Lievremont: Bizarre selections
Related links
Teams
Also see
New Zealand media has blasted France's team as an "insult" and a "farce", claiming they have chosen an experimental line-up to face the All Blacks.
Rugby writers accused France of picking a weaker team because the loser of Saturday's game in Auckland is likely to face an easier route through the knock-out stages.
"It is an insult to the 60,000 who have bought tickets expecting a contest between teams at full strength," fumed rugby journalist Peter Bills, in a column in the New Zealand Herald.
"France have devalued the most eagerly awaited World Cup game for four years and blown an enormous raspberry at the IRB (International Rugby Board)," wrote Bills.
"France have made so many bizarre selections for this weekend that the conspiracy theory is the only logical explanation," he added.
The match is loaded with historical significance after France shocked the All Blacks in the quarter-finals four years ago, reviving memories of their famous 1999 semi when Les Bleus came storming back from behind to win 43-31.
French coach Marc Lievremont named scrum-half Morgan Parra at fly-half, left usual number eight Inamol Harinordoquy on the bench, while giving Dimitri Szarzewski his first start of the competition at hooker.
The French camp have hotly denied any suggestions that they are sending out an understrength team and insist they are bent on once again defeating the All Blacks.
The top team in Pool A will face likely knock-out games against Argentina and either South Africa or Australia to reach the final, while the runner-up looks set to play England and then Ireland or Wales.
"Coach Marc Lievremont has chosen virtually a second-string forward pack for the clash with the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday," wrote Bills.
"It is a match that the rugby world has been waiting to see since the draw was made. Ever since France put New Zealand out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup in Cardiff, All Black fans have waited for the chance for revenge.
"But Saturday's re-match has been downgraded close to an irrelevance by the deliberate French selection... The IRB would appear powerless to stop this kind of tactical manoeuvring. It is making a joke of the World Cup and officials should be concerned."
Elsewhere the Herald called it "Rugby World Cup's $460 French farce", referring to the high price of tickets for the hotly anticipated clash.
"It's not on. It's the World Cup, and you've got to play it like you mean it," All Blacks fan Peter Bone was quoted as saying.
The Dominion Post said France had shown a "laid-back attitude" to the game.
"The experimental halves pairing says it all. The result of Saturday's World Cup pool decider against the All Blacks is almost secondary from a French perspective," their correspondent wrote.
The French camp have hotly denied any suggestions that they are sending out an understrength team and insist they are bent on one again defeating the All Blacks.
Comments
APV1 says...
@ RealRugby
No. It was written by AN Englishman, not THE English. There's a world of difference. Otherwise, what you are suggesting is that, as a Nation, we have no independent thought. I hate to tell you but, like everyone else in the world, we do.
And the article was printed in a Kiwi paper. But you know what? I'm not going to blame every Kiwi for that, just the editor.
Posted 14:54 23rd September 2011
RealRugby says...
To all those savaging the kiwi media - get your facts straight. This us normal gutter press, so obviously written by the English!
Posted 01:00 23rd September 2011
APV1 says...
@ 7ton
Hear! Hear!
One skin... Two skin... Three skin... F.. Beanskin!
Posted 16:59 22nd September 2011
7ton says...
Beanskin
Your last sentence sums up the fact you have not got a clue
Posted 09:15 22nd September 2011
sandal says...
Peter Bills is a Briton who writes the occasional guest column for the New Zealand Herald. He does not speak for the Herald, and in fact his columns often contradict the Herald. It is not unusual for newspapers to present differing views that are not necessarily those of the newspapers.
(I suspect Ramage is right and he is a former drinking buddy of the Herald's editor.)
Having said that, the Herald on its own behalf has been stupid and arrogant on the subject of this French selection. I hope it doesn't come back to bite the Herald on the arse.
Posted 02:20 22nd September 2011
7ton says...
The article reporting Steve Hansens comments makes many of the posts here look a bit stupid
People shouldn't associate a whole nation with the remarks of a few Journo's and as APV1 very righly points out neither should the English get the blame just because one of the Journo's happens to be English.
Its just a load of hype to sell papers which attracts the usual noisemakers
Chokefreezone
Making a big noise yet again aye.
However on the subject of "scared of losing" and who's better at beating who in WC's NZ have a healthy 3-0 record over England when the have met in world cups so I would suggest perhaps it is you who is scared and hoping like hell NZ beat France on Saturday LOL!
As for France themselves I couldn't care what team they put out as they are still unpredictable and very dangerous.
Am looking forward to a good game.
Posted 00:22 22nd September 2011
felly says...
Hilarious. Always something for the rugby world to over-react about!!!
Posted 23:02 21st September 2011
KiwiBiggles says...
@ Ruckman
Hiya dude. Peter Bills doesn't like the French selection for Saturday night. So therefore... I have a bad attitude to rugby?
Thanks for that insight man.
Y'know, you could always try getting out into the fresh air...
Posted 22:08 21st September 2011
APV1 says...
@ tuffnut - you're probably right. It would have to be the under 15's to manage that!
@ Ramage - would I..?! ;-)
What I think is brilliant is the unnerving ability of some posters to manage to balme us Brits for almost everything! He may be the journalist (and I use the word in its loosest form), but it was a Kiwi paper that published it, with the permission of the editor. So it's not all down to "those bladdy poms again!!!"
And for those of you not familiar with the joutrnalistic prowess of our gutter press, I give you three examples - two rugby and the other not:
1. News of the World - phone hacking;
2. Sun - Mike Tindall cheating on his princess wife, whilst dribbling into a stranger's boobs, tossing off a dwarf (or something like that!);
3. Stephen Jones - The Sunday Times (maybe not "gutter", but he still divides opinions!).
Anyone else really enjoying the tournament, despite the rubbish that's spouted in the press?
Posted 17:40 21st September 2011
APV1 says...
RICHIE'S A CHEAT!
AND BAN THE HAKA, WHILST YOU'RE AT IT!
Posted 17:03 21st September 2011
Golden_StateNBA says...
The media want to stirr up the hype who cares.
In the end it's the players that will do the talking not us armchair critics. I think it's going to be a great game that I hope NZ win. I'm glad they will have a hard slog if they beat France as a world cup is something you have to earn.
I can see if NZ win many will say they can't win the cup away from home but if the draw goes the way it's going they would have had beat the best of the north and south.
Posted 16:37 21st September 2011
Choke_Free_Zone says...
coronach says...
Totally realise that - but you guys seem to be taking this personally, you should go out and have a beer or two, maybe take in some Dwarft throwing, Why not Call Tins and Co they know a good bar in Queenstown
Posted 15:55 21st September 2011
coronach says...
CFZ, read the other posts here - English writer with a syndicated column - and the PR thread "Hansen defends French selections", seems you are more wound up about this than anyone in NZ.
Posted 15:44 21st September 2011
jonesy2 says...
hey everyone on here realise that this is media rubbish uttered by a pom. this isnt what kiwis are saying! why are you lot taking the (pommy) media seriously? stop embarrassing yourselves. and who is anyone other than the french team and coach to say what is or isnt the strongest french team. i sure as hell dont know what it would be
Posted 15:39 21st September 2011
Choke_Free_Zone says...
Kiwi's your getting a little prickly about this aren't you? Getting a little worried, scared of losing to the French again - don't worry, lose this game and you have an easier match against England in the 1/4's - who as you know are better at Knockout competitions than the French. However if you manage to beat France you play Scotland willl let you walk over them as they love you so much kissy kissy
Posted 15:15 21st September 2011
Ramage says...
@ APV1 Hehe are you trying to get me riled up sorry mate Im not taking the bait . Dont you Poms do a good job in trolling ? "The NZ media" what a laugh some hack journalist from the gutter press. Already told the NZ Herald editor that he needs to think about who he uses to write articles in his paper. Truth be known Bills was probably a drinking buddy of the NZ Herald Editor when he was in the UK on his OE experience lol.
Posted 14:38 21st September 2011
coronach says...
Pure hype. This article has generated just 36 comments in the NZ Herald, all rubbishing Bills, the tabloid-style writer in a headline-grabbing attempt at journalism. Fail.
Posted 13:47 21st September 2011
coronach says...
If you read the article in NZ Herald - there is no mention at all of angry NZ - Peter Bills' complaint is that France have devalued this particular game and "blown an enormous raspberry at the IRB". It has generated massive 36 comments from the 'angry NZ population'. Not one of them support Bills. Not one. There are more complaints on this forum, apparently upset, or trolling.
Posted 13:44 21st September 2011
kinsman says...
@Houston_11
Regardless of the fact that it's only an English Journo that's called the French XV a second string side and not the AB's, I think you'll find history shows the exact reverse.......
Posted 13:32 21st September 2011
atg77 says...
"The top team in Pool A will face likely knock-out games against Argentina..." Might want to mention Scotland there. Considering Scotland beat the Argies twice in Argentina last year (Not forgetting a win over the boks in Autumn, but that means nothing right because we are Scotland and we are rubbish no matter what we do right?), it would be rather unintelligent to write them Scotland off.
Posted 13:28 21st September 2011