Brief digression: PSA-era France

[FrenchFan]

PSA says he's actually cool and if anything relieved Blanco's here, to take on some of the responsibilities, the LNR-FFR thing in particular he says. The perplexing thing about this man is he doesn't lie, or even hide anything. Yes it's BS he's still in office, yadi yada, usual banter...but he's really not all that uncomfortable in his position.

Just look at those two...:lol: juuuuust look at emm !

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this is about grooming Blanco as the next FFR president. He is not going in to save PSA or les Bleus. Don't be fooled by media reports. This is not about rugby and the nation, it's about power.

 

[Big Ewis]

ah good to see you're starting to move away from the AI and the June tests now. You're a work in progress. We will have you completely converted soon gniak gniak gniak :diablo:

Expect nothing from the AI because there is nothing to expect from it. It will just be interesting to see how much pressure PSA is under to recall FTD if he is form with Montpellier.

honestly, I'm an ever-optimist. For e.g., during the last 6N, because I'd been disgusted during the tournament I stopped caring mid-way through. For e.g. I wasn't stressed at all during th SCO FRA game because I'd already stopped caring about our tournament, and didn't mind losing that much given the pathetic match we played. Then, I got happy again because we played a bit better against Ireland, a match we should've won, courtesy of Papé giving a regular pass out wide as during practice, every day of his 20 year career.
Then, the Aus tour. Wasn't expecting a whole lot, but maybe a victory. After test 1, I gave up. The same will happen during those coming November tests. Because it'll have been a while since I'll have seen the xv de France, my hope will be restored a little bit again. After all, like I said, we HAVE been very dominant before under PSA, and it actually could happen again.
Our level fluctuates a lot, compare how we played vs England last Feb. vs our game in Cardiff. Ridiculous difference, and just a couple weeks separation time-wise.

We'll beat Fiji comfortably, and then who knows against Aus. If we play like the Cardiff game, or Murrayfield, or Aus tour...etc...it'll just consolidate my sentiment that we're near hopeless. But remember, it wasn't a year ago that we were a hand-in-scrum mistake away from drawing with the invincible All-Blacks. We did better than England, during that 2013 EOYT and England had the psychological edge over them though.

I'll always keep a little hope, just for a first glance, and then will decide to forget about it or not. But I need that first glance, every 5 months or so when we get together and wear Bleus.

 

[FrenchFan]

sure I give it a glance myself. But just a glance. Next year you'll have the WC so we can give it more than a glance

At the end of the day. There's only 5 games in the 6N Big E. And if you don't watch the italian and scot games there's only 3. You want to get your knickers in a knot, for 3 effing games (Ok 5 games) vs the feast of rugby we get at home + HCup?!

snap out of it.

 

[Big Ewis]

one doesn't negate the other. Can do both. And yeah FrenchFan you've got to admit you're at very least a little hopeful about France as a whole going into the RWC, I mean whoever is behind them they're France man, our very own players from our country, from the Top 14, and they'll have 2.5 months to train and develop cohesiveness this time. I'm sure you'll deny this as usual, but just admit you've got a part of you that'll be paying a whole lot of attention to that when it happens in just about a year.

 

[Tony Manx]

one doesn't negate the other. Can do both. And yeah FrenchFan you've got to admit you're at very least a little hopeful about France as a whole going into the RWC, I mean whoever is behind them they're France man, our very own players from our country, from the Top 14, and they'll have 2.5 months to train and develop cohesiveness this time. I'm sure you'll deny this as usual, but just admit you've got a part of you that'll be paying a whole lot of attention to that when it happens in just about a year.

They could train from now until it starts but with PSA and Lagisquet in charge that will only confuse them even more and watch Les Blues...probably not!

 

[FrenchFan]

one doesn't negate the other. Can do both. And yeah FrenchFan you've got to admit you're at very least a little hopeful about France as a whole going into the RWC, I mean whoever is behind them they're France man, our very own players from our country, from the Top 14, and they'll have 2.5 months to train and develop cohesiveness this time. I'm sure you'll deny this as usual, but just admit you've got a part of you that'll be paying a whole lot of attention to that when it happens in just about a year.

I'll tell you. I'll watch them of course. A lot of my comments about the national side come across the wrong way. They think I'm anti les bleus. But I'm not. I'm really annoyed at what the goons at the league i've done to my club. Our season is seriously compromised. You cannot argue against it.

Now the team itself, especially consnidering it contains an average of 5 to 7 Toulousains, how could I not support them? I do of course.

For the WC, i want them to take matters into their own hands and self-coach themselves this season, starting at the 6N. They don't need a coach. They need leaders. We know they can play. How do they get a ONE effing try return out of Fofana?!

I think if they can do that they have one big game in themselves. And some nation is going to get it big time at the WC. I don't beleive they will roll over and die. These guys career is short. They have to step up and play for themselves and shut down all the crap around them and just play.

Yeah I will get right behind them. It'll be a great distraction from all the Top 14 hyped up ***** :lol:

 

[Tony Manx]

I'll tell you. I'll watch them of course. A lot of my comments about the national side come across the wrong way. They think I'm anti les bleus. But I'm not. I'm really annoyed at what the goons at the league i've done to my club. Our season is seriously compromised. You cannot argue against it.

Now the team itself, especially consnidering it contains an average of 5 to 7 Toulousains, how could I not support them? I do of course.

For the WC, i want them to take matters into their own hands and self-coach themselves this season, starting at the 6N. They don't need a coach. They need leaders. We know they can play. How do they get a ONE effing try return out of Fofana?!

I think if they can do that they have one big game in themselves. And some nation is going to get it big time at the WC. I don't beleive they will roll over and die. These guys career is short. They have to step up and play for themselves and shut down all the crap around them and just play.

Yeah I will get right behind them. It'll be a great distraction from all the Top 14 hyped up ***** :lol:

They take their destiny on their own hands and tell the coaches to eff off, a la 2011, then I will be there singing Allez Les Bleus but do they have the characters such as Imanol and Yach at the moment?

 

[FrenchFan]

They take their destiny on their own hands and tell the coaches to eff off, a la 2011, then I will be there singing Allez Les Bleus but do they have the characters such as Imanol and Yach at the moment?

yes that's what I have in mind as well. They also did it at the 1999 WC with Galthié as one of their leaders. Remember he wasn't selected. He was called in as a remplacement and he stepped in as a leader because make no mistake Galthié is a leader. He turned the whole vestiaire around. This is true.

do they have it in themselves? i don't know. I think Parra is a leader and his blood has been boiling for a while. Papé is a leader. Among the Toulousains there is a lot of frustration as well. I have heard the players voicing (not in the media) their frustration with the people around at the club. All these things eventually come out in the open. It can be over a cup of coffee. A session with the physio. Little things. But it comes out. The media have no access to this. Many of the journos here haven't a clue.
The problem with our boys is they're caught btew a rock and a hard place at Toulouse with the increasing pressure from the club not winning any Bouclier and HCup in a few years now, AND the demands from the national side. This is hard to manage for guys who are in their mid late 20's. I would not have been able to manage that kind of pressure at their age. So I am not angry with the players. They are lovely blokes. I had a coffee with Jean Marc Doussain and he is just a kid. There are not super stars looking down on every one. So when I saw him come back from Cardiff with his head down the toilet, and Noves having to do all the work to help him regain his confidence, and i swear he worked with Jean Marc and every player pulled behind him, it makes my blood boil. Les Pieds nickelés and the FFR goons have no right to **** up these kids.

but you're asking the right question. Do they have it in themselves? I don't know. They have to bracket off, shut down the whole FFR-Marcoussis-Pieds Nickelés environment because that is TOXIC. If they can do that and gather together during the training camps as part of the 30 Elite Group and really find that esprit de corps, they will produce a performance they can be proud of.

 

[Big Ewis]

I think Parra, Dusautoir, Kayser, Papé take shiit from no one and have natural charisma. Add Chouly who's going to be captain of ASM Clermont starting this year, and he's the right kind of big traditional French Rugby forward. Picamoles is tough, he takes matters into his own hands and isn't afraid to show passion. There's always Szar, and he's one from the old school too, and so is Trinh-Duc as he returns in Bleus. Nyanga is a veteran also, and his heart is humongous, he may not be a leader but he sure is hell ain't waiting with his arms crossed. Maestri has lots of heart too. Not sure if Mas will be there, but he's an old school figure as well and has captained. Domingo is a smart guy and he'll contribute too to the resurgence if there is one. Fofana and Bastareaud are solid fellas now, and have been through a lot and have played at the highest level.

I think if the guys do take full conscience of this enormous problem, and decide to act on it, they've got enough knowledge from the Rugby they've played their whole lives to "coach themselves", even if it's as shaky as we've seen France do the last WC. Everybody counted France out when they lost to NZ, showed weaknesses against Canada and Japan, and then even lost to Tonga, they were the first team in history to advance despite losing two pool games. Look, they actually made it to the Rugby World Cup Final again and took NZ for one heck of an unexpected ride at home.
The common denominator is we have the quality in the players. The difference is coaching is even much worse, and that leader's aspect.