Solving the enigma that is France

During World War II, much praise has been retrospectively heaped on the 'Geese that never cackled' (Churchill's phrase) at Bletchley Park in decoding the German Enigma machine - a sophisticated alphabetic keyboard in which any key could be freely wired up to another (excluding itself) and a number (3, 4 or 5) of alphabetic wheels scrambling the output such that unless the wiring and the wheel settings were known, the encrypted code could not be read in the billions of combinations.

The French employ an Enigma but it appears to me that for the past two games PS-A never gave the correct settings to the players.

England must be canny and careful. To successfully decrypt the Enigma, Bletchley Park needed a 'Crib' (a consistent message which occurs frequently) to more speedily work out the wiring and wheel settings - for England's crib the Fr v Oz game plan will be advised.

The crib was than applied to the 'bombe' (an electro-mechanical device applied to uniquely unpick the settings) and from there the message can be read.

[That's a vast oversimplification]

Next time the French will 'turn up'. I'm confident of that fact. And their players will understand their instructions.
I'm not confident that England will have decrypted the code - and in any case, will have the resources to overcome their strategy.

Then again, maybe the french always turn up but get beaten by a better team on the day

A good start would be to pick the best players in their correct positions. Been a while since a French Coach managed that.

Only problem with that argument is that in the Autumn they didn't pick players in position and still trashed Oz.

If England just play their own game and perform well enough they'll beat the French.

I'm not sure there's that much enigma about France these days. They're fairly predictable and very beatable. They've been overrated for a while and are still riding on wave of the odd decent performance against the SH sides. They're normally up there in the 6Ns but I can see Ireland and Scotland beating them too.

There is no solving this enigma.

I was always told they are emotional people with a tinge of instability in those emotions. However I cannot believe that emotions can fluctuate so badly that it influences their pride and passion.

Then I thought maybe it is their club system that is too open to foreigners and therefor not enough Frnechmen get an opportunity. But then England has the same system and although they have had 9 lean years since the RWC win in 2003 they are more consistent than Frnace.

Then I thought maybe it is because they don't have regional teams so their best teams may play in the Heineken Cup and not their best players, also addedto that they haven't really faired all that well in the HC.


Then I thought in theSix Nations they have also been disappointing as they last won the thing quite a few years ago.

Then I look at the fact that they lose to Tonga, Italy and that 7th team from Mars only to reach the RWC final and are unlucky not to win.


Then I go to the kitchen, make coffee and think about something else.

Possibly Biltongbek, that's because the 5/6Ns is not part of your culture just as I fundamentally don't really GASh about SH rugby rivalries or competitions.

Those of us that care about what the French are about in terms of NH Rugby, care a lot.

Some of us care about the 6Ns more than the RWC.
Strange. But true.

GT, i don't go to the kitchen Cause I don't care, it is because my head hurts trying to solve the enigma.

Bil, I'm stirring my tea in Hut 6, Station X.

Cyril on 606v2 wrote:If England just play their own game and perform well enough they'll beat the French.

I'm not sure there's that much enigma about France these days. They're fairly predictable and very beatable. They've been overrated for a while and are still riding on wave of the odd decent performance against the SH sides. They're normally up there in the 6Ns but I can see Ireland and Scotland beating them too.

Really?
How predictable were these results:
2011 Wcup- losing to Tonga, getting thrashed by NZ in pool then beating England, Wales and then nearly NZ in the final- Which of those were predicable?

2012- Thrashing Oz and beating Argie and Samoa then losing to Italy and an 8 match losing side in Wales at home in less than 2 months?

I mean- who does that?

Beatable? Yes...predictable...there couldnt be a side that less fits that description.

Excuse me, Greytiger.
I may be wrong, but wasn't Station X closed a long time ago?

France usually have a solid set piece and a 9 and 10 who kick goals and control the game.In players like Trinh duc for example,Freddie Michelak is in the Carlos Spencer mode.Brilliant most of the time then commits a complete howler that drops his side in it.
The midfeld used to be full of devestaing ,mercurial runners,but now they have gone with lumps like Basterud.I thought he was past his sell by date mid 2009.France seldom in recent years put back to back matches together from the AI`s form.You thought the Coaches had at last got it right with France.BUT
IF you can get a decent lead and keep the scoreboard ticking over.Either they
will let there heads go down,resort to dirty tactics,or just blow you apart according to there mood.
I would`nt take it for granted they will lose the rest of there games they are just as likely to win the lot

France? Theyre unpredictable, and an unpredictable team you can always predict to be unpredictable. Honestly. It's the predictable ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid.

France coach Philippe Saint-André has equated his side's challenge of winning at Twickenham next Saturday with their own Grand Slam.

France's Six Nations title hopes disappeared after their opening two defeats to Italy and Wales but les Bleus will travel to London hoping to salvage some pride and end England's bid for a Grand Slam.

Defeat, however, would take France closer to their first wooden spoon since 1957.

"The England game can be our Grand Slam," said Saint-André as he met up with his squad at Orly airport on Saturday.

"The English are euphoric at the moment. Everyone is favouring them for the Grand Slam and us for the wooden spoon," added Saint-André, whose target this season had been an improvement from their fourth-placed finish in his first Six Nations last year.

"We have to go there full of enthusiasm, confidence and daring," said Saint-André.

"We are going there totally unrestrained. What a wonderful challenge to be going to Twickenham. I am really eager to be proud of a team that is going to go there and give 120 percent."

The former Sale and Toulon coach has blamed the overloaded Top 14 schedule for the fatigue of his players in contrast to squad all their games in November, but said he hoped a week's rest would have freshened them up.

"We have players who are going to be fresh physically, therefore we are going to have good training sessions," said the coach.

"It is important that the group lives well together, and from that the team gives their all on the pitch."

France will announce their starting line-up on Thursday.

Yes this is the sort of frame of mind that England dont need right now. When the French are sending out these 'oh well, lets see what we can do now' vibes, sometimes it just doesnt matter what you do. The pressures all off them in the 6N context, and all on England.

So it's a France team in poor form away from home against a team that in recent years has mostly been a bogey team for them (particularly in the 6Ns), and who are high on confidence and have played well in 2 of the last 3 matches. Only one possible result -


France win by an absolute rout

Taylorman wrote:

Cyril on 606v2 wrote:If England just play their own game and perform well enough they'll beat the French.

I'm not sure there's that much enigma about France these days. They're fairly predictable and very beatable. They've been overrated for a while and are still riding on wave of the odd decent performance against the SH sides. They're normally up there in the 6Ns but I can see Ireland and Scotland beating them too.

Really?
How predictable were these results:
2011 Wcup- losing to Tonga, getting thrashed by NZ in pool then beating England, Wales and then nearly NZ in the final- Which of those were predicable?

2012- Thrashing Oz and beating Argie and Samoa then losing to Italy and an 8 match losing side in Wales at home in less than 2 months?

I mean- who does that?

Beatable? Yes...predictable...there couldnt be a side that less fits that description.

I predicted that!