastareaud
14 Huget
15 Dulin

16 Szar
17 Debaty
18 Slimani
19 Maestri
20 Nyanga
21 Machenaud
22 Plisson
23 Fickou

>>oui and the team pretty much picks itself anyway. I hope Plisson of Stade Francais gets in the 30 list. The only thing that can force PSA's hand for one or 2 position is injury. Looks like Picamoles could be an injury concern. More importantly who are the real leaders in this team?

 

[Big Ewis]

Papé or Dusautoir to captain the team. And no, the French XV does not pick itself at all, there's so much talent in France I seriously wish we could pick 40 guys and play them all at once. Fifteen on the field is too little !!!...

- Plisson or Trinh-Duc ?
- A classic Huget-Médard, or Guitoune, Nakaitaci, soon-to-return Vincent Clerc, Marvin O'Connor, Romain Martial, Marc Andreu, Benjamin Fall, Julien Malzieu, Adrien Planté.....??
- Let's keep Dulin, or try a very-on-form and young Bonneval, or Jean-Marcelin Buttin from ASM. Even Poitrenaud is clearly int'l class still today. Amongst others..

- At loosehead on the bench, Forestier ? or Debaty and his meters with ball in hand sitting everybody down with fends, or maybe it's time to really try out Eddy Ben Arous with his roughly 120kg of power and youth..
- 3rd row: Dusautoir, Ouedra (out injured though), Nyanga, Picamoles, Chouly, Lauret, Burban, LeRoux, Claassen..

And I'm not just shhitting out names, those are all legit world class players that could make a Tier 1 side any time. I'm especially torn about the wingers position. I love Fall, what an athlete, the footwork, the flair...Malzieu is pure flair himself, the sidesteps and fends, silky running...Andreu has the lowest center of gravity, and that speed (!).
And Nakaitaci has sacrificed playing for his own national team to play with us, even though he had a spot for sure with Fiji. Everybody, myself included, would love to see him at center. I think we should see more of him, he's only played that one uncapped match against the Auckland Blues...

 

[Patchey]

If anything number 8s we have lots of lets hypothetically say billy and Morgan got injured I wouldn't be too worried as we have Dickinson and ewers both doing decent things at club level . Although we would lack test experience Dickinson isn't a young lad and has been around a while

Fair point. I'd back Dickinson to perform. Not 100% sure about Ewers yet though.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Not sure that Dickinson would cope with the top end physicality against the likes of France or SA TBH.
He's deceptively small... 105kg

He and Ewers are by far and away the leading Saxons contenders though, so we'll see how they go.

 

[Patchey]

He's only 105kg? He just looks terrifying then...

I guess there is always Nick Easter if we're really desperate.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I don't think we will be desperate, I'd back both Dickinson and Ewers to provide good cover from the bench if one of Billy or Ben were injured.
That is, of course, assuming that Lancaster continues to select a number 8 on the bench...
Ewers would be my preference though.

 

[cyRil]

The French squad is announced today...?

 

[Maverick1987]

Not sure that Dickinson would cope with the top end physicality against the likes of France or SA TBH.
He's deceptively small... 105kg

He and Ewers are by far and away the leading Saxons contenders though, so we'll see how they go.

Are we doing the usual games against Irish wolfhounds and Scotland A ?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Yep...

Wolfhounds at Kingsholm on the 25th Jan

Scotland in Glasgow on the 31st

 

[FrenchFan]

Papé or Dusautoir to captain the team. And no, the French XV does not pick itself at all, there's so much talent in France I seriously wish we could pick 40 guys and play them all at once. Fifteen on the field is too little !!!...

i was talking about LEADERS not the captain. The captaincy also picks itself. But who are the guys who are going to step up when the going gets tough? i did not see anyone last year. Who???
And individual talent doesnt make up a team. One of their problems last year they couldnt play like a team...

 

[ratsapprentice]

Question for the French dudes...

Are you happy with Szarzewski? He's nowhere near as good as he was a few years ago from what I've seen.

 

[FrenchFan]

Question for the French dudes...

Are you happy with Szarzewski? He's nowhere near as good as he was a few years ago from what I've seen.

>>yep agree, Szars is having a so so season, i think there is room for Toulouse hooker Tolofua...only 20 yo and a monster in the loose but he is not in the 30 list, that may change...

 

[Big Ewis]

>>yep agree, Szars is having a so so season, i think there is room for Toulouse hooker Tolofua...only 20 yo and a monster in the loose but he is not in the 30 list, that may change...

love that kid. Very humble and discrete too. The criticism towards him is usually the throwing in lineouts. The hooker can actually sidestep and all...
As for who the leaders are on the team, Dusautoir is charismatic and as a veteran he should give France some confidence throughout. Kayser seems to have a good influence too.

Anyways, here's the group of 30 so far. The group will be trimmed with 7 leaving 3 days into training, and the remaining and final 23 to train together from Jan. 22nd til the 6N.

Interesting to see Geoffroy Palis from Castres selected...a complete mystery to me, have watched Castres a handful of times this year but just haven't noticed the young man for some reason. Apparently really on form though...

I really hope they drop Mermoz. Happy to see Flanquart back in the group, though I'm sure they'll drop him too....
had a feeling they'd pick Burban, eager to see what he can do at int'l level ! Hope they drop Chouly and Leroux...

Super happy to see Doussain there but I'll bet they'll play him behind Machenaud unfortunately...maybe this'll change within the tournament when they notice they're making a mistake and we can finally see Doussain start and play a full 65min in a Bleus uniform.

So cool Plisson was picked. But a bit curious about his pal Bonneval...will probably be dropped though.

 

[FrenchFan]

love that kid. Very humble and discrete too. The criticism towards him is usually the throwing in lineouts. The hooker can actually sidestep and all...
As for who the leaders are on the team, Dusautoir is charismatic and as a veteran he should give France some confidence throughout. Kayser seems to have a good influence too.

>>yes Dusautoir. But thats not enough. Not enouogh leaders in my view. Pape is another one of them. I think Kayser could be one of them. He needs to step up.
Not enough ****** in the side overall, it clearly showed last year and the team struggled. They wont bounce back without leadership.
ON VEUT DES COUILLUS. We WANT 4 or 5 'couillus' (men with balls). Parra has what it takes as well but he is out. Doussaint is a leader at Toulouse. More leaders needed. Please apply.