***England v France - MATCH CANCELLED***

First topic message reminder :

MATCH CANCELLED  Result in the book is 0-0.

Massive disappointment all round.

Was looking forward to witnessing two teams try their hardest not to win the pool and have the easier route to the Final.
As it is England finish on top and now face a massive challenge to overcome to make the final.

Can't help but think dark forces are at work to scupper our chances of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup again.

LordDowlais wrote:Nobody has ever won the WC whilst losing a game. I bet England will have this in their minds and be totally professional about this, both teams will be going for the win.

But equally, only one team has ever beaten New Zealand before the final and gone on to win the title... though I suppose those are marginally better odds.

Poorfour wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Nobody has ever won the WC whilst losing a game. I bet England will have this in their minds and be totally professional about this, both teams will be going for the win.

But equally, only one team has ever beaten New Zealand before the final and gone on to win the title... though I suppose those are marginally better odds.

In the professional era, no side has beaten NZ and then won that World Cup.

Not bothered at the prospect of facing the All Blacks they are not the team they were, they are but men.

Since 2007, anyone who wins the RWC without beating NZ will have to accept that its a devalued win. In fact, if anyone gets to the final without facing NZ, it'll be a cakewalk route which has given a massive unfair advantage, and again is a devalued achievement

BamBam wrote:Since 2007, anyone who wins the RWC without beating NZ will have to accept that its a devalued win

Don’t really care about it being devalued. To us South Africans it means the same as poisoning them in 1995.

Poorfour wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Nobody has ever won the WC whilst losing a game. I bet England will have this in their minds and be totally professional about this, both teams will be going for the win.

But equally, only one team has ever beaten New Zealand before the final and gone on to win the title... though I suppose those are marginally better odds.

Or Ireland will beat the All Blacks and then we'll play Ireland.

It's bonkers that so many people are looking so far ahead. Anything could happen. And the All Blacks, while being the best team, aren't even THAT good (by which I mean go-out-your-way-to-avoid-them good).

Reports in France have suggested that tournament captain Guilhem Guirado has fallen out with head coach Brunel and it has caused a power struggle.

Old Man wrote:

BamBam wrote:Since 2007, anyone who wins the RWC without beating NZ will have to accept that its a devalued win

Don’t really care about it being devalued. To us South Africans it means the same as poisoning them in 1995.

TightHEAD wrote:Reports in France have suggested that tournament captain Guilhem Guirado has fallen out with head coach Brunel and it has caused a power struggle.

Typical Frenchies.

Duty281 wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:Reports in France have suggested that tournament captain Guilhem Guirado has fallen out with head coach Brunel and it has caused a power struggle.

Typical Frenchies.

Yep could go two ways, they'll probably make the final if it goes well.

TightHEAD wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:Reports in France have suggested that tournament captain Guilhem Guirado has fallen out with head coach Brunel and it has caused a power struggle.

Typical Frenchies.

Yep could go two ways, they'll probably make the final if it goes well.

Seems to be mad Mourad stirring because Chat has supplanted Guirado as the starter.

One suspects that the fallout in the French camp is probably bigger news everywhere other than France itself. In fact it would probably be bigger news in France if there wasn't a mutiny of some kind during the tournament. I wonder what the French term is for 'collective shrug'? !!

Thank you to everyone who clarified how the draw worked for me, much appreciated.

Typhoon Hagibis is now predicted to make landfall on Honshu - and might affect the England-France game instead of the Ireland one.

Hmm... given that both teams have effectively already qualified, a washout would actually be quite handy. An extra week's prep for England, an extra week's bickering for France. And no allegations of match rigging, unless Eddie Jones actually is a weather god.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/rugby_wc/rugby-world-cup-2019-england-squad-hit-by-sickness-and-injuries-as-owen-farrell-concerns-emerge/ar-AAIuBUM?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=ACERDHP17

Not good news.

Could be an opportunity to see a Ford-Slade combo at 10/12, never know when we might have to rely on something like that

I'd rest everyone named with a knock or illness, Billy / Marler / Farrell / LCD - we've got more than adequate replacements for all of them in the 23, and I'd still expect us to win fairly comfortably with the likes of Wilson, Genge etc coming in

France rumoured to field their best team (considering form):
Médard - Penaud, Vakatawa, Fickou, Huget - (o) Ntamack, (m) Dupont - Ollivon, Alldritt, Lauret - Vahaamahina, Le Roux - Slimani, Guirado (cap.), Poirot.

Is Guirado better than Chat nowadays?

That's the same side they started against Argentina isn't it? Is this rumoured camp bust up just fake news to throw everyone off, and they're just going to start the same side they did in their other big group game

Le Roux wasn’t there. Think otherwise it’s the same team indeed. Not sure guirado is better than Chat but seems more experienced anyway...

There's a typhoon heading France's way this Sat - in fact 23 of them, all dressed in white.

Off topic, but did any one else find watching Wales almost lose to Fiji the most amusing game of the tournament so far?

Let's hope Englands last game is a bit more controlled!

LondonTiger wrote:Is Guirado better than Chat nowadays?

As he's the coach now, yes. Yes he is.

whocares wrote:France rumoured to field their best team (considering form):
Médard - Penaud, Vakatawa, Fickou, Huget - (o) Ntamack, (m) Dupont - Ollivon, Alldritt, Lauret - Vahaamahina, Le Roux - Slimani, Guirado (cap.), Poirot.

There's so much quality in that side. Swap Fickou - who is a bit of a scatter brain, and one Huget is more than enough for one team - for Fofana and that backline is immense. Maybe #10 isn't too strong, but Ntamack is better than Lopez, for sure.

Cant call what england are going to do. Sounds like theres a few niggles. Still seemingly questions of where it's going to be. Wouldn't be a surprise to see more than a couple of changes.

One side of the draw should hold no fear for us.

Neither side should.

Thought that sounded arrogant, but yes it's true

Barney McGrew did it wrote:There's a typhoon heading France's way this Sat - in fact 23 of them, all dressed in white.

I heard more of a wet toot, England picking 2nd string in hopes they lose the game to avoid Aussies and NZ semi. Shocking.

Game called off

0-0 draw.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-7554875/Englands-Rugby-World-Cup-decider-against-France-called-OFF.html?ico=pushly-notifcation-small

Not too fussed about whether or not England win the group. Either way, if England are to win the World Cup they’ll most likely have to beat NZ and SA along the way...which order they potentially do it in is of little importance. Scant difference between facing the Welsh and the Aussies in the quarters too.

If this game between England/France were called off because of the typhoon, I think both countries would gladly take the opportunity of another week’s rest before the quarters.

England nil France in the final group game then...

maestegmafia wrote:Game called off

0-0 draw.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-7554875/Englands-Rugby-World-Cup-decider-against-France-called-OFF.html?ico=pushly-notifcation-small

That sucks.

Nothing on the rfu site. BBC. Sky sports. It may be true but is there any other confirmed source other than the daily mail?

Thought no decision was being made until 4am.

Better check the WOL as well, that's a good source .

It's a shame if true, but if the Scotland - Japan game goes ahead because of this decision then it's the right one to make. England and France are both through, the order makes minimal difference 

The other game has real ramifications so needs to be played somehow

Yeah it's all speculation right now. Daily Mail think they've scooped it and maybe Agustin Pichot has been whatsapping Rebekah Vardy and it's all come out that way, but assume it's on until official confirmation comes in.

maestegmafia wrote:Game called off

0-0 draw.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-7554875/Englands-Rugby-World-Cup-decider-against-France-called-OFF.html?ico=pushly-notifcation-small

Daily Mail are usually decent for sports leaks on rugby, but I'd still play this one by ear - guarantee nothing until it's official.
EDIT: what robbo said

If only there was some way of recording when the typhoon season is in Japan and then planning big events like the RWC around it...

Cancellation being reported by the Times rugby journalists too now

Yes, pretty much everywhere now reporting that England-France will be cancelled. A bit more unclear on the status of Scotland-Japan.

England in danger of being undercooked for the quarters?

I don't think they'll be undercooked with Eddie coaching. An extra week off to sort out players and prep for the QF would be an excellent result for England.

Five tough games on successive weekends and you would expect them to come unstuck at some point... Three is muc more doable and essentially the equivalent of the business end of the AIs.

Very true, amazing how a cancellation assists some sides and ruins others, the japan Scotland game would have been a cracker...if it is called off that is...

Mind you, England could now be under rather than over done...USA, Tonga, Argentina and most of that they had 14 men, hardly ideal prep, and the extra long wait between matches makes it worse.

I uppose cancellation better than Eng throwing the game by picking a 2/3rd string side. The Lord moves in mysterious ways

Pie wrote:I uppose cancellation better than Eng throwing the game by picking a 2/3rd string side. The Lord moves in mysterious ways

They were going to have to rest players. Billy etc. They would still have beaten France. Unlike certain other teams England don't have to flog the same team for every single match.

Anyway I thought you wanted to play us in the QF and would have therefore liked us to throw this match.

lostinwales wrote:

Pie wrote:I uppose cancellation better than Eng throwing the game by picking a 2/3rd string side. The Lord moves in mysterious ways

They were going to have to rest players. Billy etc. They would still have beaten France. Unlike certain other teams England don't have to flog the same team for every single match.

Anyway I thought you wanted to play us in the QF and would have therefore liked us to throw this match.

Unlike certain other teams some teams don't have a newly imported broom every week.

Eddie’s apparently said they’re going to go for a week’s pre-season and then shift to match preparation. He’s also pointed out that they have a very good record when they have two weeks’ prep time.

I don’t think they’ll be undercooked, at least not compared to the opposition. Australia and Wales played their key match nearly a month ago, and they’re hardly going to get better preparation from physical but easy matches against Georgia and Uruguay than England will from an Eddie Jones training camp.

England allegedly train at higher than test match intensity, and their opponents are their own squad mates, whom I would bet on to beat far better teams than Georgia.

France will make the final now, 2 weeks prep plus added time to sort out their bust up within the camp. I wouldn't want to play them.

As for England it wouldn't surprise me if the RFU pay for Georgia to come and train with them for a couple of days.

TightHEAD wrote:France will make the final now, 2 weeks prep plus added time to sort out their bust up within the camp. I wouldn't want to play them.

As for England it wouldn't surprise me if the RFU pay for Georgia to come and train with them for a couple of days.

Not a bad idea, if tournament rules permit. But I'd probably go for Fiji rather than Georgia given the likely opponents are Australia.