'13 WC | Group B | New Zealand 48-0 France | Avignon

[madunit]

That was the largest crowd for a French home international since 1980.

 

[coldhardbitch]

France achieved a big result against PNG last week, which will mean they are likely to make the QF and likely play England. Hopefully they can put up a good show against Samoa

 

[TheDMC]

France were surprisingly rubbish.

 

[newman]

France were surprisingly rubbish.

I really didn't understand their gameplan. Run 1 out for 80 mins?

 

[Diesel]

Was this the only French game played in France?

 

[Son of Minto]

France were surprisingly rubbish.

Did you not watch the PNG game?

 

[hutch]

But then Australia would claim them if they're good enough.

When has Australia claimed another nations junior?

 

[kdalymc]

Does everyone forget that France came LAST in the last World Cup?
They are crap.
They should be good, but they're not.

 

[deluded pom?]

France had half a game plan to rattle the kiwis tonight, but have been let down badly by their attack as has already been mentioned by plenty on here.

Had they converted one of those first 2-3 sets on the kiwis line at 6-0 into a try we might have had a game on our hands, but they missed their chance and its well over now I'm afraid.

Still, if you were to tell me that the kiwis would go close the a full half without looking like making a linebreak I wouldn't have believed you. Some of these minor nations really aren't that far off being competitive against the top teams. If France or Italy play against England in the knock out stages they'll give them a real scare

France would be lucky to get within thirty of England.

 

[Evil Homer]

Does everyone forget that France came LAST in the last World Cup?
They are crap.
They should be good, but they're not.

Not really, they are the one side that is fully made up of players with no connection to Australia, NZ or England. Even PNG have a handful like Mead, Thompson and Costigan who came through in Australia. France are 100% home grown and have pretty much no juniors playing outside of France. They have one full-time club, but the difference is that NZ have heaps of juniors at Australian clubs whereas France don't have any in England. Until English clubs start to sign French juniors at the same rate that Australian clubs sign NZ juniors then France will always struggle to compete with the big 3, and even then it will be difficult because of the differences in quality between the NRL and SL.

As for why France are ranked 4th, it's because they actually play matches outside of the WC unlike most of the Pacific nations.

 

[Diesel]

If anything about France, it's positive they can get 17000 to a game where they knew they were on a hiding to nothing and the stadium still looked full at the full time siren.

 

[newman]

Does everyone forget that France came LAST in the last World Cup?
They are crap.
They should be good, but they're not.

People (including me) want them to be good for the reasons that Evil Homer outlined.

 

[Dark Chook]

Good tackles by the frogs the first 40, but they have no creativity in the halves or the spine.

The only way minnows can step up is sending their players to the NRL. Roosters coach Robinson is giving a leg up to Casty & the like.

Keeping them to nil is the minimum we expect from the Kiwis, Locke was useless & made Hoffman look the goods. Nightingale was solid but for me Vatuvei gets the nod.

Luke is a colossus, Kassiano, Pritchard & FPN were bullies, JWH direct, Inu comfortable.

Johnson & Foran are on the simmer.

I have reservations about Leuluai's fitness & Taylor's ability to cover the utility hooker, half role...theres cause for concern & at the mo its a weak link. Maybe Taylor needs minutes.

For the sake of our young halves, Kearney has one more game to dabble with the lineup thereafter the A team should be played with changes only from injury.

 

[vamosrafa]

Not really, they are the one side that is fully made up of players with no connection to Australia, NZ or England. Even PNG have a handful like Mead, Thompson and Costigan who came through in Australia. France are 100% home grown and have pretty much no juniors playing outside of France. They have one full-time club, but the difference is that NZ have heaps of juniors at Australian clubs whereas France don't have any in England. Until English clubs start to sign French juniors at the same rate that Australian clubs sign NZ juniors then France will always struggle to compete with the big 3, and even then it will be difficult because of the differences in quality between the NRL and SL.

As for why France are ranked 4th, it's because they actually play matches outside of the WC unlike most of the Pacific nations.

Clint Greenshields plays for France, and he is Australian. But apart from that, your right, and they have done really well with what they have. Personally I thought they would be a little better, bateau she they re mostly Catalans, but iguess it's like an nrl club playing an international side.

 

[adamkungl]

France were disappointing. They have it a solid go but they have nothing resembling an attack. Their forwards have no spark and their backs have no X-factor, or if they are more talented than I'm giving credit for their gameplan simply did not show it. Absolute refusal to play any interesting football for 2 games. Get an attacking coach in there.

Games like this do nothing but harm to the sport.

Similar to any game that Canberra participates in, really.

What?

You have barely been on since the WC started and then as soon as a team reaches 40 you come on and be negative. f**kwit

qft

 

[expansionist]

France were disappointing. They have it a solid go but they have nothing resembling an attack. Their forwards have no spark and their backs have no X-factor, or if they are more talented than I'm giving credit for their gameplan simply did not show it. Absolute refusal to play any interesting football for 2 games. Get an attacking coach in there.



Similar to any game that Canberra participates in, really.



qft

Hey Adam and others - I am wondering this myself. The French for 2 games have looked.... well.. theyve looked like a bad imitation of a RL team. Nothing but one out play.

The half back and MOM gets dropped for game 2...

The hooker and lock gets replaced...

What is going on?? Does anyone have any goss on Agar as a coach?

 

[Evil Homer]

Hey Adam and others - I am wondering this myself. The French for 2 games have looked.... well.. theyve looked like a bad imitation of a RL team. Nothing but one out play.

The half back and MOM gets dropped for game 2...

The hooker and lock gets replaced...

What is going on?? Does anyone have any goss on Agar as a coach?

He's not great. But TBF those players might have been injured. Pelissier in particular would have made a huge difference tonight, he's probably France's best player.

 

[RHCP]

Hooker went okay I thought.

 

[beefstew]

48 nil, but NZ are looking like a Kearney coached team at the moment. Let's hope Wayne Be....oh wait.

 

[Bronco Rob]

He's not great. But TBF those players might have been injured. Pelissier in particular would have made a huge difference tonight, he's probably France's best player.

The French really mssed him, Bentley went OK but the French really lost their way when Mounis went to dummy half and he looked like a duck out of water.

I rate Theo Fages but though he looked very gun shy, he should have taken more control and I was really diasppointed in the French attack, they have a sellout crowd, against one of the top sides and they throw that attack against them. They really needed to throw a bit of caution to the wind it they were to have any chance at all, I would rather seeing them go down 60-nil down and show some enterprise in attack than that dull, prudent showing today.

I was also disappointed in Larroyer, he's a big unit but had a few dropped balls and was very lethargic in attack.