France v Scotland - Match thread

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :

16th March 2013
Kick off: 21:00 (Local) / 20:00 (UK/Ireland)
Stade de France, Paris

Match officials:

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Clownshoes Clancy (Ireland) and Lourens Van Der Merwe (South Africa).
TMO: Carlo Damasco (Italy)

TEAMS:

France:

15 Yoann Huget
14 Vincent Clerc
13 Mathieu Bastareaud
12 Wesley Fofana
11 Maxime Médard
10 Frederic Michalak
9 Morgan Parra

8 Louis Picamoles
7 Thierry Dusautoir
6 Antonie Claassen
5 Yoann Maestri
4 Sebastien Vahaamahina
3 Nicolas Mas
2 Benjamin Kayser
1 Thomas Domingo

Replacements:
16 Guilhem Guirado,
17 Vincent Debaty,
18 Luc Ducalcon,
19 Christophe Samson,
20 Yannick Nyanga,
21 Maxime Machenaud,
22 Francois Trinh-Duc,
23 Florian Fritz or Gael Fickou.

Scotland:

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors)

14 Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors)
13 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors)
12 Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby)
11 Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby)

10 Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors)
9 Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby) vice-captain


1 Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors) vice-captain,
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby)
3 Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors)
4 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) uncapped
5 Jim Hamilton (Gloucester)
6 Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan)
7 Kelly Brown (Saracens) captain
8 Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier)

Substitutes
16 Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors)
17 Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors)
18 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby)
19 Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors)
20 Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors)
21 Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors)
22 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors)
23 Max Evans (Castres)

Not considered due to injury: Alasdair Dickinson and Richie Gray (Sale Sharks), Chris Cusiter and Chris Fusaro (both Glasgow Warriors), David Denton and Ross Rennie (both Edinburgh Rugby) and Tom Heathcote (Bath Rugby).

Form Guide:

France:

9/3/13 Ire 13 - 13 Fra

23/2/13 Eng 23 - 13 Fra

9/2/13 Fra 6 - 16 Wal

Scotland:

9/3/13 Sco 18 - 28 Wal

24/2/13 Sco 12 - 8 Ire

9/2/13 Sco 34 - 10 Ita

Official Match Preview (courtesy of Sportsbeat):

Philippe Saint-Andre has reiterated the point that his long-term objective for France remains the 2015 World Cup - but in the short-term he knows only too well the value of an RBS 6 Nations victory over Scotland on Saturday.

Saint-Andre's side and Scotland will bring the curtain down on this year's competition with France seeking to avoid finishing bottom of the pile for the first time in RBS 6 Nations history.

They remain without a win in seven Championship matches but Louis Picamoles' opportunist try and Frederic Michalak's nerveless conversion sealed a 13-13 draw with Ireland last time out and a first point of the competition.

Scotland were the last team to succumb to France in the RBS 6 Nations, last February, and Saint-Andre can point to the fact that after poor showings against Italy and Wales, les Bleus have demonstrated improvements against England and Italy.

But should they fail to beat Scotland at home this weekend and Italy get something at home to Ireland, they will collect the wooden spoon, something Saint-Andre is desperate to avoid.

"At least we will not be playing to avoid a whitewash," he said.

"It's important to see that the players showed a reaction. On Saturday we want to play the whole match with that intensity for the full 80 minutes.

"I will of course, as is my nature, assume total responsibility and take the blame for the campaign.

"The federation and the committee director gave us a target to prepare for 2015. We will continue to work towards that objective.

"I take the responsibility because I have always done that, I have never tried to shift it on to others in my career."

If Scotland are to ensure France finish bottom, they will have to defeat les Bleus for the first time in seven RBS 6 Nations clashes and will have the carrot of the possibility of finishing the Championship in second, should they win - and England defeat Wales - with a healthy points swing.

To do so however, they will have to improve on their performance against Wales last time out when too many penalties conceded saw Leigh Halfpenny kick the Red Dragons to a 28-18 victory at Murrayfield.

Regardless, there have been plenty of beacons of light for the Scots and interim boss Scott Johnson, with impressive wins over Italy and Ireland already secured.

But Johnson is under no illusions as to how his side must react to their defeat to Wales.

"We showed great heart and great resolve but we have to look at ourselves rather than at anyone else," said Johnson.

"I don't want to coach a side that apportions blame to someone else, we will go back and have a look and if we have to make changes we will do so, but we will go to Paris to compete.

"The frustrating thing for us is that we think we have a world class scrum and we think we have a world class line-out but we can't get to show it.

"When we get it right, we've got a quality team.

"I keep saying it; we have the ability to put teams to bed but we have to get the first bit right and we're not.
"We don't want our mirror to lie. Our mirror is going to be clean."

[nathan]

why didnt clerc shout for the ball??!?!?

He did, the dude wouldn't pass to him or didn't hear him.

yeah edited my reply, didnt think he did but on the replay you could see him screaming.

[nathan]

Poor miss tackle from Hogg there.

[Looseheaded]

can't help but feel 1/2p would've had the balls to make that tackle. Could be bad for Hogg come selection time

[Glas a du]

Yes. Why sub Weir?

[tigertattie]

Lol. I got language filtered

[Cari]

Hoggy is still in with a look in I think.

France going on the rampage now. Can't see Scotland scoring a try...I wish they blydi would though.

[RDW]

Scotland are so frustrating!!!

[Glas a du]

Oh-oh, France have started to play like France.

[Cari]

Basteraud is too fat to keep going...someone tackle him!

oh too late...Medard is in with try number two.

Looks like the spoon could be going to Ireland at this rate

[glamorganalun]

Flood gates are open.

[RDW]

We should never have lost that ruck - we had the ball at the base!! Ahhhhhh!

[tigertattie]

Stuff it. I'm off to follow rugby league

[glamorganalun]

The flying porker is having a good game and breaking through.

[Cari]

Trinh-Duc on. Nasty injury on Michalak.

23-9 at 70 minutes.

Tattie - awh come on, there's still the Lions to enjoy. There's a couple of Scottish players with a shoe-in there.

[Cari]

Here, were the French supporting us earlier - what's with the daffs?

[Cari]

arrrrgh! Scotland why didn't you get that over?!

[glamorganalun]

Typical Scotland of old drop the ball near the line, annoying after a good break.

[RDW]

Bloody Jackson!! We've been awful this half

[Glas a du]

Brothel here, chapel there, Scotland try to score in the chapel.

[Looseheaded]

i took Visser out of my fantasy team this morning.

God what have I done?

[nathan]

Visser nearly cocked that up, what was he playing at?

[Cari]

GET IN VISSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well that spoon's just gone back to Paris

23-16 at 75 minutes.

[glamorganalun]

Good try, lucky they ignored Hogg.

[tigertattie]

See. Ball. Hands. Run. Score.

This is why you don't kick ALL the time

[Glas a du]

This is certainly the France we know and love, sublime and ridiculous.

[Cari]

Visser nearly cocked that up, what was he playing at?

Maybe he was trying to secure an easy conversion?

[nathan]

Visser nearly cocked that up, what was he playing at?

Maybe he was trying to secure an easy conversion?

eh?

He went for a ash splash and didnt know someone was behind him. He didn't move closer to the posts.

[MacKnocked-on]

Here, were the French supporting us earlier - what's with the daffs?

Marie Curie appeal

[Glas a du]

Ho hum.

[glamorganalun]

Well played Scotland, close game, the defence in the first half was very good with little ball.

[tigertattie]

Our tactics were wrong. Our performance at the breakdown was poor again

SJ and Ryan need to go bye bye now

[Cari]

Here, were the French supporting us earlier - what's with the daffs?

Marie Curie appeal

I guessed that, I was taking the proverbial...

23-16 at FT. Not to be sniffed at Scotland.

[Glas a du]

Our tactics were wrong. Our performance at the breakdown was poor again

SJ and Ryan need to go bye bye now

Yes and no. Which magician do you think can give you a decent attack with a makeshift 10-12-13.

[MacKnocked-on]

That second half was a nonsense from Scotland until the last few minutes, we stopped trying to challenge the French lineout for some reason and Ross Ford simply can't cope with the pressure of throwing in. Please run the ball when we have possesion, it's not much to ask.

[tigertattie]

And someone hide gabby Logan's hat.

[Glas a du]

I see what you're saying at the "Ash-splash"

[Glas a du]

I like Patterson as a pundit.

[George Carlin]

Our tactics were wrong. Our performance at the breakdown was poor again

SJ and Ryan need to go bye bye now

Yes and no. Which magician do you think can give you a decent attack with a makeshift 10-12-13.

Apparently there's some feller called Declan Kidney about to become available?

[Glas a du]

Where would we be without GSOH...

[MacKnocked-on]

Certainly don't think Ryan deserves to be kept even if he wanted to, our forwards haven't been good enough all 6N.

[George Carlin]

I like Patterson as a pundit.

Yes. Loved it when Beattie dropped the restart out of touch and turned to his teammates looking nonplussed. Paterson's crack about JB's 'Gallic shrug' being proof he'd been in Montpellier too long was spot on.

[cakeordeath]

9-9 at 59 minutes.

France need to beat Scotland by at least 16 points to avoid wooden spoonage...

it depends, different people have different ideas what the wooden spoon is. Some say it's losing all your games, some say finishing bottom.

I thought losing all your games was a whitewash? Anyway, they just said there that the French won't accept it as a wooden spoon if they finish bottom anyway. I don't think they seem to give a schitt either way...

Wikipedia, the source of all knowledge says that Cari is correct. Woodenspoon for the team finishing bottom. Whitewash if you lost all your games

[Imperialbigdave]

I think vissers try really summed up what stupid tactics weve employed this year. The one time in 3 games we spread it with a bit of pace and Scott tears open the defence to put Visser over.

We will not win any more than the odd fluke game if we keep trying to play without the ball. That style of play was made redundant by changes in the laws 4 or 5 years ago.

It is not a hard concept.

[tigertattie]

Totally agree with macknocked-on. Our forwards have been utter mince.

[cakeordeath]

Our forwards have been poor, not sure why, I suspect it is a mixture of Dean Ryan coaching and Scott Johnson's selection policy. I agree with Mac I am glad Ryan is heading back to Sky. Not sure about SJ though.

[majesticimperialman]

France finaly win a game. but get the Wooden Spoon. Who would of thought that would happen before the 6ns started?

[Glas a du]

I think vissers try really summed up what stupid tactics weve employed this year. The one time in 3 games we spread it with a bit of pace and Scott tears open the defence to put Visser over.

We will not win any more than the odd fluke game if we keep trying to play without the ball. That style of play was made redundant by changes in the laws 4 or 5 years ago.

It is not a hard concept.

It did help that a Frwnch defender fell over in front of him.

[Imperialbigdave]

I think vissers try really summed up what stupid tactics weve employed this year. The one time in 3 games we spread it with a bit of pace and Scott tears open the defence to put Visser over.

We will not win any more than the odd fluke game if we keep trying to play without the ball. That style of play was made redundant by changes in the laws 4 or 5 years ago.

It is not a hard concept.

It did help that a Frwnch defender fell over in front of him.

it did, but you take what you can get, and with this ridiculous 10 man rugby gameplan that weve employed this year, we arent going to get many chances like that. Playing 1 pass rugby doesnt create anything.

[Glas a du]

Yes, I know he still had to convert. I was impressed that he saw his chance and went for it.

[VinceWLB]

Not impressed with Ryan Grant at LH, think he should have applied more pressure on Mas, also think Jon Welsh is the better scrummager.

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