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WC FINAL: France V NZ. Sun 9am Pre/During/Post Match Thread
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21-10-2011 2:00pm#1Preview courtesy of thomond2006France:
15 Maxime Médard, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Aurélien Rougerie, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Alexis Palisson, 10 Morgan Parra, 9 Dimitri Yachvili,
8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Julien Bonnaire, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Lionel Nallet, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Jean-Baptiste Poux.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Fabien Barcella, 18 Julien Pierre, 19 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 20 Jean-Marc Doussain, 21 François Trinh-Duc, 22 Damien Traille.
New Zealand:
15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Richard Kahui, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Piri Weepu,
8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Brad Thorn, 4 Samuel Whitelock, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Ali Williams, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Sonny Bill Williams.
Date: Sunday, October 23
Kick-off: 9.00am Irish time
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Weather: 16°C. Clear with cloudy periods with a slight chance of showers.
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Nigel Owens (Wales)
TMO: Guilio de Santis (Italy)
Finding the final piece of the Anti-Choke Puzzle is 80 minutes away from New Zealand. The holy grail of all holy grails is angonisingly close for a country who covets it more highly than any other. Everything they have built over the last 4 years ultimately comes down to this game, where these men's place in history is on the line. Should they lose, their wonderful achievements over the last 4 years will be forgotten and the 2011 squad and management will be branded as failures by the New Zealand public. When it comes to World Cups, the team that the kiwis fear the most is undoubtedly France, who have played a large part in the formation of the word association of "choke" with "All Blacks" in the minds of rugby fans across the globe!
New Zealand have yet to be truly challenged in this world cup, whether this is due to the All Blacks' quality or the dearth of quality in other teams is debatable (I suspect the latter). They have sleepwalked their way to the final, of which there was no doubt from early into the tournament they would reach. The Australia game was the one possible road bump that could have thrown New Zealand off the path to glory, but the tourament hosts put away their bitter Trans-Tasman rivals with contemptous ease, never leaving second gear. Their first XV is set in stone but the impact of the bench should prove telling with the likes of Ali Williams, Adam Thomson and Sonny Bill Williams all capable of making an impact.
Forget about England's renaissance mid-tournament in 2007, this has been eclipsed by France's recovery from the depths of rugby purgatory. Similarly this recovery may be an indictment of the quality of their opponents but certainly something has changed in the French camp. The body language of the players after the final whistle against Tonga was telling, either France were mentally on the plane back home or there would have be a big change i.e. distance themselves from the coach. Their win over Wales was a major disappointment, normally when France win they win with a degree of virve and flair. Instead they went down to the cautious route and shut up shop by kicking the leather off the ball. It goes without saying however they are a very different team to the demoralised outfit that took to the field in the pool stages.
Key Battle: Halfbacks
Piri Weepu & Aaron Cruden vs Dimitri Yachvili & Morgan Parra
The loss of His Holiness Dan Carter has not hindered New Zealand's progress, in a sense it has given the Kiwis more motivation to win the tournament for their fallen hero. Aaron Cruden has stepped in from the wilderness and assumed the number 10 role. For New Zealand it isn't necessary that Cruden replicate Carter, that is an impossible ask, he must simply make few mistakes and act as a link between the forwards and outside backs. There is enough class outside him who can conjure up the plays to win the game comfortably. At scrum-half, Piri Weepu has become the undisputed first choice after years of clicking his heels on the bench. While his goal kicking has been wobbly at times, he is New Zealand's best bet to be a general to the forwards. With his normally dominant pack in front of him, Weepu offers crisp passing, a varied passing range and a decent kicking game.
Who would thought these two players would be a halfback pairing in a World Cup final? Morgan Parra's selection at fly-half looked to have been ill-advised in the beginning but his performances in the pivotal position have steadily got better and better. He showed against Wales that he has the capacity to make a break but he is unlikely to get much change from running inside Ma'a Nonu. Dimitri Yachvili is quite simply a rugby genius. He is a great decision maker and runs the French machine in tandem with Imanol Harinordoquy. The French may well have the edge at halfback in this game and this could prove crucial to the result. However Parra and Yachvili will need have the game of their lives to put France on the front foot out wide, due to New Zealand's staunch defensive system.
The Coaches
Who will be triumphant: Grumpy Graham or Mad Marc?
Graham Henry and co. have developed a fantastic team and nobody could begrudge them a World Cup victory as reward for the quality of rugby they have produced. Henry was fortunate to keep his job after the 2007 debacle and he has a chance to finally put the dissenting voices of 4 years ago to rest. The talent base he has to worth with is second to none, but talented players still need to be gelled together and Henry has achieved that.
During the halftime break last week, the camera showed France's dressing room and Marc Lievremont cut an insignificant figure. Clearly the senior players have decided to take matters upon themselves to run the team. Lievremont still has power over the team lineup and substitutions but the from the outside looking in, he seems to have the lost the "emotional" roles, namely motivating and inspiring the team to success. Should France win, Lievremont should take little to no credit, he has done to be best to sink the ship. One has to feel sympathy for him though, he is now in an impossible position.
Prediction:
Both sides will be at their best, there is no question of France turning up for this. Aside from winning the World Cup for the first time, the opportunity to beat New Zealand in a World Cup final in their own country isn't something one passes up. Of course they may want to spite the coach too! France need to perform for 80 minutes, anything less than a consistent showing throughout the game will spell disaster, since New Zealand can turn it the heat at will and end the game as a contest in a 5 minute spell. All the pressure is on New Zealand to win, but this is no change to the pressure the men in black have felt for years now. While it is a world cup final, they will not treat this game any differently to others.
In the forwards both teams are equal in terms of strong ball carriers and in the physical stakes. The influence of Richie McCaw is massive and how his machinations at the breakdown are viewed by referee Craig Joubert.
This is set up to be the moment where New Zealand rid themselves of the 'choke' noose around their neck and France could end up as the victims of a hiding if they don't play to the limits of their ability. Surely New Zealand cannot choke again? We shall see! New Zealand to win by 15-20 points.
France and All Blacks logo taken from www.therugbyforum.com; Rugby World Cup and Trophy taken from www.3news.co.nz
Team lineups, refs, date & times taken from Planet Rugby:
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_7255957,00.html
Player images from Planet Rugby or Sky Sports sites.
__________________
http://thomondstudenttimes.com/
http://www.speartackle.co.za/category/home/
Please like our FB page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/SpeartackleAnd the 2011 WC winner is!!!!! 124 votes
France0%New Zealand45%
57 votes
George Hook54%![[Jackass]](https://w3.vanillicon.com/v2/3178d191648ad5d2fb7722b96c5c616c.svg)
67 votes
6
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For many reasons I'll be routing for NZ. But if France show up on the day and give a good game of rugby it'll be great. Infact, it's what this tournament needs as not to leave a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths.
Also my misses got France to win the WC at 16/1 a few months back. So should be interesting...
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George HookFrance:
15 Maxime Médard, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Aurélien Rougerie, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Alexis Palisson, 10 Morgan Parra, 9 Dimitri Yachvili,
8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Julien Bonnaire, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Lionel Nallet, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Jean-Baptiste Poux.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Fabien Barcella, 18 Julien Pierre, 19 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 20 Jean-Marc Doussain, 21 François Trinh-Duc, 22 Damien Traille.
New Zealand:
15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Richard Kahui, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Piri Weepu,
8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Brad Thorn, 4 Samuel Whitelock, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Ali Williams, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Sonny Bill Williams.
Date: Sunday, October 23
Kick-off: 9.00am Irish time
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Weather: 16°C. Clear with cloudy periods with a slight chance of showers.
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Nigel Owens (Wales)
TMO: Guilio de Santis (Italy)
Finding the final piece of the Anti-Choke Puzzle is 80 minutes away from New Zealand. The holy grail of all holy grails is angonisingly close for a country who covets it more highly than any other. Everything they have built over the last 4 years ultimately comes down to this game, where these men's place in history is on the line. Should they lose, their wonderful achievements over the last 4 years will be forgotten and the 2011 squad and management will be branded as failures by the New Zealand public. When it comes to World Cups, the team that the kiwis fear the most is undoubtedly France, who have played a large part in the formation of the word association of "choke" with "All Blacks" in the minds of rugby fans across the globe!
New Zealand have yet to be truly challenged in this world cup, whether this is due to the All Blacks' quality or the dearth of quality in other teams is debatable (I suspect the latter). They have sleepwalked their way to the final, of which there was no doubt from early into the tournament they would reach. The Australia game was the one possible road bump that could have thrown New Zealand off the path to glory, but the tourament hosts put away their bitter Trans-Tasman rivals with contemptous ease, never leaving second gear. Their first XV is set in stone but the impact of the bench should prove telling with the likes of Ali Williams, Adam Thomson and Sonny Bill Williams all capable of making an impact.
Forget about England's renaissance mid-tournament in 2007, this has been eclipsed by France's recovery from the depths of rugby purgatory. Similarly this recovery may be an indictment of the quality of their opponents but certainly something has changed in the French camp. The body language of the players after the final whistle against Tonga was telling, either France were mentally on the plane back home or there would have be a big change i.e. distance themselves from the coach. Their win over Wales was a major disappointment, normally when France win they win with a degree of virve and flair. Instead they went down to the cautious route and shut up shop by kicking the leather off the ball. It goes without saying however they are a very different team to the demoralised outfit that took to the field in the pool stages.
Key Battle: HalfbacksPiri Weepu & Aaron Cruden vs Dimitri Yachvili & Morgan Parra
The loss of His Holiness Dan Carter has not hindered New Zealand's progress, in a sense it has given the Kiwis more motivation to win the tournament for their fallen hero. Aaron Cruden has stepped in from the wilderness and assumed the number 10 role. For New Zealand it isn't necessary that Cruden replicate Carter, that is an impossible ask, he must simply make few mistakes and act as a link between the forwards and outside backs. There is enough class outside him who can conjure up the plays to win the game comfortably. At scrum-half, Piri Weepu has become the undisputed first choice after years of clicking his heels on the bench. While his goal kicking has been wobbly at times, he is New Zealand's best bet to be a general to the forwards. With his normally dominant pack in front of him, Weepu offers crisp passing, a varied passing range and a decent kicking game.
Who would thought these two players would be a halfback pairing in a World Cup final? Morgan Parra's selection at fly-half looked to have been ill-advised in the beginning but his performances in the pivotal position have steadily got better and better. He showed against Wales that he has the capacity to make a break but he is unlikely to get much change from running inside Ma'a Nonu. Dimitri Yachvili is quite simply a rugby genius. He is a great decision maker and runs the French machine in tandem with Imanol Harinordoquy. The French may well have the edge at halfback in this game and this could prove crucial to the result. However Parra and Yachvili will need have the game of their lives to put France on the front foot out wide, due to New Zealand's staunch defensive system.
The CoachesWho will be triumphant: Grumpy Graham or Mad Marc?
Graham Henry and co. have developed a fantastic team and nobody could begrudge them a World Cup victory as reward for the quality of rugby they have produced. Henry was fortunate to keep his job after the 2007 debacle and he has a chance to finally put the dissenting voices of 4 years ago to rest. The talent base he has to worth with is second to none, but talented players still need to be gelled together and Henry has achieved that.
During the halftime break last week, the camera showed France's dressing room and Marc Lievremont cut an insignificant figure. Clearly the senior players have decided to take matters upon themselves to run the team. Lievremont still has power over the team lineup and substitutions but the from the outside looking in, he seems to have the lost the "emotional" roles, namely motivating and inspiring the team to success. Should France win, Lievremont should take little to no credit, he has done to be best to sink the ship. One has to feel sympathy for him though, he is now in an impossible position.
Prediction:
Both sides will be at their best, there is no question of France turning up for this. Aside from winning the World Cup for the first time, the opportunity to beat New Zealand in a World Cup final in their own country isn't something one passes up. Of course they may want to spite the coach too! France need to perform for 80 minutes, anything less than a consistent showing throughout the game will spell disaster, since New Zealand can turn it the heat at will and end the game as a contest in a 5 minute spell. All the pressure is on New Zealand to win, but this is no change to the pressure the men in black have felt for years now. While it is a world cup final, they will not treat this game any differently to others.
In the forwards both teams are equal in terms of strong ball carriers and in the physical stakes. The influence of Richie McCaw is massive and how his machinations at the breakdown are viewed by referee Craig Joubert.
This is set up to be the moment where New Zealand rid themselves of the 'choke' noose around their neck and France could end up as the victims of a hiding if they don't play to the limits of their ability. Surely New Zealand cannot choke again? We shall see! New Zealand to win by 15-20 points.
France and All Blacks logo taken from www.therugbyforum.com; Rugby World Cup and Trophy taken from www.3news.co.nz
Team lineups, refs, date & times taken from Planet Rugby:
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_7255957,00.html
Player images from Planet Rugby or Sky Sports sites.0 -
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