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Brief digression: PSA-era France

Ever wondered why I'm on the side of the clubs? Look at the creeps trying to run the show. If you wanted an explanation as to why the national side is going down the jax. Look no further. Imagine Blanco getting involved with the national side. How creepy. They must be desperate. When Fra collected the wooden spoon, they should have had a meeting with PSA and tell him to get his fingers out by beefing up his staff, engaging for real with the clubs and establish cooperation with them.
At the end of the day PSA is just a puppet. The decision was made btw Camous and Blanco. This is how they see it ("Pierre et moi avons décidé que je m'impliquerai nettement plus auprès de la sélection"). PSA wasn't even consulted. This is what I said all along, the national coach is a mere puppet.

I too am waiting for the start of the Top 14. But there's plenty of rugby to enjoy before. The 4 Nations is a great competition. This is better than the WC.
 
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well I wasn't talking just FFR though, FF. I'm talking Rugby in all of France, the Top 14 clearly included. Boudjellal, Lorenzetti, Noves, the money laundering issue during mid-season, LNR vs FFR, PSA and his staff from Hell, fat Serge Blanco and Biarritz...there's a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot of talk, very little Rugby anymore. I'm not a soap opera fan, I only watch 30seconds of 'les feux de l'amour' per day when my grandma's on TF1 around 2pm when I walk past the TV, that's it. I'm a fan of *the sport of Rugby*. I like to see tries, tactics, running, rucking, tight games and high stakes.
but you will get plenty of that as well with the upcoming election. Dirty tactics, fourchettes in the rucks, ballsquishing, headbutts snipers trench wars of the highest calibre. YOu name it. This is just les amuse gueules. Both side flexible their muscles. Warm-up. Pre-game shenanigans. And the game will last until 2016.

They definitely don't have all this talk elsewhere, I don't think England have 1/4 the talk and problems we have. Shiit is simple over there. And it's all, all, all about..............the money.
not quite. It's also about the power. Not just money. You're only looking at one side of the coin.

.

..
 
"not quite. It's also about the power. Not just money. You're only looking at one side of the coin."

Haha, you said it right there. Whether you look at it from one side only, or both sides, it's still a coin, it's still money. :p Power is money and money is power. The point of the Top 14 is to make money, it's like any other business in this world, just like the very next business in line.
 
money is not the common denominator. FFR want power. They can't compete with the money the clubs have. But the top clubs are run like companies. FFR are accountable to no one and don't know how to manage money professionnaly.

there is a good example in the interview when camous says we'll pay a large part of the internationals salaries. That's just a show of power. Because he doesn't have the money to do that.

So here it is. Money vs power. Not the same side of the coin.
 
As far as the wars waging in the FFR I have to agree with FrenchFan, money is not the issue but power certainly is, the FFR, is run on an amateur basis, not pro, the officials are not all paid some are but lots are not, but they have many priveleges, International trips, good resto's and hotels, always free tickets etc, they hold down their positions with zeal knowing if they lose it, afterwards there is nothing, so you get all these suits fighting for their lives to keep this little piece of power that is all they have. Have you ever seen any being asked to come to TOP 14 clubs because they are pro's NO NEVER!!!!!! because they are not pro's and would not last 2 secs in the pro club world. You throw all these suits into a big bag and its called the FFR.!!!! Serge Blanco is there is support Camous for the vote for presidency next year nothing more nothing less, he will be aquiring the votes that Camous cannot get, and if he left the sauce alone it would be a first improvement.!!!!!!!
How can you ask Blanco to be on the selection committee, it's a joke he has failed with BO and now they want him in Paris LAUGHABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
As far as the wars waging in the FFR I have to agree with FrenchFan, money is not the issue but power certainly is, the FFR, is run on an amateur basis, not pro, the officials are not all paid some are but lots are not, but they have many priveleges, International trips, good resto's and hotels, always free tickets etc, they hold down their positions with zeal knowing if they lose it, afterwards there is nothing, so you get all these suits fighting for their lives to keep this little piece of power that is all they have. Have you ever seen any being asked to come to TOP 14 clubs because they are pro's NO NEVER!!!!!! because they are not pro's and would not last 2 secs in the pro club world. You throw all these suits into a big bag and its called the FFR.!!!! Serge Blanco is there is support Camous for the vote for presidency next year nothing more nothing less, he will be aquiring the votes that Camous cannot get, and if he left the sauce alone it would be a first improvement.!!!!!!!
How can you ask Blanco to be on the selection committee, it's a joke he has failed with BO and now they want him in Paris LAUGHABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Agree on all counts............Blanco is useless and his financial management plus selection of recruits over the years and management to date has proved exasperatingly bad so hiim for the FFR selection committee?! You are having a laugh..............

He should now choose either BO, which needs the whole time attention of someone a lot better than Blanco (but that is who we have), or the FFR and its inbuilt self aggrandisement.

Personally, I would like him to chose the FFR as no one, but no one, could do a worse job than he is doing in wrecking BO but God help French rugby and its future!!
 
yeh read the thing, and all I can say is 'putain c'est pas vrai...', you've GOT to be kidding me...it's such a catastrophe it's beyond description or commenting right now. I mean, Blanco.....hired to "relieve Saint-André of his solitude" WHAT ??!!! hahahaha.....noooooooooo.....this MUST be a sketch.
France, the national side, has really turned into the laughing stock of world Rugby...and I don't think there's much to say.
 
An article about Dusautoir commenting gingerly about the Blanco news just came out. I was just thinkin, man, can you imagine, you've been on the field playing for this current PSA staff for the past 3 years, shiittiest results in France history (barring the formative years), loss upon loss, and most recently a disaster tour of Australia. And now you learn your own headcoach will receive help from a newly hired "top man" ???....how in THE WORLD do you respect your coach after that ? How do you take him seriously, look at him in the eye and feel invigorated, motivated and rejuvenated by his words as he speaks to you ? How do you get any sort of confidence going into a game now knowing this ??....

Poor, poor, poor, poor France players...they still have to come out there, "represent their country", not be utterly ridiculed, limit the damage, and play extremely hard individually to make up for the scary gaping hole of a lack of game plan. They can't just go to a match against England or South Africa and not play.

They're prisoners of their condition, and this may be a bit over the top but it's seriously reminiscent of Greek mythology's ordeals. The xv de France under PSA really brings to mind the myth of Sisyphus where they have to constantly roll this gigantic, weighty rock to the top of the hill before it rolls down the other way, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat...there's no progression, there's only constancy and dull repetition.
 
Whats happenening Doc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Blanco's coming to the party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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 !

Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 3.36.18 PM.png
 
the system is know in the closer Parisien circles as BUDDY BUDDY, or copinage FRIENDS FOR EVER TILL ONE SCREWS UP AND THE OTHER GOES FOR HIS JUGULAR
Welcome to the FFR.
 
yeap good points

Bottom line PSA est sous tutelle how do you say that?

1. His selectorial power are going to be taken away from him.
2. He is no longer dealing with LNR and clubs. Blanco is.
3. PSA will lose the support of the players.
4. Trin Duc is coming back.
 
Bottom line PSA est sous tutelle how do you say that?............... Ward of court or guardianship, trustees if its finacial.......
 
Bottom line PSA est sous tutelle how do you say that?............... Ward of court or guardianship, trustees if its finacial.......

Merci Madame :).

From now on Philippe's lips are moving but nobody will be listening except the media of course. They have to report.

1. His selectorial power are going to be taken away from him. The comité de sélection will be back and in charge. Behind the scenes.
Remember that comité that had always been around was disbanded in 2012 when PSA got the job. Camous must be kicking himself now. I have said before the national coach job is a mere puppet and his job is a job from hell because of the way FFR have setup the job - this is why potential (foreign in particular) candidates next year had better heed the warning, they're walking into a death trap, career wise I mean. Now in the months to come all the way to the WC they are going to slowly take his power away from him.

2. He is no longer dealing with the LNR and clubs. This is where Blanco comes in.
Blanco's role : If he is going to have any input, it will be to smooth things out btw LNR and the clubs. That's an area where he can have some use. I'm not saying he will succeed because the rift is now so bad. But let's just say that's an area I could see him getting involved. Blanco is in as a negotiator /facilitator.
The area where PSA has failed abysmally is working with the clubs. Had he done so, he and les Bleus would not be in the **** they're in. No national coach can be successful without working in close cooperation with the clubs. The penny seems to have finally dropped with Camous on this point. He can see that sacking PSA won't fix the problem. Lynching the national coach like they did with Lievremont before the 2011 WC is not a solution either. So he is slowly taking his power away from him. Remove him without sacking him. Remember sacking wouldn't look good as it would amount admiting they're wrong to give him the job. They don't do accountability at FFR. Not in their vocabulary. Conniving basthards the lot of them. Note that it took over 3 years for Camous to actually make a decision about PSA of whom he is the boss. THREE YEARS ALLO ?! Are these guys slow to react or what. And their relationship with the clubs have been on a slippery slope since after the 2007 WC. Lievremont was not very good in that area as well. PSA has been worse. Because he is a product from the old school. Here is an area that needs rebuilding from scratch. Good luck with that. A huge amount of negotiations mollycuddling arse-kissing money-talk Blanco's invovlment and a bit of Divine Intervention. BONNE CHANCE MES COCOS.

3. PSA will lose the support of the players - well this is an abvious one. If as a coach you're burnt every bridge with the clubs, the media have started to **** on your doorstep and are preparing the heavy artillery, what's left of your credibility as a coach? Not much. This doesn't go unnoticed with the players. Senior players the likes of Parra Trin Dhuc are going to turn their back if they haven't already. I think we had glimpses of that in the 6N in particular in the last game.

4. In selectorial terms Trin Dhuc has got to be back for the 6N and I'd say the November AI. Whether Philippe likes it or not. PSA's management of FTD is an absolute FARCE. You cannot tell a player like FTD "you know you are part of my plans mon chéri, but I am stil not picking you mon lapin, stay on the sideline and watch". So FTD will be back. I am putting my neck out on that one. Galthié at Montpellier will be mildly pleased with that. But if FTD is fit, I expect him to be recalled.

By WC time next September our Philippe will be doing the Press releases. Interview cameos and smiling to the camera. The coaching decisions during games will still be his. He's in the box after all. But that's it.
 
yeaaah, I agree with most of that. I dunno about FTD though, they say he's in the group that'll play the World Cup, but maybe he'll just shove him aside and tbh in his structure it's coherent. He's had Tales as the no.1 starting flyhalf and will continue to do that, and then either of Lopez or Plisson he will pick, and FTD may possibly be a 3rd option. The last time France was good as I keep repeating was mid-2012 til the end of that year, and it was *basically* because our flyhalf was playing great.

Michalak was arguably the best FH in the world during those days, or at very least a Top 3 FH. He was drawing defenders, creating open spaces, exploiting open spaces, setting up teammates with pinpoint accuracy, kicking well in-game and could not miss a shot at goal, throwing his crazy passes only they were working and under control, controlling the tempo of the game, charge-down scoring tries on his own, kicking perfect cross-field passes for a winger's score......

What I'm saying is maybe, as chaotic as France is, maybe if we get a flyhalf who plays really well the rest will click just like 2012, even if we'll never be at our optimal level under PSA.
It's still a mystery to me what happened from 2012 to 2013 for France...we were looking on top of the world, clinched the 4th world spot and managed to lead our pool for the RWC, and our squad was very, very close to the one we have now.

I'm not expecting much out of the next EOYT, against Fiji, Aus and Arg respectively. Even if we win all three, it wouldn't really be a feat because we'll be doing it in unconvincing fashion.
When's the last time, against good or bad opposition, France looked *in control* of a game ? 2012. Even against Tonga, our easiest foe since 2012 which we put 40 past, we certainly didn't look in control, even though our pack owned theirs 80min in every possible way. And conceded 20pts ourselves btw...

And yeah I talked about this before myself, PSA will lose the respect of the players for sure. How in the world do you really genuinely respect a man who needs the help of a baby napkin at the table for supper ? And btw FrenchFan, what do you mean 'we've seen glimpses of the French players turning their backs during the last FRA IRE game' ?
 
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.
 
And btw FrenchFan, what do you mean 'we've seen glimpses of the French players turning their backs during the last FRA IRE game' ?


I got the impression they were playing more off their own bat (ils prenaient le jeu a leur compte) as opposed to following some preordained script.
 

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