Lievremont: Bizarre selections
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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
ruckman says...
The Kiwis have a bad attitude to rugby - they think they have a God given right to win everything, and react like children when it doesnt happen.
I dont remember them slating Kirwan for allowing them an easy run out against Japan??
The AB's are deserved favourites for this tournament, but I don't think many a tear will be shed amongst other nations should they get beaten.
Posted 13:24 21st September 2011
5Lock4ward says...
I would think they'd be happy to get an easier win over their traditional RWC boogie man. Also, not sure why anyone is surprised by what Lievremont does anymore. He'd already been informed of his replacement before the tournament began and left Michalak at home; a player who allegedly wasn't good enough for France or Toulouse but is good enough for the Sharks, a Currie Cup squad who could defeat Toulouse and probably France itself.
Posted 13:03 21st September 2011
ricomic says...
I'm not a huge fan of Marc Lievremont, but you have to admit that based on form and fitness, this is pretty much the best French XV we can provide.
The main source of argument for Billis (whose arrogance is above anything I've seen, honestly...) is the selection of Swarzeski and Parra instead of Servat and Thrin-Duc and the none selection of Harinordoquy.
Well, Servat just came back from an injury and played against weaker opposition (no offense to Japan and Canada) only to have some game time, but it was never a secret that Swarzeski was gonna play against the All Blacks. He's been outstanding during the preparation game both in the loose and in the set-pieces.
As for Parra, it's more about Thrin-Duc being out of form and Skrela having left the group due to injury. Plus, Parra has not been bad either when he played 10 against Japan and Canada.
About Hari, it's more about Picamoles and Bonnaire being one step ahead in term of physical impact in attack or in defense and work rate at the break down. Imanol has'nt been that impressive especially when you look at Japan's first try against les Bleus...
In short, I think it's a fair selection based on form even though I would have prefered Heymans instead of Traille in the back, but tactically, the bench can have a big impact too, so wait and see on Saturday..!
Posted 13:02 21st September 2011
houston_11 says...
I'm sure someone will have said this already but personally, it's better waiting to see if the ABs acutally beat this experiemental side before mocking it's setup.
History suggests otherwise in games where the ABs were favourites....
Posted 12:48 21st September 2011
tuffnut says...
In all seriousness though, to take this French team or any other RWC team lightly will be at their peril. Having witnessed the French successfully turn it up against the ABs I'm sure (and hope) the All Blacks will go into the match with the respect that is required.
Posted 12:41 21st September 2011
Storm says...
With all this talk about a French 'B' team. Can someone tell me what a French 'A' team would look like?
Posted 12:33 21st September 2011
tuffnut says...
@ APV1 that's the silliest thing I've ever heard.
... they couldn't do it with their shoe laces tied together...!
.-)
Posted 12:33 21st September 2011
JayStarr says...
This is so hillarious...
When I read the NZ Herald website this morning (their morning) I read an article where the journalist wrote about 'northerner' Peter Bills calling France's selection a "farce". Now there are articles all over the world saying the NZ'ers called it a farce! No they didn't! Peter Bills did!
If you take away what (Independent columnist) Peter Bills said, there really isn't much at all..!
Is someone actually saying France didn't select their first team..? Please tell me who France's first team is! It's only Parra at 10 that is an obvious 'step down' really... but some would say desperate times call for desperate measures - if you're playing the All Blacks in NZ and your fly-half lacks form, you hardly stand a chance do you? The only strength the French have over the All Blacks is their unpredictability... so what's the problem with shifting a brilliant (on-form) player one position to the left and keeping the All Blacks guessing in the process?
Anybody calling this a "farce" or complaining about ticket prices to a France v. All Black World Cup game should find another sport.
Posted 12:28 21st September 2011
InternationalXV says...
It's not a NZ media stance. From what I can read they're expecting a cracker of a game.
Posted 12:23 21st September 2011
adamk says...
I think this is a pretty strong French side. I wouldn't be surprised if Parra has an excellent game at 10.
And regarding ML picking a team that may actually lose, that may or may not be true, but one thing's for sure.. The French men in Blue will want to win. They won't be interested in laying down for the ABs. They'll want to put them to the sword as they usually do. That's something ML cannot change.
Posted 12:10 21st September 2011
blametheref says...
@Froggy73
Was unaware Skrela was actually gone home but the point is Parra has been the form French fly half from what I've seen at this WC. Don't agree with you about Traille, Heymans is better but I believe France have targeted this match in the last 20 with the strong bench
Posted 11:59 21st September 2011
timmo says...
This looks like being up there with 'disrespecting the Haka'. What a joke. Good luck France the Kiwis have no idea how this combination will perform which surely is the point.
Posted 11:35 21st September 2011
froggy73 says...
@Blametheref: Traille has been very poor (despite his try) and Skrela has returned to France last week due to injury... What are you talking about ?
Posted 11:33 21st September 2011
Gobby9 says...
I love it.....!! once again Marc Lievremont has found a way of messing with the NZ press (and probably Head Master Henrys) minds!!! There's one thing to remember at the end of eighty minutes of rugby they only thing you need to ensure is that you've scored one more point than your opponents!!!
Posted 11:24 21st September 2011
rk_cambridge says...
For a country that's rugby mad you'd think their writers might know a bit about the game. When Ireland put two fly halfs on at the same time against Aus that was an 'experiment' and that turned out alright.
France will need to shake things up to beat NZ. Good luck to them.
Posted 11:22 21st September 2011
melkdave says...
What a non story hype and sensenatinalism to sell papers thats all it is .Anyway theres no gaurrentee the ABs will win this match mr.Billis is being stupid and arrogant just ingore him i have and most the english readers have for years lol
Posted 11:21 21st September 2011
coronach says...
@ RuggaMafaka - read the article and the posts; this is an English complaint, not a NZ one.
From NZ media: The All Blacks have dismissed out of hand the idea that the France team selected for Saturday's World Cup clash at Eden Park is a second-string outfit.
Simple enough for you?
Posted 11:20 21st September 2011
Myopicflanker says...
Indy below is both right and wrong - having Imanol on the bench is madness, and if Servat is healthy, he must be on the shortlist for top five hooker in the tournament. Wrong there.
Right in considering that these postings - including mine - often include head-shaking about Lievrement's non sequitur selections, so to assume that he is doing so to 'throw' the game is hypocritical at best. One would be stretching predictability, indeed, to say that England and Argentina have a 'softer' spot between them, especially given France's performance against the two in the last couple of years.
whomever hits the pitch for Les Bleus, don't think that history won't mean something to them as well. Lifetime nemesis to the All Blacks would make a lovely "Asterix" in the annals of rugby.
Posted 11:05 21st September 2011
blametheref says...
NZ media will have some explaining to do if France win this and it'll then put even more pressure on NZ...somehow I feel there's unecessary panic and propoganda being built up that is doing nothing to help the the NZ cause because the NZ media have shown total disrespect to France with their accusations.....NOT GOOD!
Posted 11:02 21st September 2011
blametheref says...
NONSENSE that France are sending out a weakened team! The NZ media obviously don't follow French rugby too closely and don't know Marc Lievermont...This is what ML has done since he took over a few years ago.
This is the French team: France 15 Damien Traille, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Aurélien Rougerie, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Maxime Médard, 10 Morgan Parra, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Julien Bonnaire, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Pascale Papé, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Luc Ducalcon, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Jean-Baptiste Poux.
Replacements: 16 William Servat, 17 Fabien Barcella, 18 Julien Pierre, 19 Imanol Harinordoquy, 20 Francois Trinh-Duc, 21 Fabrice Estebanez, 22 Cédric Heymans.
That is a very strong line up with an impact bench! Parra has played at out half many times and during this WC and played brilliantly, so his inclusion is no surprise. The back row has Picamoles starting, no surprise either as he'll be there to carry and ware NZ down, otherwise it's France's strongest back row. Clerc on the wing has scored 4 tries in this WC. Traille has scored too and is in good form...This team is designed to win this game in the last 20 minutes, with Trin-Duc on the bench for his drop goal ability and Harinardoquay to come on to run riot with tired bodies around with an impact front row.
If France were sending out a weakened team they would have Parra at 9 and the unpredictable Screla at 10 for starters....No doubt in my mind that France are going out to play with a very strong team....so NZ you've put even more pressure on your own team to beat this so called "weakened" team....well the only answer to that is to prove it now by winning by 15+
Posted 10:43 21st September 2011