Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Friday, 8 February 2013
2013 Six Nations - Italy v France
Apologies any Azzurri fans who stopped by to see this earlier in the week. I was late with this one because I could not find the same statistic sources I used for the other two matches from the same round. I have cobbled together a slight alternative format though, which I should be able to use if this happens again.
So here it is. Italy’s historic win over France - that’s now two in a row at home in the Six Nations. Some would call that a hoodoo! And as for that big fella Castro ... what a player. Love when a front rower becomes a star. And let’s also hope Luciano Orquera’s star continues to shine because no matter how good the forwards, or the outside backs, every ship needs a skilled helmsman.
So here it is. Italy’s historic win over France - that’s now two in a row at home in the Six Nations. Some would call that a hoodoo! And as for that big fella Castro ... what a player. Love when a front rower becomes a star. And let’s also hope Luciano Orquera’s star continues to shine because no matter how good the forwards, or the outside backs, every ship needs a skilled helmsman.
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Monday, 12 March 2012
Six Nations: France v England
Allez Les Rosbifs! A win in Paris. Snuffing out France’s title hopes, away. You’ve got to be happy with that England fans?..
I’ll admit, I have yet to watch the game (these stat things take up watching time!), so I can't criticise or flatter either way ... but this must strengthen Stuart Lancaster’s credentials to retain the coaching role. He must have a chance now since he has actually got these guys to play for each other.However, I guess I’d temper that enthusiasm by saying the RFU should search hard and interview their wish list well. Whether its Nick Mallett, Jake White, Wayne Smith or Stuart Lancaster, they must do due diligence and make the right, well-thought out decision.
And I say this as a burned All Black fan: remember when we ditched Wayne Smith in favour of John Mitchell and Robbie Deans? That was the sort of knee-jerk, botched botched decision that makes an Otago Rugby Union Finance Officer look competent
Come on Wales!!!
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Sunday, 5 February 2012
2012 Six Nations - France v Italy
Welcome back ... its Statto Time!
The Six Nations for 2012 is underway “Up North, Up North”, so while Ferdy is soaking it up in the pubs, I’ll wheel out some more graphical stat summaries for the tourney after reading the papers hours later
Things have been tweaked a little. I have changed sources for the 6N to use espnscrum.com and the Official RBS Six Nations site ... so blame them for interpretations, not me.
First blood to France. Which is nice ... I mean it must be nice to win something for a change.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Wales and France go through - RWC 2011 quarter finals
Ireland 10 - Wales 22
Ooh la la! This was rugby at it's most exciting. Wales have announced themselves on the world stage with an impassioned win against Ireland. I have to eat all my words for my first two quarter final predictions. I really thought Ireland were going to win this game, but their backs had no answer to a striking Welsh rush defence and an excellent forward effort. How wonderful for Wales, a true rugby nation that endeavours to play exciting ball in hand rugger. They must be drunk in the valleys tonight. No wonder Warren Gatland couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He has done wonders with this Welsh team. They always had the players, but now they have the confidence, the fitness levels and the belief as well. They could really go all the way. I almost could handle Wales winning this thing (almost, but not quite).
England 12-19 France
Meanwhile on the other side of the drawer England put up a spirited second half attack to try and claw their way back from a 16 - 0 deficit after France's flying start in the first half. Which French team turned up to play? The one that continually surprises on the world cup stage, and that's why we love France so much. Somebody said on twitter that when England loses, it is good for rugby. I don't want to be too mean to England because they've had a hard time of it in this tournament and I genuinely felt for Lewis Moody who gave a very gracious post match speech. However, if England had progressed to the final stages of this world cup, it would have been a travesty. They have not brought anything to the game in the last eight years and they did not deserve to be in the top four. They are soaking in wealth and get to call the shots with timetables and their powerful money hungry clubs. But they just haven't added anything to the international stage for quite some time. It's official, winning ugly is finally out of fashion. So justice has prevailed. It was still a cracking match though, nailbiting until the end.
As Slugso said - the north have zipped up the once gaping hole in skills between the south. This world cup is turning into a true classic. Shades of 1987 are beginning to shine through the clouds.....
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Quarter Finalist Preview: France
Ferdy says:
Oh the cliches I could start blabbering on about. Which French team will turn up on the day? The great French flair. The Gallic charm. Blah blah blah.
France aren’t going to win it this time. They have fallen apart at the seams with a coach that makes Peter de Villiers look like a nobel prize winner. The team has fallen out in nuclear fashion publicly with Lievremont and him with his players. And the humiliating loss against Tonga would not have done them any favours either leading into the knockouts. France have disappointed this tournament. It’s a shame, but they’ll be back.
Ferdy’s pick: quarter finalists.
Slugso says:
That bag of cliches becomes a Louis Vuitton suitcase when talking about Les Bleus. No one knows the upsets they can dish out more than an All Blacks fan, and they even beat us in Dunedin in 2009.
However, the travelling circus that is Marc Lievremont’s selection policy has reached new levels in this World Cup. No Florian Fritz or Yannick Jauzion of Toulon picked, and he has tinkered constantly since passing through Duty Free, and that is the shame of it all – this team of immense ability has never had a chance to gel before or during the tournament.
Maybe its a twisted sentimentality that I hope France get up for this, and “do to England, what they did to us”, but if they have any self-respect, any desire not to become a laughing stock, spoiled little gaggle of enfants like their football team, they’ll sort their heads out and blitz England for pride alone. Then they can fold in the semi.
They lost two pool games, and should not be here at all, but for class across the park and accurate goal kicking ... I am picking them.
Slugso: France by a late try. Take that Ashton.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Monday, 19 September 2011
Pool A: France v Canada
“Great Kleeberger’s Beard, that was close!”
What a game - once again a very sharp effort from Canada, that really pushed France all the way. Though they may have run away with it in the end this was another beauty of a RWC 2011 match where the 4th ranked team in the World got a fright from the team ranked 10th!
Check the score flow on our stat graphic and you can see how even it was, how it ziiged & zagged - France only survived by the boot of Morgan Parra and the fleet Frency feet of Vinacent Clerc. Must mention that both I and Mrs Slugso had him in our fantasy teams, so we were very happy with his hattrick. She had him as Captain of her team so got double points.
Double Vincent Clerc ... What does it all meeaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnn???!!!!!!
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Pool A: France v Japan
The Brave Blossoms indeed, for a minute or three there they absolutely put the wind up the French in a spell that saw them go wide, go tight, kick long, chip, turn the French around. Really clever rugby I thought.
Shame it could not be sustained for longer, but they did their fans proud. And won’t John Kirwan’s mum be pleased watching from the stands? I think so.
I know the stands may not have been full today, but there is certainly atmosphere.
I remain a fan of the French - I believe their backs are some of the players in the world: Rougerie, Clerc, Medard & Heymans are World Class. I look forward to the game against the All Blacks. France had a patchy start, just like us, so it will be a doozey.
Besides, when we both go through, we could still meet again ... in the final?
Again, these pretty graphics don’t mean squat if ruckingoodstats.com doesn’t crunch the numbers. Thanks, dude.
Shame it could not be sustained for longer, but they did their fans proud. And won’t John Kirwan’s mum be pleased watching from the stands? I think so.
I know the stands may not have been full today, but there is certainly atmosphere.
I remain a fan of the French - I believe their backs are some of the players in the world: Rougerie, Clerc, Medard & Heymans are World Class. I look forward to the game against the All Blacks. France had a patchy start, just like us, so it will be a doozey.
Besides, when we both go through, we could still meet again ... in the final?
Again, these pretty graphics don’t mean squat if ruckingoodstats.com doesn’t crunch the numbers. Thanks, dude.
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
All Blacks verse France post mortem
The All Black / France inveco series - although a frustrating affair has been a good barometer of where the All Blacks and New Zealand are set for 2011. Unfortunately the barometer indicates that we’re currently not in a very good position.
Tialata and Rokocoko need to go
Firstly, our lack of depth has been sorely exposed. Although it was hard to lose to France in the first test in Dunedin, the old saying is true that you learn more from your losses than your wins. What can we in the end take from this assorted mish mash of All Blacks who were filling in for the superstars and how do they improve if the superstars don’t find their fitness on time? Firstly, Henry and the selectors need to seriously consider dropping the deadwood from the team that didn’t do much in the super 14 and weren’t too flash in the tests either. That means Tialata and Rokocoko should be replaced until they ‘find their form’.
Favourable stats but no go forward – what’s happened to our backs?
A big worry as far as I was concerned was the lack of potency in the backline which by New Zealand standards is surprising. Whether this was caused by the lack of finesse around Cowan and Donald’s game or whether it was more to do with the sluggish forwards is anyone’s guess. Even though the media rabbited on about the forwards beating the French in the second test, with wonderful performances by Mealamu and Thorne aside, it still didn’t look to me like the French were quivering in their boots when it came to the All Black scrum. More work needs to be done.
Where’s our trophy? Boo hoo hoo.
The anti Henry brigade was given further ammunition when the All Black coach admitted he had not told his team they needed to win the second test by six points to retain the silverware. It was news to me that there was even silverware to be won but really - what saddo cares about some tin pot trophy that no-one even knows the name of anyway? Well obviously, the balding, middle aged red necks of the New Zealand media – that’s who. “Henry’s gaffe was sheer stupidity!” screams the self righteous Jonanthan Millmow from the Dominion Post. As far as I’m concerned there’s only one trophy that we all really want and that hasn’t seen the light of day in NZ since 1987, but that’s a whole other story.
Meathead All Black supporters give the rest a bad name
The embarrassments continued well after the tests for this country when the French team were pelted with rubbish by moronic All Black ‘fans’ at Carisbrook after the first test and the French centre Mathieu Bastareaud was assaulted outside a cab rank by a group of meatheads after the Wellington test on Saturday. It just depresses me so much when I hear about this and I wonder – are this country’s rugby supporters of the zombie ilk? Most are good but the small minority who don’t have two brain cells to rub together and need booze and violence to make them feel like real men are letting the rest of us down. There is a divide in this country – those who like rugby and those who don’t. The reason lots don’t like the game are because of the zombies who boo, jeer and assault. And they’re giving the rest of us a bad name internationally too.
Which leads me onto - the lack of singing in the anthem?
It’s good that everyone’s going on about the fact that the All Blacks look like a pack of stuffed morons when they line up for the anthem and barely move their lips. But they’ve always been like this so I’m surprised people are going on about it now. Their actions typify a section (not all) of New Zealand society who are very repressed, staunch and dour. Basically singing a song to the emotionally retarded = bad as it means you are not very masculine. Doing a haka and getting angry = good however as it means you’re very manly and primal. It’s all macho bullshit as far as I’m concerned but apart from Graham Henry standing on a chair and giving them all a singing lesson I really can’t see what’s going to be done about making them sing. Personally, it would be preferable if they only performed the haka a couple of times a year. Having pride in Maori culture is great but the haka is now overdone and is more posturing pantomime than a spiritual expression of our indigenous culture. And if these All Blacks are so proud of the Maori culture, why is it they won’t sing the words to the Maori verse of the anthem?
Tialata and Rokocoko need to go
Firstly, our lack of depth has been sorely exposed. Although it was hard to lose to France in the first test in Dunedin, the old saying is true that you learn more from your losses than your wins. What can we in the end take from this assorted mish mash of All Blacks who were filling in for the superstars and how do they improve if the superstars don’t find their fitness on time? Firstly, Henry and the selectors need to seriously consider dropping the deadwood from the team that didn’t do much in the super 14 and weren’t too flash in the tests either. That means Tialata and Rokocoko should be replaced until they ‘find their form’.
Favourable stats but no go forward – what’s happened to our backs?
A big worry as far as I was concerned was the lack of potency in the backline which by New Zealand standards is surprising. Whether this was caused by the lack of finesse around Cowan and Donald’s game or whether it was more to do with the sluggish forwards is anyone’s guess. Even though the media rabbited on about the forwards beating the French in the second test, with wonderful performances by Mealamu and Thorne aside, it still didn’t look to me like the French were quivering in their boots when it came to the All Black scrum. More work needs to be done.
Where’s our trophy? Boo hoo hoo.
The anti Henry brigade was given further ammunition when the All Black coach admitted he had not told his team they needed to win the second test by six points to retain the silverware. It was news to me that there was even silverware to be won but really - what saddo cares about some tin pot trophy that no-one even knows the name of anyway? Well obviously, the balding, middle aged red necks of the New Zealand media – that’s who. “Henry’s gaffe was sheer stupidity!” screams the self righteous Jonanthan Millmow from the Dominion Post. As far as I’m concerned there’s only one trophy that we all really want and that hasn’t seen the light of day in NZ since 1987, but that’s a whole other story.
Meathead All Black supporters give the rest a bad name
The embarrassments continued well after the tests for this country when the French team were pelted with rubbish by moronic All Black ‘fans’ at Carisbrook after the first test and the French centre Mathieu Bastareaud was assaulted outside a cab rank by a group of meatheads after the Wellington test on Saturday. It just depresses me so much when I hear about this and I wonder – are this country’s rugby supporters of the zombie ilk? Most are good but the small minority who don’t have two brain cells to rub together and need booze and violence to make them feel like real men are letting the rest of us down. There is a divide in this country – those who like rugby and those who don’t. The reason lots don’t like the game are because of the zombies who boo, jeer and assault. And they’re giving the rest of us a bad name internationally too.
Which leads me onto - the lack of singing in the anthem?
It’s good that everyone’s going on about the fact that the All Blacks look like a pack of stuffed morons when they line up for the anthem and barely move their lips. But they’ve always been like this so I’m surprised people are going on about it now. Their actions typify a section (not all) of New Zealand society who are very repressed, staunch and dour. Basically singing a song to the emotionally retarded = bad as it means you are not very masculine. Doing a haka and getting angry = good however as it means you’re very manly and primal. It’s all macho bullshit as far as I’m concerned but apart from Graham Henry standing on a chair and giving them all a singing lesson I really can’t see what’s going to be done about making them sing. Personally, it would be preferable if they only performed the haka a couple of times a year. Having pride in Maori culture is great but the haka is now overdone and is more posturing pantomime than a spiritual expression of our indigenous culture. And if these All Blacks are so proud of the Maori culture, why is it they won’t sing the words to the Maori verse of the anthem?
Sunday, 14 October 2007
England Through To The 2007 Rugby World Cup Final
England 14 - France 9
There comes moments in sport where you just sit in shock, absolutely flabbergasted by the outcome. Four weeks ago when England could not even score a single point against South Africa, I did not in my wildest dreams imagine that today we would be sitting here, talking about the courageousness of Brian Ashton's men making it through these last few games. But they have - on brute strength, calm belief, experienced old heads, a passionate forward pack and a man that is one of the superheros of the modern era in rugby.
France and England were evenly matched today. But after the French threw everything at the All Black kitchen sink last weekend they lacked the extra fizz to convert their huge territorial advantage into points. Although this game had intensity it was in large parts an aerial ping pong display where the boot ruled. And everybody knows that if it comes down to the boot, then the team with Jonny Wilkinson will probably prevail.
England surprised the French by climbing on board early with an opportunist Josh Lewsey try off a French fumble from the kick off. This proved to be the only try of the test as as both sides closed down for a more physical encounter - exchanging penalties, kicking for field position and occasionally having a go at each other's line.
The old adage of the team who scores first in the second half will win did not come home to roost this time for Bernard Laporte's men. After Lionel Beauxis kicked his third penalty to take the lead 9-5, England ground their way back into the game. At around the 73rd minute, Wilkinson nailed a penalty after the ever inspiring Jason Robinson suffered a head high tackle and the balance of power shifted between the two teams. In every match there comes a moment where you just know who will be walking home the victor. For me this was England's moment. Wilkinson put the nail into the coffin in the dying minutes with a trademark drop goal and the 30,000 English spectators roared.
I haven't been kind to England (because they have been rubbish these last four years) but tonight I have nothing but admiration for a team that has been so low in the past. They showed incredible spirit, self belief and they deserve to be in the final. They have come back from the depths of despair, have been in tatters after their period with Andy Robinson, have suffered injuries to key players and have often looked like a team that has been walking around on antidepressants. Key credit has to lie with their humble coach Brian Ashton, their battling spirit, their crunching forwards, their old heads (Mike Catt, Jason Robinson take a bow) and of course their main man, Jonny. The guy represents everything good about rugby.
England beat Australia in extra-time to win the last World Cup final in 2003 and by beating France, they join Australia as the only countries to play in three World Cup finals and two in succession. Well done Engerland.
There comes moments in sport where you just sit in shock, absolutely flabbergasted by the outcome. Four weeks ago when England could not even score a single point against South Africa, I did not in my wildest dreams imagine that today we would be sitting here, talking about the courageousness of Brian Ashton's men making it through these last few games. But they have - on brute strength, calm belief, experienced old heads, a passionate forward pack and a man that is one of the superheros of the modern era in rugby.
France and England were evenly matched today. But after the French threw everything at the All Black kitchen sink last weekend they lacked the extra fizz to convert their huge territorial advantage into points. Although this game had intensity it was in large parts an aerial ping pong display where the boot ruled. And everybody knows that if it comes down to the boot, then the team with Jonny Wilkinson will probably prevail.
England surprised the French by climbing on board early with an opportunist Josh Lewsey try off a French fumble from the kick off. This proved to be the only try of the test as as both sides closed down for a more physical encounter - exchanging penalties, kicking for field position and occasionally having a go at each other's line.
The old adage of the team who scores first in the second half will win did not come home to roost this time for Bernard Laporte's men. After Lionel Beauxis kicked his third penalty to take the lead 9-5, England ground their way back into the game. At around the 73rd minute, Wilkinson nailed a penalty after the ever inspiring Jason Robinson suffered a head high tackle and the balance of power shifted between the two teams. In every match there comes a moment where you just know who will be walking home the victor. For me this was England's moment. Wilkinson put the nail into the coffin in the dying minutes with a trademark drop goal and the 30,000 English spectators roared.
I haven't been kind to England (because they have been rubbish these last four years) but tonight I have nothing but admiration for a team that has been so low in the past. They showed incredible spirit, self belief and they deserve to be in the final. They have come back from the depths of despair, have been in tatters after their period with Andy Robinson, have suffered injuries to key players and have often looked like a team that has been walking around on antidepressants. Key credit has to lie with their humble coach Brian Ashton, their battling spirit, their crunching forwards, their old heads (Mike Catt, Jason Robinson take a bow) and of course their main man, Jonny. The guy represents everything good about rugby.
England beat Australia in extra-time to win the last World Cup final in 2003 and by beating France, they join Australia as the only countries to play in three World Cup finals and two in succession. Well done Engerland.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Rugby World Cup: All Blacks V France Selection Headaches
Right in the middle of the All Black jersey debacle, Graham Henry has called his first fifteen for the mouthwatering France V New Zealand clash at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday. In there are a few selections I’m not so sure about…
For me the jury is still out on Luke McAlister. He has impact for sure (in a Carlos Spencer type way) but has he got the brain to think tactically on his feet when things are going belly up. Mauger although not so hot on defence, does offer a tactical aspect as well as something else invaluable to the All Black backline: support to Dan Carter which perhaps the 23 year old McAlister is not so au fait with yet. Considering also that this will be the biggest game of McAlister’s life, questions remain whether he has the temperament to match the occasion. I hope so but we will have to wait and see.
Other calls that raised a few eyebrows were the omission of Doug Howlett for Sitiveni ‘butterfingers’ Sivivatu; Mils Muliaina at centre plus Keith Robinson on for Chris Jack. Sivivatu has done himself no favours in his last few outings for the All Blacks with messy distribution and his own personal eye off the ball managing almost singlehandedly to up the All Black error rate to grandiose proportions (ok that's an exaggeration - but I just don't like the guy damn it). I’m surprised he is in the 22 at all as I don’t think he has either warranted his position or has the big match temperament to take it to the French. I hope he proves me wrong.
Muliaina is best at full back and with Les Bleus by the looks of things, planning to play a kicking game deep into the All Black 22 he would have been the safest man for the job. Instead we have McDonald who although is in excellent form, may not be the most reliable when it comes to the up and unders or covering tackles in the pressure cooker moments.
Keith Robinson is abrasive and probably a good starter. That is if he manages to make it through the warm ups (around about an 80% possibility that he won’t). Still, who am I to complain? I’m not Graham Henry (thankfully) so I’ll leave it to them and hope for the best. For a run down of the perceived French strength and weaknesses check out Jonny’s excellent review on Scrumbag.
New Zealand team
L MacDonald; J Rokocoko, M Muliaina, L McAlister, S Sivavutu; D Carter, B Kelleher; T Woodcock, A Oliver, C Hayman, K Robinson, A Williams, J Collins, R McCaw (capt), R So'oialo. Reps: K Mealamu, N Tialata, C Jack, C Masoe, B Leonard, N Evans, I Toeava.
For me the jury is still out on Luke McAlister. He has impact for sure (in a Carlos Spencer type way) but has he got the brain to think tactically on his feet when things are going belly up. Mauger although not so hot on defence, does offer a tactical aspect as well as something else invaluable to the All Black backline: support to Dan Carter which perhaps the 23 year old McAlister is not so au fait with yet. Considering also that this will be the biggest game of McAlister’s life, questions remain whether he has the temperament to match the occasion. I hope so but we will have to wait and see.
Other calls that raised a few eyebrows were the omission of Doug Howlett for Sitiveni ‘butterfingers’ Sivivatu; Mils Muliaina at centre plus Keith Robinson on for Chris Jack. Sivivatu has done himself no favours in his last few outings for the All Blacks with messy distribution and his own personal eye off the ball managing almost singlehandedly to up the All Black error rate to grandiose proportions (ok that's an exaggeration - but I just don't like the guy damn it). I’m surprised he is in the 22 at all as I don’t think he has either warranted his position or has the big match temperament to take it to the French. I hope he proves me wrong.
Muliaina is best at full back and with Les Bleus by the looks of things, planning to play a kicking game deep into the All Black 22 he would have been the safest man for the job. Instead we have McDonald who although is in excellent form, may not be the most reliable when it comes to the up and unders or covering tackles in the pressure cooker moments.
Keith Robinson is abrasive and probably a good starter. That is if he manages to make it through the warm ups (around about an 80% possibility that he won’t). Still, who am I to complain? I’m not Graham Henry (thankfully) so I’ll leave it to them and hope for the best. For a run down of the perceived French strength and weaknesses check out Jonny’s excellent review on Scrumbag.
New Zealand team
L MacDonald; J Rokocoko, M Muliaina, L McAlister, S Sivavutu; D Carter, B Kelleher; T Woodcock, A Oliver, C Hayman, K Robinson, A Williams, J Collins, R McCaw (capt), R So'oialo. Reps: K Mealamu, N Tialata, C Jack, C Masoe, B Leonard, N Evans, I Toeava.
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