My team for France
Printed From: Scarlet Fever Llanelli Rugby Sport Wales Tickets
Category: RUGBY
Forum Name: GENERAL RUGBY
Forum Description: Other rugby chat
URL: https://scarletfever.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=47215
Printed Date: 26 September 2023 at 11:53pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: My team for France
Posted By: GPR - Rochester
Subject: My team for France
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 8:12am
|
If Gatland wants to attempt to be competitive not only for next Saturday but against Fiji first up in September then he has to develop an attacking game in line with modern day rugby. He has zero chance to beat France but he could collect together in sunny Nice this week a group of players who could start to develop some punch in attack. I know he will not add players from outside the squad but this is the team I would pick. 15. Liam 14. LRZ 13. Joe Roberts 12. JBR Williams 11. Dyer 10. Costelow 9. Cawdor 1. Carre 2. Ken 3. Francis 4. Beard 5. Jenkins 6. Tschiunza 7. Morgan 8. Faletau 16. Roberts 17. Wyn 18. Lewis 19. Rhys Davies 20. Tipuric 21. Webb 22. Patchell 23. Grady When you look at how the French & Irish attack they use their wingers in midfield situations to create the extra men - given these two players are invariably your quickest men means that any defensive chink can be exploited. Of course these players have to be comfortable distributors in traffic. Look at the contributions from Lowe & Hansen yesterday. Duhan was made to look pretty ordinary going backwards with two of the Irish tries through his channel. Gatland doesn't have many games to fine tune this team before what could well be a very chastening first game in France 2023. The way we are defending Fiji will be looking forward to using their high risk offloading game on a firm ground in Bordeaux in September.
|
Replies:
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 8:13am
| I don't think he can call up players unless they are injury replacements sadly. |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 8:29am
| I didn't think the 2 centres were very good together, Grady was very quiet & Hawkins crashed it up every time. |
Posted By: GPR - Rochester
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 8:38am
Defensively they weren't on the same page. Menocello the 12 & Brex 13 were breaking through at will. With the greatest respect to that pair Danty & Fickou are up another couple of levels. At least JBR & Joe will align and make their tackles.
|
Fscarlet wrote:Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 8:55am
Can't help but agree but sadly it can't happen.
|
Posted By: Wil Chips
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 10:18am
|
It's a sort of hybrid team selection philosophy right now...backing fairly regular selections of the likes of Jenkins, Christ, Morgan, Hawkins, Grady and Dyer is sort of countenanced by selecting Francis, Faletau, Webb, Tipuric, Ken, Owen W/Biggar, Sanjay or their alter egos of Tomos W, Dillon, North, Baldwin, Tompkins, Adams etc... TBH where Wales are right now is facing up to the prospect of a shoeing of biblical proportions in Paris. France may do 'a France', and not hit the same heights as they did against England, but Wales have nothing left in the hutch regardless (possible exception of Kieran W). By all means keep two or three of the 'stalwarts' but the future is the only thing that matters really...pick some young half backs ( like a Blacker/Costelow), a promising 5 with Jenkins (Rhys D),an 8 (the lad from the U20's perhaps) a 15 (LRZ) at least. Got to find a place for Reffell and Carre and so on... Zero to lose. |
Posted By: GPR - Rochester
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 10:40am
I agree Wil. France doing "a France" is always possible - a little less so with Galthie/Edwards. The pace & movement of this French team is something to behold when they are in the mood. I would pay the entry just to watch their back row perform. Gatland's squad is very limited but surely the likes of Carre & Brown have got to start getting exposure.
|
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 10:41am
| Also how good was Flament in the second row? |
Posted By: lofty evans
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 12:11pm
Wrote about Thibaud Flament last night , what a player around ability and athletic and side steps. As I said we have Beard. For me it's all how France turns up, they vanquished their old adversary England with play and passing and thinking which was fantastic to watch. Their last try was a thing of beauty seriously superb. And I don't think they kicked to Steward once, now that highlights how embarrassingly inept our players are, because that's all we did when even Jiffy lamented how ridiculous it was , kicking the ball to him. As I've already stated man for man we have no hope and if the French want to put on a show and don't take us seriously, that may be the only chink in their suit of armour that allows us in. But I expect a hammering....a geriatric 9 up against Dupont, Owen Williams v Ntamack...different league then you have Thomas Ramos at 15...accurate quick and clever v Sanjay...interesting Damien Penaud probably the best winger on the planet Dumortier is efficient not spectacular but reliable Fickou and Danty against 2 out of depth centres Danty plays like an openside at centre his jackaling is superb And a efficient dynamic and hard back row of Cros, Ollivon and Alldritt coming back into form. This squad have a real chance of winning the World Cup this year, the loss to the Irish have woken them up at a time just when we needed them to be asleep. And they really do have a thinking intelligent coach in Fabien Galthie who is not a washed out devoid Gatland and crucially they have Shaun Edwards the real power behind Gatlands successful tenure. As I said it's all on France if they want to smash us or not. They may want to make a statement at their pitch and we will be catching shadows. ------------- In 1972, Roy Bergiers scored that try and said "that was for you lofty" "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" |
Posted By: Wil Chips
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 12:14pm
Good call by you and Lofty, he, Aldritt and Dupont were different gravy. |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 3:43pm
Totally agree, also Ramon & Penaud were very very good. Was hard in a way on England, I'm still not sure they played all that bad.... |
Posted By: Oracle
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 4:56pm
| They were crap ...no other view point to be listened too |
Posted By: ladram
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 8:23pm
Sean Holley needn't worry about his job.
 |
Posted By: RR1972
Date Posted: 13 March 2023 at 10:43pm
| France are clear faves but clear faves but clear faves have lost before. Let’s get right into them and get the likes of liam lrz and dyer/adams running at them. Italy and scotland gave them probs so can we. Our defence a worry but i reckon itll be closer than people think |
Posted By: lofty evans
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 12:53am
What defence RR there isn't any unless Trippy Tippy does his usual tripping exercise and a player falls over. The Italians ripped us up and if they had finished what they started they would have won. Danty and Fickou will be thinking jeez what happened to class opposition centres from Wales. I know Shanks suggested giving the dream centre partnership an opportunity to learn in France against France. Yep carry on regardless...its like watching a carry on film with one liners and brainless gags....Gatlands laws are going to be Gatlands downfall....with his selection policy. There are not enough real quality players in the squad ...besides Rees Zammitt who I actually enjoy watching and Kens relentless drive the team bores me. And it comes to something when a Welsh player does the basics right...we are formidable again. Truly need to start from Scratch and the fact some on here blame Pivac for the rot....Gatland disappeared as he knew he had got the best out of his squad and the real powerhouse and organiser was Edwards Sometimes we need to see with our eyes and what I see is dross. If France turn up its carnival time. ------------- In 1972, Roy Bergiers scored that try and said "that was for you lofty" "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 8:15am
| My only saving grace is I'm on a stag do this weekend & I should get drunk enough Saturday to wipe the game from my memory! |
Posted By: GPR - Rochester
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 8:30am
Excellent planning.
 |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 8:45am
Haha! Should be a good day of rugby, especially now Hogg & Russell are out for Scotland.
|
Posted By: Oracle
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 8:53am
If only you could take the entire french squad with you , we might just stand a chance
 |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 10:12am
| Sanjay & Baldwin ruled out of the match, Sam Parry called up. |
Posted By: GPR - Rochester
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 12:34pm
| With Liam missing perhaps now is the time to let LRZ loose in the 15 shirt. Does anyone know why Christ Tschiunza is not training with the 32 man squad in Nice? |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 12:53pm
Nope, he is quoted as being fit alongside Teddy Williams who has also been released back to his club.
|
Posted By: hoppy
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 1:08pm
| How many changes are we looking at for Saturday do we change half backs |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 1:24pm
I'd leave the half backs but I'd like to chance at least one of the centres.
|
Posted By: gaffer
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 1:31pm
|
Depends what you want from Saturday. Damage limitation? Try to win??? Develop new players in the toughest of environments? Who knows what Gatland really wants. FWIW I'd go with - LRZ, Grady, North, Hawkins, Adams, Patchell, Webb, Falatau, Jac, Tips, Beard, AWJ, Francis, Ken, Thomas subs: Parry, Wyn, Lewis, Jenkins, Reffell, Hardy, Biggar, Tomkins Out of that 23, I'd say 12 or more aren't up to the job at international level. ------------- What's going on? |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 1:42pm
Grady on the wing?
|
Posted By: ladram
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 2:00pm
|
I'd tell Tom is Williams the games in Cardiff and we'll meet him there.
|
Posted By: Sir Duckling Tuft
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 2:46pm
LRZ, North, grady, Hawkins, Adams, Patchell, Webb, Falatau, Jac, Christ t, Jenkins, davies, Francis, Ken, carre subs: Parry, thmas, Lewis, teddy morgan, Wainwright, Hardy, Biggar, Tomkins ------------- sir duckling tuft |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 3:13pm
Assuming you mean Teddy Williams, he isn't in the squad along with Christ.
|
Posted By: Mrfwon
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 4:41pm
I don't know where to start to be honest with selection. With injuries now in full flow too, this could potentially be our biggest hammering to date if we aren't careful on Saturday  I'm opting for hiding behind the sofa ------------- Scarlets!!! |
Posted By: Sir Duckling Tuft
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 5:36pm
Thought he was and Christ T? ------------- sir duckling tuft |
Posted By: Sir Duckling Tuft
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 5:37pm
Its really all up to the french how much they want to win by ------------- sir duckling tuft |
Posted By: Oracle
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 5:57pm
|
I think the women may be the Welsh Flag bearers this weekend ....luckily we have invested in them
|
Posted By: gaffer
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 7:12pm
Yes - he's pacy and would be less exposed (less pressure on him perhaps) there whilst gaining more international experience. It's a punt for sure (as is LRZ at FB) but hey whatever they do France are too strong for this squad. You could be totally defensive of course anf put Tips & Reffell in the centre... ------------- What's going on? |
Posted By: Sir Duckling Tuft
Date Posted: 14 March 2023 at 10:40pm
I wouldn't fancy his chances against penaud
------------- sir duckling tuft |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 15 March 2023 at 8:06am
But he is a centre, not a winger. Why do we have this obsession in Wales with moving player from their normal position?
|
Posted By: GPR - Rochester
Date Posted: 15 March 2023 at 8:22am
| Yes Fscarlet I agree. Having said that though I would like to see LRZ play at 15 going forward but he has played there for Gloucester. |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 15 March 2023 at 9:07am
100% agree, him coming into the line from FB could be devastating from an attacking point of view.
|
Posted By: RR1972
Date Posted: 15 March 2023 at 9:09am
| Never mind the game where is this stag do taking plAce? |
Posted By: GPR - Rochester
Date Posted: 15 March 2023 at 9:13am
| Just been reading about the litter filled streets of Paris. Apparently the refuse personnel have been striking for over a week against proposed increases in pension age. Good luck to all who are travelling for the game - stay healthy!!!!! |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 15 March 2023 at 9:15am
Bristol buddy!!
|
Posted By: GPR - Rochester
Date Posted: 16 March 2023 at 8:43am
| Hope Gatland sticks with his young centres if he is not going outside the squad. They will certainly be playing some part in Wales' future so selecting Tompkins because " he's busy" & North for experience is really just a fudge. Realistically this Welsh team have very little chance of victory but a decent performance, say defeat by less than 15, will give some hope. |
Posted By: Oracle
Date Posted: 16 March 2023 at 8:48am
| Thomkins is a good player but North hasn't been international class for at least the last 6 years |
Posted By: RR1972
Date Posted: 16 March 2023 at 9:22am
|
Posted By: lofty evans
Date Posted: 16 March 2023 at 9:35am
I agree Tompkins is better than the 12 and 13 currently playing who are not even average. I would suggest if they were Scarlet players and not from the amazing regions they play for the press and all bumf written about them would be completely different. I can remember any Scarlet player making one mistake they would be chastised by one and all. That's what happens when your a Scarlet player as different rules apply ..... ------------- In 1972, Roy Bergiers scored that try and said "that was for you lofty" "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 16 March 2023 at 9:37am
Cheers, think we're in a sports bar for the rugby then God knows but have added it to the group!
|
Posted By: Realwest
Date Posted: 16 March 2023 at 11:55am
| Be careful wearing fancy dress etc in Bristol I was there last 6 nations for the Scotland V England game , we had a great time and was drinking with a load of Plymouth boys one of which was Henry Slades cousin. We watched the Rugby in BSB Waterside bar and had a really good day. For the day my mate was in full Welsh kit and everything was ok but around 6 - 7 pm he had to go to the hotel to get changed. |
Posted By: Fscarlet
Date Posted: 16 March 2023 at 11:58am
Thanks for the tip, was thinking of wearing the Welsh top for the rugby & then chucking it in the hotel later before we go out like.
|
Posted By: GPR - Rochester
Date Posted: 16 March 2023 at 1:45pm
Have a great weekend Fscarlet. My daughter lives in Bristol - its got a great night life reputation. The Waterside area is buzzing. Forgot to ask how was the ragu? Interesting switch to not mince - did it work?
|
Posted By: Oracle
Date Posted: 16 March 2023 at 5:23pm
I had the same problem in a very familiar scenario , my downfall was. Tomato sauce went everywhere ..no option but to change
|