Do France deserve to be in the final?

For me (as a gutted Welshman) the answer is a definite yes!

They haven't played attractive rugby, but another team in 2003 weren't exactly playing like the Wales team of the 70's

They have won when it mattered and the best of luck to them

Do you guys agree?

Yes, it's a knockout and they knocked out. End of.

Are misses and misdemeanours aren't there fault. Come the 6N in Cardiff they're gonna get hammered though!!!!

Its quite standout the similarities between NZ/France this time around and SA/England last time. I for one expect the final to be much closer than the pool match. You have to think the AB's will be good enough to not let nerves/expectation get the better of them but you just dont know what french team will turn up

I think after today's win, their confidence will be ok. Let's be fair I know France deserve their place, our no.10's helped them get there! But they will be no match this year. The AB's deserve a win as I'm sure everyone will agree, they are the best in the world - IRB rankings don't lie

Huwball wrote:I think after today's win, their confidence will be ok. Let's be fair I know France deserve their place, our no.10's helped them get there! But they will be no match this year. The AB's deserve a win as I'm sure everyone will agree, they are the best in the world - IRB rankings don't lie

Much the same was said before the QF 4 years ago.

not sure how they made it but they did. they are finalists. if rugby was scored like figure skating then they probably wouldnt have made it out of the pool.

i will be cheering on france in the final. it would be crazy if they won it.

Are they the second best team that we saw in this competition? I'd say no one would agree on that bar mad Marc. At the same time, they played what was in front of them and they won so, strictly speaking, they obviously deserve to be there.

I know a lot is being sad about it being France and you never know. But in 2007 when they beat NZ in the 1/4 they had at least won the grand slam in the previous six nations and had been playing reasonably well. Logically I just don't see it being remotely possible that they'll beat NZ. I can't help finishing with, you never know with the French though....bloody French!!

They didnt win the Slam in the previous 6N. They were comprehensively beaten by england at Twickenham that year. Thats why ireland still had a shout at the championship on the last day.

Since then they have beaten NZ in NZ which i believe only SA have done since 07? i could be wrong but there is plenty of reason for them to believe they can win.

Standulstermen wrote:They didnt win the Slam in the previous 6N. They were comprehensively beaten by england at Twickenham that year. Thats why ireland still had a shout at the championship on the last day.

Since then they have beaten NZ in NZ which i believe only SA have done since 07? i could be wrong but there is plenty of reason for them to believe they can win.

Apologies, you are of course right. In fairness though, winning the 6N in 2007 compared to losing to Italy in last years is a very different set of circumstances. Yes, they should believe they can win. What's the point in playing if they didn't believe? They beat NZ in the last world cup and they beat them in NZ relatively recently. To me, relatively recently just seems a long time ago, so I don't believe. I could obviously easily be wrong...4th on Sportguru in the 606v2 league though, so it's a rare enough thing

They won yesterday (God knows how) and looked extremely sheepish at the end. After this mornings sf i fear for them in the final. Only if nz think this morning was their final do france have any hope and i dont think the abs will make that mistake

Stranger things have happened (in this tournament no less!)

I love watching French rugby, my all time favourite players are Sella and Blanco and they had a wonderful pack in the 80s, real skilful players. But this lot of undoubtedly good rugby players are just clueless and inept and morally bankrupt (ok that might be over the top but you get what i mean).

They've lost two games and been pretty terrible but just shows how unimportant pool games are. Compare that to Ireland who put everything into beating Australia and for what?

I expect NZ to win but it won't be the thrashing we saw in the pools. I think some twists and turns are on the cards!

DOD wrote:I love watching French rugby, my all time favourite players are Sella and Blanco and they had a wonderful pack in the 80s, real skilful players. But this lot of undoubtedly good rugby players are just clueless and inept and morally bankrupt (ok that might be over the top but you get what i mean).

this lot is an insult to the 87 and 99 teams.

france deserve to be there - obviously- however engalnd and then wales have let themselves down- frnace are there for the taking- and both teams let them of the hook


its ridiculas to suggest they are anything like the england team in 2003, they are not even fit to polish that sides boots. this is a very similar scenario to 2007- almost exactly the same(france = england, nz = SA. The only difference this time is that i cannot see france giving the nz's a game - england however did give south africa a much better game in the final

No. Worst team to be in a final since England 07. Although, I now see that I and many others were a bit harsh on that England team. They turned themselves around from a 36 nil hammering after being very unconvincing against the USA. About 50 minutes into the quarter final they played to their strengths and beat Aus, then went on to convincingly beat France who had just dispatched the All Blacks. They gave a good account of themselves in the final and showed they deserved to be there.

France thrashed by NZ, lost to Tonga and got lucky, twice. They'll be hammered in the final by the team that hammered them in the pool stages. How can a team with so many leaders and class players be playing so badly on the pitch?

mystiroakey wrote:france deserve to be there - obviously- however engalnd and then wales have let themselves down- frnace are there for the taking- and both teams let them of the hook


its ridiculas to suggest they are anything like the england team in 2003, they are not even fit to polish that sides boots. this is a very similar scenario to 2007- almost exactly the same(france = england, nz = SA. The only difference this time is that i cannot see france giving the nz's a game - england however did give south africa a much better game in the final

Nobody is saying that. england werent fantastic in 07 mind you. granted they didnt lose to tonga but that is an irrelevance in terms of pool play. Could many see england giving SA a game in the final last time after being humped 36-0 in the pool (i think that was the score). If NZ have the attitude of half the posters in here they will come unstuck. I dont expect them too as they will remember 4 years ago when an singing, all dancing AB team was going to swat aside France on the way to a RWC semi final. Didnt happen like that though

EnglishReign wrote:They've lost two games and been pretty terrible but just shows how unimportant pool games are. Compare that to Ireland who put everything into beating Australia and for what?

Well said. It's all about winning the games that matter and thats what France have done.

Morgannwg wrote:No. Worst team to be in a final since England 07. Although, I now see that I and many others were a bit harsh on that England team. They turned themselves around from a 36 nil hammering after being very unconvincing against the USA. About 50 minutes into the quarter final they played to their strengths and beat Aus, then went on to convincingly beat France who had just dispatched the All Blacks. They gave a good account of themselves in the final and showed they deserved to be there.

France thrashed by NZ, lost to Tonga and got lucky, twice. They'll be hammered in the final by the team that hammered them in the pool stages. How can a team with so many leaders and class players be playing so badly on the pitch?

I believe the answer to your last question has a stupid looking 'tache

I honestly expect a relatively tight game. Never underestimate the pressure thats on the AB's. No one expects France to do anything at all so they will have no expectations at all.

Do France deserve to be in the Final?

Yes they do, they might not of been the best playing side in the tournament but they have beaten the teams they have played against.
So yes they do deserve to be in the Final.

However if they(France)want to win the FINAL they will have to be alot better than they was yesterday.

But as been said before it is the French after all.

In the sense that it's the scoreboard that counts, yes. In every other sense, no. Would France have beaten a 15-man Wales?

If people think no, I can't see how they would have any chance against NZ. NZ will remember the defeats agaonst France. For me, this France are the worst side to reach a final -- two pool game losses and a few inches in kicks making the difference.

If France were good, they should have hammered a 14-man Wales without an openside (and their tighthead) for more than an hour of the match. Instead, a 14-man wales were the better side. Incredible.

They do, even though I dont think the players agree that they deserve to be there. A similar scenario was England in 2007, but past the pool stages they won some tough matches.

Standulstermen wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:france deserve to be there - obviously- however engalnd and then wales have let themselves down- frnace are there for the taking- and both teams let them of the hook


its ridiculas to suggest they are anything like the england team in 2003, they are not even fit to polish that sides boots. this is a very similar scenario to 2007- almost exactly the same(france = england, nz = SA. The only difference this time is that i cannot see france giving the nz's a game - england however did give south africa a much better game in the final

Nobody is saying that. england werent fantastic in 07 mind you. granted they didnt lose to tonga but that is an irrelevance in terms of pool play. Could many see england giving SA a game in the final last time after being humped 36-0 in the pool (i think that was the score). If NZ have the attitude of half the posters in here they will come unstuck. I dont expect them too as they will remember 4 years ago when an singing, all dancing AB team was going to swat aside France on the way to a RWC semi final. Didnt happen like that though

france do have a very very slim chance

my opinion on what chance is made up of is not frances play- but the all backs mental state. if they think about previous knock out games v france , or even look at how england put on the much improved perfomrmance in the final then they could perhaps loose the plot

this myth that france can just turn on unbeatable rugby is just that(a myth) at presnt- NZ are too good and are possibly a much better team than SA in 2007 anyway and france dont evben look as good as england at this time in 2007. even though i and you have noticed similarities.

I dont disagree with that at all Mysti and i dont think the AB's will be fragile. France however can play (not unbeatable; thats was never said0 but breathtaking rugby when they turn up. Im not saying they will but i am saying there is no pattern to suggest that they wont step up next week.

france dont just need a step up - they need 10 steps up- and then they still wouldnt beat this kiwi team. the only way they can is by the kiwis beating themselves

Ospreydragon

a 14-man Wales without an openside (and their tighthead) for more than an hour of the match. Instead, a 14-man wales were the better side. Incredible..
........................................................................................................................
I do understand what you are saying, but i have to disagree with you.If a 14 man Wales was better than a 15 man France side, then surerly Wales would have won?

But sadly even though for most of the game Wales was the better team, they still lost.

As hard as it is to take yes they do because they are there. They didn't cheat to get there Clerc didn't con the ref either.

They had 3 pots at goal Parra kicked them all we had 5 and slotted 1, that's just not good enough at this standard.

Are they the best two teams there then no France are not and I feel will get tonked but they deserve to be there.

French fans don't give a monkeys how they got there

Yes, because no team, especiually such a talented group of players, deserves Lievremont as coach for 4 years (he's actually manged to be worse than PdV, which is staggering) and this is just recompense.

What really needs to happen is PSA takes over today or the players just tell ML to eff off, select Parra at 9, Trinh-Duc at 10, start Heymans, maybe fly Jauzion & Michalak in and then go out and play on pride and instinct.

France deserve to be in the final because they beat the teams that counted, and got lucky on the Tonga result.

It does raise a few questions though. If France made it through to the final, what does it say about the rest of the teams?

New Zealand hardly had to lift a finger in anger to get to the final - I think their hardest match was against Argentina, but even that outcome was never really in doubt.

Some of the matches were very enjoyable and good contests to watch.

I just hope that France get up for next week, and give New Zealand a game. Another one-sided contest like today's game would be a travesty. Although at least, there might be the chance of some scoring other than endless penalty kicks.