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Pool C - England, France, Argentina, United States, Tonga
- Thread starter James
- Start date
Howe_zat
Audio File
Ireland opening the world cup by beating the other tier 1 in their pool very comfortably. And they'll still be in the competition after next week. I don't think it's any comparison.
Argentina and Fiji were supposed to be the sides making waves, but they've had one good half of rugby on the opening day and then done nothing. It's made the two pools that were difficult on paper seem quite easy to get out of.
Argentina and Fiji were supposed to be the sides making waves, but they've had one good half of rugby on the opening day and then done nothing. It's made the two pools that were difficult on paper seem quite easy to get out of.
flibbertyjibber
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Wales will be desperate to play France. France look average.
andruid
Cricketer Of The Year
So we are in agreement Scotland are not top tier?
ripper868
International Coach
Said New Zealand in 1999, 2007 and almost again in 2011....dont discount the frogs, especially **** looking frogs.
Howe_zat
Audio File
I am risking a colossal case of the mockers, but I was thinking about your post while cooking and couldn't not form a contrary opinion, so here goes
Those teams that made everyone keep saying 'you never know which French side will turn up' were much, much better than this one. They weren't consistent enough to be highly rated against the All Blacks, but the 2007-11 team had world class, experienced players like Dusatoir, Harinordoquy, Ibanez, Clerc, Pelous... They used to under-achieve given the quality of players they had, but they could still dominate a season. It wasn't just random world cup games, they won three six nations grand slams too.
France just don't have anyone like that now. Who in the French side now is a world class player with 50+ caps, and has long term partnerships with another player in French colours? In the six nations they've gone most of a decade without appearing in the top three. When they turn it on they can look amazing for 20 minutes or so, but they don't have the experience or cohesion to make a proper world cup campaign.
Those teams that made everyone keep saying 'you never know which French side will turn up' were much, much better than this one. They weren't consistent enough to be highly rated against the All Blacks, but the 2007-11 team had world class, experienced players like Dusatoir, Harinordoquy, Ibanez, Clerc, Pelous... They used to under-achieve given the quality of players they had, but they could still dominate a season. It wasn't just random world cup games, they won three six nations grand slams too.
France just don't have anyone like that now. Who in the French side now is a world class player with 50+ caps, and has long term partnerships with another player in French colours? In the six nations they've gone most of a decade without appearing in the top three. When they turn it on they can look amazing for 20 minutes or so, but they don't have the experience or cohesion to make a proper world cup campaign.
Bahnz
Hall of Fame Member
Yeah, France just look really really bad. They played to their ceiling against an average Argentina side and still only barely scrapped out a win. They seem like they're in a similar - and possibly even worse - place to where they were in 2015. They're quite lucky they didn't end up in a pool with Japan, whose consistency and structure I reckon would be too much for them atm. Wales should be very pleased to be playing them rather than England.
ripper868
International Coach
Quality post Howe.
Cue france victory by 36 in the quarter final as Ntamack, DuPont, Vakarawa, Raka and Pinaud finally pull it all together.....
But no, my comment was more throw away then a serious thing, and was more in pining for the days of Dominici, Sella, Bernat-Salles, Castignede et al....this France do look muck average and should be seen safely away.
Cue france victory by 36 in the quarter final as Ntamack, DuPont, Vakarawa, Raka and Pinaud finally pull it all together.....
But no, my comment was more throw away then a serious thing, and was more in pining for the days of Dominici, Sella, Bernat-Salles, Castignede et al....this France do look muck average and should be seen safely away.