AlbertRosenfeld
Juniors
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The French team, though not yet at peak physical condition, has performed well against England. On the basis of viewing the video of the match, and having seen the 2004 Tests, and some French club games this year, I would make the following comments about the team:
There were very good consistent performances from second row Djamel Fakir, hooker David Berthezene, lock Gregory Mounis, half back Julien Rinaldi, wing Freddy Zitter and wing Olivier Charles. Prop David Ferriol played well in patches.
When Maxime Greseque came off the bench to replace Berthezene as hooker he was obviously out of place and had little impact. Later when Berthezene returned, Greseque replaced injured centre Damien Couturier in the backline, and he started to develop that exciting attacking combination with Julien Rinaldi, that was evident when France played New Zealand and Australia last November. Unfortunately that change came too late in the game for France.
The forwards are the rock solid base of France's success, strong in both attack and defence. They are showing the benefit of John Monie's coaching, and as their conditioning starts to improve they will be even more powerful. Given that experienced Wakefield Super League second row or prop forward Olivier Elima has yet to play because of injury, we can assume that the French pack can only get stronger.
In the halves, scrum half Julien Rinaldi was good in both attack and defence. Five eighth Laurent Frayssinnous had a good kicking game, but he did not offer any spark to the backline attack either with his running or passing. Maxime Greseque is the obvious replacement at five eighth, and hopefully John Monie is keeping Greseque for that position in the big games.
The wings played very well. Freddy Zitter on the right wing scored one good try, set up by Mounis, and was disallowed a second, also from a Mounis pass, when the video replay showed his boot narrowly went into touch as he dived over. Zitter's defence was good and he overshadowed his opposite number Ade Gardner of St Helens. The surprise was newcomer Olivier Charles, from Villeneuve, marking Mark Calderwood. Charles showed strength, speed, kicking skill and determination on the left wing. With Zitter and Charles France has two international quality wingers.
Full back Renaud Guige had an unfortunate game dropping the high ball kicked by Thorman on his own 10 metre line, and from the ensuing scrum England scored. Guige was also too late to retrieve a grubber near his line, which Jones-Thackray touched down before him. In his previous games at club and international level Guige has been a safe defender, so this poor performance was out of character.
The big worry for France is in the centres. Damien Couturier, formerly with Toulouse and now with Hull KR, broke his hand half way through the match and is out for the international season. His partner Jerome Hermet of Villeneuve, was disappointing in attack. When the English attacker, in a bizarre blunder, threw a ball straight into Hermet's chest on his own 20 metre line, he took off down field. But he was obviously never going to make it as the English defence, led by Calderwood, rapidly overtook him on his left. Freddy Zitter streaked up to be outside Hermet wide on his right, but the French centre seemed hesitant to pass it out, so Zitter then cut infield as Hermet slowed looking for support on his left. But the converging English made Zitter's chances there impossible. From ensuing series of plays within a minute David Berthezene had scored. But the point is that Hermet was not fast enough and failed to position his speedy right winger for a pass.
In that lost opportunity I was reminded of the Test match against New Zealand last November. Early in the match, with France attacking 15 metres from their own line, Couturier broke through the Kiwi defence after a beautiful cut out pass from Elima, had Zitter in support on his right, and another French support on his left, and had only the full back approaching from 50 metres upfield to beat. But Couturier chose to ignore his supports, to kick, and he kicked much too early, giving the Kiwi full back enough time to turn around and retrieve the ball.
The point is that in these two players, Couturier and Hermet, France lacks a skilled and dangerous attacking centre. Zitter, who played very well as centre as well as full back for Barrow in NL1 this year, is being shifted and tried out there against Georgia, suggesting that Monie too is concerned. However one worries whether Zitter's light weight (88kg) is going to be a handicap in that position against the top class Australian and New Zealand centres. One hopes that the young, taller and heavier Teddy Sadaoui, who will also be in the centre on Sunday, will emerge as one of the rising centre stars France desperately needs.
The upcoming games will tell us more.
There were very good consistent performances from second row Djamel Fakir, hooker David Berthezene, lock Gregory Mounis, half back Julien Rinaldi, wing Freddy Zitter and wing Olivier Charles. Prop David Ferriol played well in patches.
When Maxime Greseque came off the bench to replace Berthezene as hooker he was obviously out of place and had little impact. Later when Berthezene returned, Greseque replaced injured centre Damien Couturier in the backline, and he started to develop that exciting attacking combination with Julien Rinaldi, that was evident when France played New Zealand and Australia last November. Unfortunately that change came too late in the game for France.
The forwards are the rock solid base of France's success, strong in both attack and defence. They are showing the benefit of John Monie's coaching, and as their conditioning starts to improve they will be even more powerful. Given that experienced Wakefield Super League second row or prop forward Olivier Elima has yet to play because of injury, we can assume that the French pack can only get stronger.
In the halves, scrum half Julien Rinaldi was good in both attack and defence. Five eighth Laurent Frayssinnous had a good kicking game, but he did not offer any spark to the backline attack either with his running or passing. Maxime Greseque is the obvious replacement at five eighth, and hopefully John Monie is keeping Greseque for that position in the big games.
The wings played very well. Freddy Zitter on the right wing scored one good try, set up by Mounis, and was disallowed a second, also from a Mounis pass, when the video replay showed his boot narrowly went into touch as he dived over. Zitter's defence was good and he overshadowed his opposite number Ade Gardner of St Helens. The surprise was newcomer Olivier Charles, from Villeneuve, marking Mark Calderwood. Charles showed strength, speed, kicking skill and determination on the left wing. With Zitter and Charles France has two international quality wingers.
Full back Renaud Guige had an unfortunate game dropping the high ball kicked by Thorman on his own 10 metre line, and from the ensuing scrum England scored. Guige was also too late to retrieve a grubber near his line, which Jones-Thackray touched down before him. In his previous games at club and international level Guige has been a safe defender, so this poor performance was out of character.
The big worry for France is in the centres. Damien Couturier, formerly with Toulouse and now with Hull KR, broke his hand half way through the match and is out for the international season. His partner Jerome Hermet of Villeneuve, was disappointing in attack. When the English attacker, in a bizarre blunder, threw a ball straight into Hermet's chest on his own 20 metre line, he took off down field. But he was obviously never going to make it as the English defence, led by Calderwood, rapidly overtook him on his left. Freddy Zitter streaked up to be outside Hermet wide on his right, but the French centre seemed hesitant to pass it out, so Zitter then cut infield as Hermet slowed looking for support on his left. But the converging English made Zitter's chances there impossible. From ensuing series of plays within a minute David Berthezene had scored. But the point is that Hermet was not fast enough and failed to position his speedy right winger for a pass.
In that lost opportunity I was reminded of the Test match against New Zealand last November. Early in the match, with France attacking 15 metres from their own line, Couturier broke through the Kiwi defence after a beautiful cut out pass from Elima, had Zitter in support on his right, and another French support on his left, and had only the full back approaching from 50 metres upfield to beat. But Couturier chose to ignore his supports, to kick, and he kicked much too early, giving the Kiwi full back enough time to turn around and retrieve the ball.
The point is that in these two players, Couturier and Hermet, France lacks a skilled and dangerous attacking centre. Zitter, who played very well as centre as well as full back for Barrow in NL1 this year, is being shifted and tried out there against Georgia, suggesting that Monie too is concerned. However one worries whether Zitter's light weight (88kg) is going to be a handicap in that position against the top class Australian and New Zealand centres. One hopes that the young, taller and heavier Teddy Sadaoui, who will also be in the centre on Sunday, will emerge as one of the rising centre stars France desperately needs.
The upcoming games will tell us more.
