France to field a weakened team against the All Blacks?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/5262666/Fears-All-Blacks-could-face-French-B-side

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,’’ Lievremont told French rugby magazine Midi Olympique this week.

“But I would be lying if I said today I knew which way we would be approaching this game.

“Will we be able to take first place [in the pool], which would offer us a more favourable draw?

“The goal is to arrive with 30 fit players at the beginning of the tournament. If I have that, that would be ideal.

“I don’t know yet if we can beat New Zealand. We will play the match to win it but I don’t know if it will be a mixed team yet.

Please don't send a weakened team out Marc... it will be incredibly boring if teams just roll over to have their tummies tickled by the All Blacks until the quarter-final.

Here here.

The Scots tried that last time out, and it did neither side any favours.

Leivremont still doesn't know what his best team is anyway so who knows what side he will play.

It is just the prelude to the psychological games that will be played.

France is playing tricks on New Zealand.

Kiwireddevil wrote:Here here.

The Scots tried that last time out, and it did neither side any favours.

Well, it did Scotland a favour as a well-rested Scottish side overcame the challenge of the Italians to make the quarter-finals six days later.

But my Dad and I went to that game, and the tickets were pretty expensive for a dead rubber.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Leivremont still doesn't know what his best team is anyway so who knows what side he will play.

Indeed - his reserves side would porbably be closer to most people's first team than his actual first team.

I can't believe some would come out and talk like that before the world cuo.

Lievremont is a fool. His idea of a weakened team would probably beat his first choice XV, so it's still a lottery.

The sooner the French get shot of him the better. If they sacked him on the eve of the World Cup they'd be in better shape.

It didn't do Scotland any favours last time round in my view. We needed to challenge ourselves against the All Blacks and I believe it would have set us in better stead against Italy and Argentina. The squad arrived at the WC super-fit, they had been training for months. Not fielding a proper side against the ABs at the WC was embarrasing - I was ashamed. Lievremont should be sacked immediately if it transpires he's picked a reserve side to face New Zealand.

This time round, I've no issue with Robinson giving everyone a game against Romania and Georgia, but against Argentina and England I want us out all guns blazing. The only changes I can live with are horses for courses changes.

Is Frances B or C side any different to its A team?He has fielded about sixty odd different players during his tenure since 2007

Personally I think NZ should throw the France game.

It would be a brilliant move on several levels.

Firstly, it would take all the pressure off NZ.

Secondly, the world media would have a howling melt down of finger pointing and "choker" barbs, and NZ would disappear off the radar. Other side would be less likely to play their final against NZ.

Thirdly, it would move NZ onto England's side of the draw. NZ should be confident of beating the English who have a poor record in NZ and have never beaten NZ in a RWC - and on recent evidence NZ have the firepower to take this one out.

That would mean that NZ enter into England's preferable path route beyond that.

Yes gg but the path isnt so much about england. Its about SA or Oz.
Going by history a pool loss has often helped teams get better results though.
In 2007 the Nh sides were abysmal in pool play,yet losses turned to wins cone knockout time.
Nice tbought but unlike other coaches GH or any other ab coach would never send an ab team out based on an idea that risks a loss but you know that anyway. Interesting thought though.

People you miss a point or two,one the All Blacks have never lost a pool
match in a RWC.Pray God they NEVER throw any match whist i`m alive.
Two NO runner up in a pool match has gone on to win it,France in RWCs and out are different animals.
I expect France coming out firing but to lose narrowly,they would not then remeet to the final if both reached there.

That seems the most sensible view on how France should approach it emack, but if there's anything you can say about Marc Lievremont its that he almost never takes the most sensible view... he indulges in that most particular form of madness that French sporting bodies have seemed willing to tolerate in their coaches of late.

Lievremont is blowing smoke, assuming this is not another brain freeze. France already know they can defeat the ABs in NZ and have done so recently. Just as emack2 says, France will come out firing.

I completely dislike the idea of planning to lose a match. I believe if a team plans to lose one match, they better be prepared to lose more.

TheGreyGhost wrote:Thirdly, it would move NZ onto England's side of the draw. NZ should be confident of beating the English who have a poor record in NZ and have never beaten NZ in a RWC - and on recent evidence NZ have the firepower to take this one out.

That would mean that NZ enter into England's preferable path route beyond that.

Don't worry Ghost - Scotland will own England at the group stage, so you can still beat France and face England in the QFs, then we can see SB-W replicate with Shontayne Hape and Ben Foden the same tackling sequence Jonah Lomu perfected with Underwood and Catt.

Kiwireddevil wrote:Here here.

The Scots tried that last time out, and it did neither side any favours.

A moment of deep national embarrassment

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

Kiwireddevil wrote:Here here.

The Scots tried that last time out, and it did neither side any favours.

A moment of deep national embarrassment

I think had we known that New Zealand would be so easy to beat in 2007, Hadden would have picked the 1st XV

Easy for a Tier 1 nation defo