Is it wrong to support France?

I want to be at best neutral in the morning. But I suspect that this will be the scenario:

If France score a try, I'll smile as I am a francophile.

But my head tells me that I should support Wales. I know that.

How many posters have divided loyalties?

And when it was England v France last week - how did you treat the game before and during the game? Personally I shed no tears for England leaving the party early as I never saw them as good enough.

And I know Wales are far and away the most exciting NH team of the RWC. Senseless and irrational - me.

Its fine Portnoy, if you had supported France over England, I would have questioned you, but over Wales, well each to their own! hope you enjoy the games

because on the whole the Welsh are glorious losers and the French glorious winners (both in good ways).

Although, the Welsh coaching set up is by far the best and they have the talent to deliver, its just that the French are playing for pride, savage pride at that.

Either way I'd be happy if either won the Web Ellis, but happier if it went to Les Bleus

Is it wrong to support France?

Not if your French.

I am Scottish, so I support only Scotland, but as I have some hard earned ££ on France to win the tournament, I will be shouting for France!

Comfort wrote:Its fine Portnoy, if you had supported France over England, I would have questioned you, but over Wales, well each to their own! hope you enjoy the games

Who did you find yourself supporting before/during the E/F game though Comfort?

I won't be able to tell until the game is on tomorrow who my heart supports. I'll report back during/after the game.

I objectively want Wales to win because they appear to be the better side. But that may not affect my game-time emotions.

I could never support any other side I support Wales and thats it.
The only time I will back another nation is if their result is of any benefit to Wales.

Portnoy wrote:

Comfort wrote:Its fine Portnoy, if you had supported France over England, I would have questioned you, but over Wales, well each to their own! hope you enjoy the games

Who did you find yourself supporting before/during the game though Comfort?

I won't be able to tell until the game is on tomorrow who my heart supports. I'll report back during/after the game.

I objectively want Wales to win because they appear to be the better side. But that may not affect my game-time emotions.

I actually knew the score before watching the Eng/France game so my game-time emotions didnt really come up.

However, during the SA/AUS game I supported SA (im not sure why, but I quite like those saffas!).

Seems fair enough to me, if Wales go out of tournaments, France is the next team I hope will do well, because of the way they've played rugby historically and because I have a soft spot for the country.

Is it wrong to support France?

No

Support whichever team you's like to win, it doesn't really matter no decision you make tomorrow will alter what happens on the field anyway.

Just enjoy the game.

I will say Wales is bouncing at the moment though! Everyone is so excited.
I remember when we won the grand slam in 2005 the country was amazing, everyone was outside talking, old people talking over their walls. Kids on every patch of grass in battered old welsh rugby tops playing rugby.
Alomst every man I passed was smashed, I even passed one old man holding a flagen of cider who was well gone!
Great days for Wales

Give France all the support you can, they will need it

I wonder what the support will be like in the stadium tomorrow. They had extra flights going out there this week.

I wish both France and Wales all the best. I am part French/Irish/Cornish and the latter of course has more in common with Wales but i'd normally support France on account of my Great Grandpa but i'll probably stay neutral here.

Sorry but could never support the French last week I supported England against them.

Yes its wrong to support France but ashamed of yourself

No but seriously I have a slight support for france but due to promising myself I would support whoever knocked Ireland out I am going for Wales. Most of all I just want it to be a great game and a specitcal of our sport.

Support whoever you like.Daft question,really.Some people choose to support the likely winner(football-mode),some people choose to support anyone but Wales,some people have a thing for French Rugby style,some will support France because they beat their team.
Support whichever team you like and enjoy this semi-final.It does not get much better!!!!!

Any team that can get 60,000 to watch the beamback deserves support.

C'mon the Welsh

That said love the way the French play, if "CLICHE ALERT" the right French team shows up

I have absolutely nothing positive to say about France or the French, despite being convinced that France would beat England in the QF, I still couldn't pick then on SportGuru, they are anethema as far as I'm concerned.

That's just me though, if you're asking if it's OK to support France in favour of a British team, of course it is. The Welsh and the Scots have been doing it for years without any bother.....

[quote="PJHolybloke"]I have absolutely nothing positive to say about France or the French, despite being convinced that France would beat England in the QF, I still couldn't pick then on SportGuru, they are anethema as far as I'm concerned.

What an idiotic comment!

Not really man, you have the right to choose who to support if you're a neutral spectator. One side or the other, or nobody.

Yeah but saying that you "have absolutely nothing positive to say about France or the French" is frankly idiotic, xenophobic and misinformed.

But I agree about our right to choose, it's just the running down of a nation in coming to your decision that I find daft.

I managed to maintain my neutrality fairly well. I punched the air with glee when Philliops went over. But found myself willing for the final whistle towards the end when my francophilia started kicking in.

But I still had it in me to feel deeply sorry for the Welsh - who deserved the win.

Well its a sure thing that more English were willing wales on than there would have been Welsh cheering England on if the boot had been on the other foot.

Bitter beer, with a population of something like 15 times the size of Wales, more England fans supporting Wales than the other way round is not really unexpected is it?!

I cant support France simply because they are such a poor team and in no way deserve to be there on merit.

My mother lives in France, I hate Neighbours and Home and Away, and I couldnt bear TGGs smugness if NZ won...si in theory I should be allez les blues or whatever...but no.

Anyone But France.

After today, I'm just wondering whether it's wrong to do the opposite and hope France get smashed by whoever they play in the final. Is it wrong to be old-fashioned and want the finalists of a sport's most prestigious competition to at least look like they deserve it and are one of the two strongest sides that could be there?

Why don't France deserve it? They've won the games they needed to. Wales were plucky in adversity today but you don't get any points for that.

I hope it's a France v Aus final and France win.

There seems to be a lot of French bashing going on here. That's when the ref isn't being blamed too. There was a fair bit of disrespect for the French team before the game. Never write off France.

Knowsit17 wrote:After today, I'm just wondering whether it's wrong to do the opposite and hope France get smashed by whoever they play in the final. Is it wrong to be old-fashioned and want the finalists of a sport's most prestigious competition to at least look like they deserve it and are one of the two strongest sides that could be there?

Not at all.

Its nice to see underdog victories though, and know tehres always a chance. But when a side gets an easy route, and doesnt play to their potentuial, and doesnt look like tehy care...its not good for the integrity of the cup.

Believe it or not, if it hadn't been for Canada surprising Tonga France would have crashed out of the group.

I just can't shake off the feeling of anti-climax that a side as wildly inconsistent and controversial as this French side will be one of the two squaring off for the championship. At what point in the year have they looked like finalists? I know I sound like a pessimistic villain but really?

most of the above comments are true - I myself have some mixed feelings after this result. Wales did not deserve to lose this game but then again they could have played with 13 men and won it by not missing some of those penalties. France is clearly the most undeserved finalist of a RWC: today they were not interested in getting close to the opponent try line, were too nervous and fragile to get more than 3 passes in a row and made only 2 breaks (thanks to parra or probably the absence of warburton) that were not supported (took me sometime to realise that rougerie and mermoz were actually on the pitch).
credit to lievremont that acknowledged that this was the worst semifinal of the RWC history and recognised Wales bravery.
feel sorry for the welsh, hope they keep on playing well like that till 2015.

Knowsit17 wrote:Believe it or not, if it hadn't been for Canada surprising Tonga France would have crashed out of the group.

I just can't shake off the feeling of anti-climax that a side as wildly inconsistent and controversial as this French side will be one of the two squaring off for the championship. At what point in the year have they looked like finalists? I know I sound like a pessimistic villain but really?

Then again had it not been for the "racist" reffing of the Samoa SA game and the midweek turnaround issue the chances are wales would have crashed out at the group stage.

It goes around.

Jeez imagine if it had been a Samoa Tonga semi....

I think hoping France don't win next week because of how they played today is somewhat poor in sentiment.

If France play like that next week they won't deserve to win and nor will they.

Not that I would bet on it, but if France win next week it will be because they turn something special on and so will be fully deserving of plaudits. Beating NZ or Aus in a WC final would be a feat that few teams could muster and shouldn't be detracted from because of how they played in previous games.