Fly-half: Frédéric Michalak
France have recalled veteran Frédéric Michalak to fly-half while Florian Fritz and Maxime Médard also make the XV for their Six Nations clash with Ireland.
Les Bleus go into the match at the Aviva Stadium rooted to the bottom of the table and are out to avoid their first wooden spoon since 1999.
Philippe Saint-André's men, however, have the psychological advantage of knowing that they have only lost once to Ireland in their last 13 games - the Irish's Grand Slam victory in 2009.
France have named an unchanged pack for the clash, with Thierry Dusautoir leading the side.
France: 15 Yoann Huget, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Maxime Medard, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Christophe Samson, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 Benjamin Kayser, 1 Thomas Domingo.
Replacements: 16 Guilhem Guirado, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Luc Ducalcon, 19 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 20 Antonie Claassen, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Francois Trinh-Duc, 23 Mathieu Bastareaud.
Date: Saturday, March 9
Kick-off: 17:00
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Greg Garner (England)
Television match official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Comments
KiwiRooster says...
Regarding Bastareaud, I found his pairing with Fofana to be rather promising. Let's not forget it was only their first appearance together.
Bastareaud made some excellent strides forward (as he did brilliantly against Stade Toulousain last week) and he was simply fantastic in defense including against Tuilagi. Fritz pairing with Fofana is a good one too (so would be Yann David's I am guessing) but Bastareaud is ahead in my book.
Technically speaking I am not buying the "Bastareaud cannot deliver a pass" thing. We used to have the same banters about Ma'a Nonu back in NZ. I have seen Bastareaud doing far trickier things - including with the boot - that many players much lighter than him (Trinh-Duc is one) are not capable of pulling off.
Yet again a player can only be as goog as the game plan allows him to be. By nature a fly-half as a playmaker will always take more risk than a centre. So, all Bastareaud needs from PSA and Lagisquet is a licence to thrill so to play out of the box.
Having said all that, I disagree with most French journalists when I read Bastareaud is fitter than ever. Everything else (passing, off-loading, etc) will be fixed with more game time along Fofana, but on the fitness side I still believe France is too far at the back of the class, especially their clubs.
I have often said Bastareaud could be one of the very best centres in World rugby if he could trim down to a Lote Tuqiri size. His bulk and speed may be what he relies on right now, but he will gain more endurance and freedom of movements if he was to lose fat. Bastareaud's got an exceptionnal body frame but I do believe he would benefit from having a better fitness coach.
It is sad for French rugby when you need to fly your best players to South Africa to actually make them look like professional rugby players. Michalak won't disagree.
Posted 07:28 08th March 2013
KiwiRooster says...
Take a look at players data and very often among French players (regular or bench warmers in the Top 14 clubs) you will see half-backs, fullbacks, wingers or centres with the following features (and that is only one example): 1,82 meter for 82 kilograms weight. That is roughly 5'12" for 181 pounds.
Somehow this is a proof in the pudding that something inside French clubs must be horribly wrong. After 20 weeks of 2 hours a day simple fitness and muscle training (no heavy weight nor substance taking - nor creatine or protein powders) I put up 8 kilos more on the scale (while I never was fat from the start). So that would be 1,83 meter for 92 kilograms (6'00" for 203 pounds). That is 10 kilograms more than some of these professional sport players, isn't it shocking?
I know there are other variables such as age, bone structure et al however just tell me, how come professional rugby players training and playing day in day out, can only manage to be so frail as these players do? Are they just running around in circle like we used to do in primary school? Aren't there anything more elaborate in the French arsenal of training methods? Having witness both French and New Zealand training methods, I will have to answer alas no. Maybe their fitness coach should drop their meaningless diploma and take a hard look on YouTube to watch the thousands of natural training methods available to gain power and speed...
Anyways, I am just saying there is something that seems incredibly dated to me in the whole French rugby organisation. From the Union, League, Club owners, Managing Directors all the way down to the players, I just cannot see an ambitious sporting project. And yet they get results but not the best result, so where would French rugby be if they could tick all the boxes of modern day sport? They might have lift up the Webb Ellis trophy once by now. But instead...
Posted 06:43 08th March 2013
KiwiRooster says...
I am positive PSA does not need much to spark this French team alive.
Bring back a few injured or missing players (Dulin, Forestier, Fickou), drop Trinh-Duc for good and bring in a new 10 for instance Lopez, bring in a new type of winger (the electric type) for instance O'Connor or Andreu (who else...) and France will become a lot more dangerous from everywhere on the pitch. Leave Fofana at centre no need to say.
From time to time bring in a couple of new players among the likes of Paillaugue, Wisniewski, Galan, Guiry, Fuster, Ric, Ben Arous, Gerondeau, etc. to see how they perform at this level.
And maybe give the sack to Lagisquet. If you are to pick an assistant coach for the backs, why bringing one who made Biarritz Olympique look ordinary and spineless?
Posted 05:56 08th March 2013
KiwiRooster says...
@dafyddg84 Clerc is not as thrilling as he used to be. While he remains a World-class finisher I doubt his form will improve till RWC 2015. You can tell his age is taking its toll game after game and frankly I would hate to see him leaving the game washed out like Dominici at the RWC 2007. It would not be fair, I believe it is time for Huget to make the right wing his own and bring a new player on the left wing. I have already said Marvin O'Connor should have been picked ahead of this 6N Tournament.
@Haldir Trinh-Duc only looks reliable because he is basically little more than a defender. What else can he propose? Virtually nothing. Technically speaking he has never been up to scratch, Trinh-Duc has no boot. The strange thing to me is that while Michalak has often been mercurial playing for France and French clubs, he has been hugely consistent and even decisive when playing in South Africa. He admitted himself having lost weight since returning to France and I do believe this is a recurrent issue: French rugby has not embraced modern day rugby. When I look at Carl Hayman the All Blacks versus Carl Hayman the Toulon prop, it is just embarassing. The player has not lost his talent but he was so much fitter in New Zealand it tells me a lot about French clubs training methods. It tells me they have not got any. In my view, there is a level of fitness French clubs are not capable of delivering in training.
Back to Trinh-Duc, I say drop him out of international rugby. He never had the technique to play at 10 at this level. This is not Top 14 level. I have said that many times and I say it again: attempting drop goals in your opponent's 22 (failing mostly) is not a sign of composure. It is recurrent with Trinh-Duc and it shows nothing but a shortage in technique and therefore confidence. Trinh-Duc just does not have the arsenal to make the best out of a given situation.
Posted 05:27 08th March 2013
Feergmeister says...
Ireland to hockey France as they did Argentina...cue up sat eve to ask me how I knew!
Posted 01:00 08th March 2013
mlbp says...
Has anyone noticed that France can boast a virtually full-strength squad for the fourth week of the tournament for the first time in years? I think the only crocked player is Papé. Last year at least four players were unavailable through injury. PSA cannot blame injuries for the state of his team. They may have played more matches than the rest of the players in the other teams (Maestri and Michalak have had long seasons) and they can be more tired than the opposition but in other years the French selectors had to dig deep into their bench resources. There is no excuse now for France. They really have to deliver.
Michalak when he is good he is better than any other 10 in France. Trinh-Duc doesn't offer the tactical solutions Freddie brings to the team. Let's see if Parra and Michalak gel well.
Posted 20:22 07th March 2013
1st58 says...
PSA = dead man walking
Posted 16:45 07th March 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
I can see why Bastareaud got dropped. He's not going to start a match for his distribution or to run 100m. He's there to smash over the gainline and to be a brick wall in defence and Manu bulldosed him in round 3, so whats the point of picking bastareaud? There isn't one.
Posted 15:54 07th March 2013
melkdave says...
Have to say im still a bit baffald over some of the selections.Surly Huget and Medard,you would have expected to be the other way round.I was also expecting Trin-duc to start at 10 .As to Fitz starting instead of Bastareud i can understand,though myself i would have done it the other way round start Bast andrun him hard and often into the centers,hopefully tire them then bring on Fritz .Stil lthink France will really be up for tis match,and want it more,but think it will be closer than i 1st thought.So 5-8 points Mainly because that french pack has such potential to dominate their irish counterparts imo.,and thats such a huge part of Irelands game ,No edge in the forwards and Ireland tend to struggle badly.
Posted 14:43 07th March 2013
Haldir says...
Mental. FTD is far more comfortable, composed, and reliable.
Posted 14:10 07th March 2013
Spartacus says...
@yuri29 - ignorant comment? I have watched Michalak for many years and whilst he has flashes of brilliance I have never seen anything to match the hype. More to the point, I have seen him repeatedly crumble in the big games and single handedly lose games for his team.
Yes, fans of other teams do cheer when they see him on the team sheet, as do their fans, because they know to apply a bit of pressure and the game is theirs. Do you really think he would be picked for any of the top 10 nations in the world? Even Ireland wouldnt pick him with their current issues. Remember what NZ did to Carlos Spencer after just 1 bad game? And Spencer was a much more talented player.
And you also miss the point on the Parra comment. PSA made a big joke about not picking Parra "out of position" at 10. He then picks a worse player at 10 and picks several players out of position. Michalak and PSA are finished.
Posted 13:50 07th March 2013
dafyddg84 says...
As an Irish fan there's 2 words in there that scare the hell out of me: Vincent Clerc... if he's off the field, we have a chance!!
Posted 13:50 07th March 2013
markpat says...
As aneutral on this, my view on the fly half options are that Michalak offers more than Trinh-Duc, if he plays well, but if he plays badly, he plays MUCH worse than Trinh-Duc.
For me, that means Michalal is a bench player who you bring on to win you matches, if need be. Trinh-Duc won't lose you games, but also can't come on and turn the tide of the game.
For those claiming he was the best fly half last year, you're forgetting that he couldn't win the job until Lambie was injured. After that, he was good in games the Sharks were dominant, but, as he often does, he disappeared against better teams (e.g., Chiefs in the final). Same with the AIs, he is great when he gets a nice easy ride at fly half, terrible when he is under pressure.
Posted 13:45 07th March 2013
Frooschman says...
If Michalak hits his straps he is a far superior player to Trinh-Duc and Ireland better watch out. If he has another off day then you get him off ASAP and bring on the more reliable Trinh-Duc. Simple. Hopefully having Parra inside him will take some of the pressure off and allow him to play his natural game.
Posted 13:43 07th March 2013
bloggo says...
there are zero sane fly halves in france. fact. never have been and never will be. whenever a french team performs well they accept this fact and embrace the lunacy- and play very nice rugby.
however this may shed some light on why michelak was inexplicably thrown back in to this french team:
http://carsayer.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/exclusive-michalak-drinks-soup/
Posted 13:36 07th March 2013
makemehappy says...
80 minutes to make a bigger idiot of himself as opposed to coming on as a sub.
Posted 13:24 07th March 2013
Derrynane says...
Saw Toulon vs Toulouse on Setanta. Interesting match up between Bastareaud and Fritz. I thought that Bastareaud was better on the day. Fritz spent a lot of time coming in on the sides or rucks and being penalized. Bit of an odd selection though, all this chopping and changing. Does PDV ever make up his mind and stick with it?
Posted 12:59 07th March 2013
lorenz78 says...
I definitely believe Michalak is the best FH France have. The only plus Trinh Duc may have over him is being slightly more physical. Both are not sufficient as far as kicking game is concerned, but Parra can compensate from that point of view.
For sure Michalak is not in his best form, and has historically been inconsistent, but I am not so sure Trinh Duc adds much value at test level (in particular for creating opportunities for the backline)
Posted 12:44 07th March 2013
Fonzarelli says...
I'm sorry to fly against popular opinion, but Michelak wasn't that bad against England. Granted he did not have the best games vs Italy and Wales, but apart from goal kicking his game against England was more about the rubbish ball he was getting and had to use (France were already losing) and having to force the game, than anything else.
Posted 12:38 07th March 2013
Dafydd29 says...
Hopefully Michalak will get injured in training - that will at least give France a good chance.
Posted 12:31 07th March 2013