France v England

[Mr.cyclopede]

How **** was Balshaw and why didn't France target him?.
[/b]

I'm also wondering. They just did once, and it wasn't in his advantage

Now it's just another proof that Liévremont aim for this match was to develop and test, test, test his players in the hand game. Even with the entry of Skrela, the team didn't kick once in any sector.

England is also reorienting its game, we see as a main difference that they kept cold head and pragmatism (Wilkinson's drop and leatest five minutes frontline game) as we never did, only searching to take the advantage ball in hand.

As I said, let's give this team time to completely put in place its game, there are some good individualities surprise, especially Parra and Picamoles.

 

[Incredible Schalk]

France were poor it has to be said, Lievremont set the team out in the wrong way to play England, with weak forwards again. Still England never really looked like losing this game and the try and the end was very well worked, so credit to them, must be great to have a winning team.

 

[Prestwick]

Two players in England's set up were brilliant: Croft and Wigglesworth.

Wigglesworth was astute and really intelligent both in defence and giving the rest of the team a hard time when they wern't performing. Look at how he clung onto the ball whenever a penalty was awarded, stopping England from getting carried and thus imploding again.

When he wanted forwards where he was, he even resorted to dragging them by their shorts over. The guy is superb, what a revelation.

Croft was great, tackles, tackles and tackles. He's only been playing for England for about sixty minutes and I already love him.

 

[Stillknox]

<div class='quotemain'> Our scrum is ****, Australia look a like.

And too much faults... I didn't like Laporte but he brings a strong discipline to our team. 3 months later, we're back in the 90's...

I'm tired of losing against England, who's certainly gonna lose by +20 in Ireland in two weeks. Same old story ! [/b]

Good game England, you certainly deserved this one. I don't remember which french guy said the english would try to drag us down to their level, but i feel that's exactly what they did. Nothing to say against that win anyway. All in the strong yet boring english style. But who cares when they win.
I'm very disappointed. Losing to the English is becoming a silly habit. And worse than that, I don't think I saw anything positive about our match. If anyone has, please tell me. Maybe Parra-not-playing-too-shitty but who cares. I'm still expecting a genious move from Heymans or Rougerie but I guess it's not gonna happen now the match is over :wall:
Funny feeling, reminds me of the semi-final but without the pressure, so it makes it a little pointless.

Questions:

How come Wilko misses kicks, but only the ones that don't matter?

How come he's so good against the french anyway?

How come the french commentators always point out the English front row cheating and it is ours that gets penalized a dozen times?

How come Didier Retieres is so ugly? (he was my coach when i was 16 playing in Dijon, true story)

How come I feel we are soon going to miss Laporte :wacko: ?

:ranting: :ranting: :ranting: :ranting:

[/b][/quote]

Yeah Parra is a satisfaction. Seems to be a good leader, clever in his choices... not as wise as Elissalde but at only 19 years, we can imagine that he will be the future France's boss. Plus the pressure dosn't bother him in his goalkicking... it will be interesting if he can become 1st choice kicker at Bourgoin or even with Les Bleus when Elissalde/Yachivili is not there.

Picamoles was quite good too. Trinh-Duc... well, he did a silly pass for Heymans that resulted Sackey's try but he wasn't so bad. Heymans, with pressure and no space is ineffective at fullback... so does Clerc and Rougerie is the worst kicker of all time but that was fun, so I give him a good point.

But generally that was brainless rugby. Once again we cannot adapt our game to the opposite team, and if the team is a minimum clever (Argentina, England ?) we're dead. But that's only the third match of this new era, some players are inexperienced, and there is also a lot of talented players waiting in the back... like Medard from Toulouse, this guy is amazing ! So I'm still confident...

 

[shtove]

Once again we cannot adapt our game to the opposite team, and if the team is a minimum clever (Argentina, England ?) we're dead. But that's only the third match of this new era, some players are inexperienced, and there is also a lot of talented players waiting in the back... like Medard from Toulouse, this guy is amazing ! So I'm still confident...
[/b]

What do Argentina and England have in common? They grind you down in the pack. So it's not that France failed to adapt - they just don't have enough muscle up front. Wales have have had the same problem for years, and it looks as if they're making the change without getting rid of their running game.

Marconnet will make a big difference, and Szarweski should only come on late in the game.

Parra is very impressive - like Steyn for SA - although I wonder if he can kick with his right foot.

 

[Stillknox]

<div class='quotemain'>Once again we cannot adapt our game to the opposite team, and if the team is a minimum clever (Argentina, England ?) we're dead. But that's only the third match of this new era, some players are inexperienced, and there is also a lot of talented players waiting in the back... like Medard from Toulouse, this guy is amazing ! So I'm still confident...
[/b]

What do Argentina and England have in common? They grind you down in the pack. So it's not that France failed to adapt - they just don't have enough muscle up front. Wales have have had the same problem for years, and it looks as if they're making the change without getting rid of their running game.

Marconnet will make a big difference, and Szarweski should only come on late in the game.

Parra is very impressive - like Steyn for SA - although I wonder if he can kick with his right foot.
[/b][/quote]

Mmh... France's scrum in world cup wasn't that bad with Milloud and De Villiers. I remember a maul that progressed on 20 meters in the opening game... but yes this is a major problem.

I think we're too preditable. Everyone knew we were going to play at large.... and on the first attack, Noon runs high on Heymans - try. (by the way, there is a little knock-on on this action, Noon pushed the ball)
We tried too many times to run the ball from our own 22. This can works against Scotland... but England ! If this was so easy the fidjians would be world champion. We often said that the frenchs are arrogant, that was true tonight.

A team with a solid defense, a good scrum, a 'restrictive' play like England or Argentina can easily do some domage to us. Look the first half against Ireland, they tried to play like us and we saw the result... in the second, that was basic but widely more effective.

 

[SaintsFan_Webby]

At the moment, Toby Flood is the lynchpin of England's backs. He isn't the biggest guy but his defense has improved immeasureably, I don't remember him missing one tackle together. Couple this with his ability to slot smoothly into the first receiver position when necessary, and I firmly believe that he has become a key figure in bringing through England's new generation of backs.

And I'll hold my hand up and say I was wrong to doubt Jamie Noone. The guy is never going to be a superstar, but my word he was solid today. Not much flair but you can't argue with his workrate.

As for Balshit - no words can do his ineptitude justice. I didn't see him do one useful thing today, not one. We might as well have been playing with 6 backs, he dropped (or completely missed) anything that came his way. He showed the same willingness to get involved in the match as an arachnaphobe would towards jumping into a pit of spiders.

 

[getofmeland]

A Few Match Stats

[table=Top Carries][tr][td=width]Picamoles[/td][td=width]11[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Nallet[/td][td=width]10[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Bonnaire[/td][td=width]9[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Traille[/td][td=width]9[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Noon[/td][td=width]8[/td][/tr][/table]

[table=Top Tacklers][tr][td=width]Lipman[/td][td=width]21[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Dusautoir[/td][td=width]14[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Easter[/td][td=width]10[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Nallet[/td][td=width]9[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Bonnaire[/td][td=width]8[/td][/tr][/table]

[table=Most Missed Tackles][tr][td=width]Flood[/td][td=width]3[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Balshaw[/td][td=width]1[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Dusautoir[/td][td=width]1[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Noon[/td][td=width]1[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Picamoles[/td][td=width]1[/td][/tr][/table]

[table=Most Off-Loads][tr][td=width]Heymans[/td][td=width]2[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Vainikolo[/td][td=width]2[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Bonnaire[/td][td=width]1[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Clerc[/td][td=width]1[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Easter[/td][td=width]1[/td][/tr][/table]

[table=Most Errors][tr][td=width]Bonnaire[/td][td=width]2[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Noon[/td][td=width]2[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Pape[/td][td=width]2[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Wigglesworth[/td][td=width]2[/td][/tr][tr][td=width]Balshaw[/td][td=width]1[/td][/tr][/table]

France - Minutes in Possession:

1st Half - 16.24
2nd Half - 17.31

France - Minutes in Oppossion Half

1st Half - 24.42
2nd Half - 21.31


England - Minutes in Possession:

1st Half - 12.27
2nd Half - 13.24

England - Minutes in Oppossion Half

1st Half - 18.29
2nd Half - 21.47

From SAS Software Ltd.

Here's The Graphs!!!

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From SAS Software Ltd
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[shtove]

on the first attack, Noon runs high on Heymans - try. (by the way, there is a little knock-on on this action, Noon pushed the ball)[/b]

Little? Ha ha - more like 5 metres.

We tried too many times to run the ball from our own 22. This can works against Scotland... but England ! If this was so easy the fidjians would be world champion. We often said that the frenchs are arrogant, that was true tonight.[/b]

But that's what they feel is necessary, isn't it? Get the vibrations to such a pitch that the defence shatters: in Wales they call it "The Wales Way"?

A team with a solid defense, a good scrum, a 'restrictive' play like England or Argentina can easily do some domage to us. Look the first half against Ireland, they tried to play like us and we saw the result... in the second, that was basic but widely more effective.
[/b]

I don't think Ireland tried to play like France. They know how to run the ball in their own way, so your attitude is a bit ... French.

Every side should have a solid defence, a good scrum, the ability to restrict play. It's not "basic" - just good balance in a talented team.

 

[getofmeland]

<div align="center">From SAS Software Ltd</span>
</div><div align="center"> </div>

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Who is that utter jabroni who co commentates on the BBC?

 

[An Tarbh]

Brian Moore I'd imagine, given we got some of his comments tonight!

 

[Crackdown]

Those stats are a lie, how can Ballsup only have made one error? I can think of at least 3 glaring ones!

At the moment, Toby Flood is the lynchpin of England's backs. He isn't the biggest guy but his defense has improved immeasureably, I don't remember him missing one tackle together. Couple this with his ability to slot smoothly into the first receiver position when necessary, and I firmly believe that he has become a key figure in bringing through England's new generation of backs.

And I'll hold my hand up and say I was wrong to doubt Jamie Noone. The guy is never going to be a superstar, but my word he was solid today. Not much flair but you can't argue with his workrate.

As for Balshit - no words can do his ineptitude justice. I didn't see him do one useful thing today, not one. We might as well have been playing with 6 backs, he dropped (or completely missed) anything that came his way. He showed the same willingness to get involved in the match as an arachnaphobe would towards jumping into a pit of spiders.

[/b]

+1.

IMO I thought Flood could have been in contention for MOTM along with Lipman (rather than Easter).

 

[An Tarbh]

Who was man of the match?

 

[getofmeland]

The Tackle Rate for Lipman is Immense, the Guy works hard for Bath but 21 Tackles is a superb amount of Work, the highest of the weekend as well... IMO he should of been MOTM... but thats the biased Bath View in me...

With the Balshaw Error thing I know what you mean when I received the stats I had to take a second look, I don't know how they judge the mistakes tho...

Who was man of the match? [/b]

Nick Easter

 

[An Tarbh]

so who was it then?

 

[Crackdown]

Perhaps they mean directly relating to a turnover or something similar, ie: knock on resulting in scrum? It's the only explanation that springs to mind...

Easter was MOTM. I don't think it was one-eyed to see Lipman as it though as I probably agree, he was everywhere and secured good, fast ball for Wiggy (which England have been failing to do recently).

 

[getofmeland]

Lipman and Wigglesworth linked up exceptionally well, The Backline in the scrum has a very bright future...

England have an array of talent to pick from, all they need to do now is pick them and get them international standard, ready for the next World Cup in New Zealand...

Also Wilkinson overtook former Argentine great Hugo Porta's mark of 28 to become the all-time leading drop-goal scorer in Test rugby.

 

[chinwaggler]

Pretty good game I thought. Relative to the fact that their second half was in ways better than the first. England started bringing Vainikolo into back play more so hopefully in the next games, it'll happen right off the mark rather than after like 65 minutes. Lewsey for (EDIT Balshit.

 

[shtove]

Who was man of the match? [/b]

Brian "half wits" Moore: "What on earth is Balshaw doing? For God's sake, you're the full back! Get behind your backs, you half wit!"