France v Italy - Match Thread

[GunsGerms]

 
ITALY v FRANCE
15th March 2015
KO: 16:00
Stadio Olimpico

Italy:

15  Luke McLean
14 Leonardo Sarto
13 Luca Morisi
12 Andrea Masi
11 Giovanbattista Venditti
10 Tommaso Allan
9 Edoardo Gori

1 Matias Aguero
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
3 Dario Chistolini
4 George Biagi
5 Josh Furno
6 Francesco Minto
7 Samuela Vunisa
8 Sergio Parisse

16 Andrea Manici
17 Alberto De Marchi
18 Lorenzo Cittadini
19 Quintin Geldenhuys
20 Marco Barbini
21 Guglielmo Palazzani
22 Luciano Orquera
23 Enrico Bacchin

France:

15 Scott Spedding
14 Yoann Huget
13 Gael Fickou
12 Maxime Mermoz
11 Noa Nakaitaci
10 Camille Lopez
9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde

1 Eddy Ben Arous
2 Guilhem Guirado
3 Nicolas Mas
4 Alexandre Flanquart
5 Yoann Maestri
6 Thierry Dusautoir
7 Bernard Le Roux
8 Loan Goujon

16 Benjamin Kayser
17 Rabah Slimani
18 Vincent Debaty
19 Romain Taofifenua
20 Damien Chouly
21 Rory Kockott 
22 Jules Plisson
23 Mathieu Bastareaud

[nlpnlp]

Laporte, Lievremont and now Saint-Andre - France certainly know how to pick their coaches. Whilst their players may not be absolutely top draw at the minute, dropping half your team every other game, not picking your best players in the first place and rubbish tactics, does make the job a lot harder for them.

All that said, I would still be concerned that France could have one of those days against England and put 30 points on them - unlikely, but always possible with the French.

[GunsGerms]

I hope France win in convincing fashion. If they lose Saint Andre may get axed and Raphaël Ibañez put in place. I have heard that all the french players like Ibañez so I would be concerned that he could turn around their fortunes before France meets Ireland in the WC.

[SecretFly]

On that one nlpnlp, graphs do go up and down for most sides.  Sometimes the up and down is gradual, sometimes more pronounced.  So yes, France can't stay down forever. They just have too many good players to be seasonally dancing at the bottom with Italy.

I'm just glad we're past them... it's always good to get some 'erratic' sides out of the way more than actually an habitual good side, like England.  

But of course, we have another 'erratic' side against us this week!  I do wish France and Wales were more bloody consistent!!

[lostinwales]

Fofana injured then? - and back to Spedding at 15....

[funnyExiledScot]

As a fan belonging to a nation that has mismanaged its rugby resources to a criminal degree throughout my life time, it is always heartening to see the latest French team sheet from yet another French coach hopelessly out of his depth.

[Notch]

So the only French back to put his hand-up in the game against Wales was Brice Dulin- and he's been replaced by Spedding who is yet to do anything in French colours whatsoever. No Sofiane Guitoune either, Goujon and Flanquart ahead of Chouly and Taofifenua....

Bizarre.

[funnyExiledScot]

So the only French back to put his hand-up in the game against Wales was Brice Dulin- and he's been replaced by Spedding who is yet to do anything in French colours whatsoever. No Sofiane Guitoune either, Goujon and Flanquart ahead of Chouly and Taofifenua....

Bizarre.

Utterly crazy. Saint-Andre has been worse for France than Lievremont, and I didn't think that possible. There is no coherent strategy at all.

[yappysnap]

Saint Andre was terrible before he got the job, tactically he's living in the past. France will never do well with him there.

They'll beat England now though

[whocares]

PSA has become a master in the art of self contradiction. Has a go at all players after the Wales game saying they are a bunch of starlets and yet keep more or less the same squad minus the injury replacements. Start in all games Bastareaud when it adds nothing but when he could have his team mate alongside he drops him. It's becoming difficult to follow him these days. For the first time we don't start as favorites against Italy. I appreciate that there is a few key players missing but that team look like it has picked almost randomly. Spedding is a waste of space at this level, good player and nice guy but basically our very own andy goode when it comes to being an attacking threat. Goujon is a guy who got rejected by Clermont when he was 20 and was playing in proD2 last season (and mainly as flanker as well). Better call old men like harinordoquy if we're that desperate.

[nlpnlp]

As a Sale fan I don't understand Saint-Andre - for us he was rational, reasonable and pragmatic. He made the absolute best of out we had. He recruited well from France, made Chabal a star, etc. I was a big champion of him getting the French job - he would bring English pragmatism to the undoubted talent of France. Instead he has regressed to his Frenchness and indulged in complete madness.

Why has he not been sacked by France? What doe she have to do to be sacked? Are there any good French club coaches around to replace him after the world cup? Whilst as an England fan I love the French madness, it is not good for world rugby to see such a poor French team.

[George Carlin]

Hijacking your thread Guns, so that we're all emptying our thoughts about how bloody dire this match is onto one thread.

[bedfordwelsh]

Shocking game utterly shocking

[bedfordwelsh]

Shocking game utterly shocking

[Rugby Fan]

I think I just saw a try but I might have imagined it.

[George Carlin]

It's so far from the Wales-Ireland game, it's really not remotely amusing.
I cannot believe that we lost to that Italian lot.

[R!skysports]

Depressing that we got beat by these two teams. How unskilfull can two teams be

[Notch]

Guhhhhhhhh.... ughhhhhh... gaaaaaawwwwww....

I've just been lobotomised, a more entertaining activity than Italy vs France.

[lostinwales]

I do feel sorry for Italy though. Lots of possession lots of muscular runs and the cutting edge of a sponge

[whocares]

Cant believe how weak and predictable this Italian team is... Even their scrum is poor. did they field an entirely different team before?

[lostinwales]

Cant believe how weak and predictable this Italian team is... Even their scrum is poor. did they field an entirely different team before?

Good question. Morisi found a way of punching holes in our (England's) defense, and against Scotland they just outmuscled the scottish pack

[Notch]

I guess the best thing about this is we have these two teams in the World Cup. England, the hosts, have Wales and Australia. And we have these two! We'll never have a better chance to win our group.

I'm also just happy this win will give St. Andre enough breathing room not to be replaced before we play them again.

[SecretFly]

If we plan to play France and Italy as hard as we'd play Wales, England or New Zealand or Australia then we should be okay against them at the WC.
If we show up thinking they'll be walkover sides come that time and treat them accordingly, then it'll be bye bye Ireland for yet another 'surprise' early exit.

France won't be so ragged at the World Cup.  Italy will have plenty of fight in them too.  But the truth is both sides are feeling second best again this season with only one weekend to go.  They're both winding down interest in the show.

[whocares]

France still joint best defense of this championship (46 pts against and 2 tries conceded ). Had to find one positive after this game!

[SecretFly]

France still joint best defense of this championship (46 pts against and 2 tries conceded ). Had to find one positive after this game!

KEEP - IT - UP!!!!

That's an order.

[Notch]

No, we shouldn't be complacent about them in the World Cup but considering with the way the seedings worked out we could have just as easily been drawn with New Zealand and Wales. France should improve; will they improve to the standard of the other top seeds in each group (New Zealand, Australia and South Africa)? I would doubt it...

Whatever Ireland turns up in the autumn, we've had the luck of the draw on our side.

[niwatts]

A truly terrible match, but could be the sort of outcome that helps England's cause.  Italy will get a savaging for playing so badly at home, have a harrowing week's training and hopefully put up more of fight next Saturday, more akin to their performance at Murrayfield.  France meanwhile, although just as poor have probably put just about enough paper over their cavenous cracks to not get the same treatment and plod on in the same dire fashion to Twickenham, where another PSA scattergun selection will help seal their fate.  Then we just need a big Scotland backlash to try and save themselves some dignity at home and from the wooden spoon.

[Gooseberry]

France still joint best defense of this championship (46 pts against and 2 tries conceded ). Had to find one positive after this game!

They missed 1 tackle all match, thats a pretty incredible stat. For all the criticism they have had for being so woeful in possession they have been very effective in shutting the opposition down. Exactly what Ireland have been getting all the plaudits for (right up till they lost)

 Im not trying to deny that France have been well below par, and frankly the scoreline flattered them due to Italy being so utterly heinous, but they are doing some things right ...even if they arent the sort of things fans like. 

Italy did make it very easy for them though. Possibly the worst performance Ive ever seen in the 6 nations. It did seem the missed penalties knocked all the spunk out of them, unfortunate for Scotland they met them on the day they turned up to play.

[whocares]

They only had to make 79 tackles and most were simples as Italian attacks were easy to read. That said it's not easy when you lose your first FH before the game and the 2nd one after 10 minutes.

[majesticimperialman]

I cannot remember a more boring game to be honest.

This was a bout the best game France of played this year. And a bout the worst game Italy have played.

Was it Invedale or Gusscot say that is the first Italy have not scored any points at all?

[Cyril]

My word, that was dreadful. I don't think a game has ever gone so slowly. I even flicked channels a bit just to come back to Eddie Butler reporting yet another knock on.

France were extremely poor, but somehow Italy managed to be worse.

Both England and Wales will be hoping their opposition are equally as awful next weekend.

[aqualung71]

I just wanted to apologize to all the neautrals who had to undergo such a terrible italian display...

[SecretFly]

No apologies necessary aqua. But no excuses will be accepted if it's repeated next week either.

This is getting serious now - and all sides must play their part to bring about the only Just Conclusion......

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