NZ v France series thread

Taco Corp

Podge_irl wrote: »

Michalak out of the 23. Not before time.

pretty sure he's injured.

Swiwi.

Podge_irl wrote: »

Michalak out of the 23. Not before time.

Yes, maybe his last hurrah. France was utterly outfoxed :pac: by the NZ coaching panel last week. It was simple. I never under understand why coaches won't pull the pin on under-performing players, even early in the match. Both Szarzewski & Best had shocking lineouts this week, and both stayed on until about 60 minutes. I do not understand. And then you will get the mindless subs with 2 minutes left on the clock.

Podge_irl

Captain_Hindsight wrote: »

pretty sure he's injured.

By his teammates?

duckysauce

Podge_irl wrote: »

By his teammates?

by himself :P

Klunk_NZ

anyone here remember test match #3 of the June internationals in NZ last year?

Teferi

Klunk_NZ wrote: »

anyone here remember test match #3 of the June internationals in NZ last year?

Banned.

Swiwi.

Here is the Kiwi team

Le XV de départ: Dagg ; B. Smith, C. Smith, Nonu, Ranger ; (o) Carter, (m) Piri Weepu ; Cane, Read (cap), Vito ; Whitelock, Romano ; O. Franks, Hore, Crockett.

Remplaçants: Mealamu, Woodcock, B. Franks, Luatua, Todd, Kerr-Barlow, Barrett, Piutau.

I have been lucky enough to visit this rugged land, passionate about the oval ball game, and so I keep a wee eye on the teams (especially the Blues), quite a lot of them go to France to play. Piutau looks promising, he runs like the wind, is positionally sound, kicks well, and has a penchant for the tryline. I am excited to see him play. His fellow Blues player Luatua is also a raw talent, who might launch onto the scene.

thomond2006

Is Dane Coles injured or not selected? New Zealand really need to find replacements for Hore and Mealamu.

Rightwing

Klunk_NZ wrote: »

anyone here remember test match #3 of the June internationals in NZ last year?

Fr poor and all as they can be are unlikely to crumble to the same extent. NZ by 20+ imo.

Swiwi.

thomond2006 wrote: »

Is Dane Coles injured or not selected? New Zealand really need to find replacements for Hore and Mealamu.

I think the term Kiwis use is "rested & rotated". I don't think he is injured.

Edit: he has a calf strain.

subfreq

Superb, Ranger starts. He is playing like an animal.

Swiwi.

subfreq wrote: »

Superb, Ranger starts. He is playing like an animal.

And to quote another animal, a sweet & lovely one (Bambi's mother): "Everything in the forest has its season. Where one thing falls, another grows. Maybe not what was there before, but something new and wonderful all the same."

NZ will hope that as Ranger falls into Montpellier's lapels, so another star, hopefully also with a choice 'fro, will emerge to replace him.

Swiwi.

NZ v FRANCE, kick-off any minute now...

New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Rene Ranger, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Victor Vito, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Wyatt Crockett.

Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Tony Woodcock, 18 Ben Franks, 19 Steven Luatua, 20 Matt Todd, 21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Charles Piutau.

France: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Marc Andreu, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Yoann Huget, 10 Remi Talès, 9 Jean-Marc Doussain, 8 Antonie Claassen, 7 Damien Chouly, 6 Theirry Dusautoir, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Alexandre Flanquart, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 Benjamin Kayser, 1 Thomas Domingo.

Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Luc Ducalcon, 19 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 20 Bernard Le Roux, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Camille Lopez, 23 Mathieu Bastareaud.

Date: Saturday, June 22
Kick-off: 19:35 local (08:35 BST, 07:35 GMT)
Venue: Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Assessor: Donal Courtney

The fox cubs – as usual – were up bright & early and woke Mr & Mrs Fox, so I might as well lash up a match preview before kick-off. I must say it is somewhat difficult to get enthused about this game, purely because I’m really just counting down to the Lions match. But, that said, what better way to pass time than watching rugby!

The match is a dead rubber, but both teams still have something to play for - France to restore some pride with a robust display, and New Zealand to try out some new combinations and players, especially in the 2nd forty.

Last weekend’s game was somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the Brumbies game, in that both away coaches were tactically out-thought by their opponents, more PSA than WG in fairness. NZ simply played a kicking territory game in the first half, and France seemed clueless as to how to respond. It doesn’t help when Michalak is your flyhalf, a tactical kicking game is not really his remit. The match will best be remembered for 2 scintillating AB tries, NZ now has its own version of l’essai du bout du monde.

Moving to this week’s game, and there are a few talking points. For NZ, Rene Ranger gets a deserved start on the wing, and with both RR himself and the NZRFU baulking at paying out $300,000 to cancel his Montpellier contract, he maybe only has a handful of test matches left to play. He was silly to sign a binding contract lacking an international-selection out clause, and given he finally seems to have overcome his gratuitous knock-ons, forward passes etc which typified his game in 2009, he is a big loss to NZ rugby.

Dantheman (not the boards poster ) makes his return, and with the form he has shown in SXV rugby, he could have a large say in proceedings. Victor Vito also gets his shot at the No. 6. Finally, Luatua, Todd & Piutau all look to make their debuts off the bench.

For the French, Tales gets a start at flyhalf, while Kayser replaces the hapless Szarzweski in the starting line-up (that must have been a hard decision...), and Bastareaud is held back on the bench.

LVR’s prediction: NZ to win, just hoping France come to play, and don’t put out one of those lackadaisical performances of which they are capable. They really should push for a victory, it would be a great result before the summer recess.

sydthebeat

Nice one lvr.

So looking forward to ranger ripping it up.

sydthebeat

That ab team is so strong.

Weepu, carter, nonu, smith, ranger, smith and dagg



Mouth watering

duckysauce

Ranger looking dangerous

LeeroyJones

Fritz drop goal

0-3

duckysauce

nice dg

thomond2006

Good passage of play from France

Swiwi.

NZ crowd whistling at the DG - disgraceful!

lologram

France are looking decent enough so far

sydthebeat

Again owens asking left or right from the kick off... Is this a new thing?

Swiwi.

France have come to play

duckysauce

Le vieux renard wrote: »

France have come to play

:mad:

backed the all backs

danthefan

Le vieux renard wrote: »

NZ crowd whistling at the DG - disgraceful!

France's attempts at DGs in this series have been so poor that I don't blame them, that one was decent obviously.

LeeroyJones

duckysauce wrote: »

:mad:

backed the all backs

On a spread? What was it, 18?
Their outright odds were far too short!

Swiwi.

Dan Halfpenny!

duckysauce

LeeroyJones wrote: »

On a spread? What was it, 18?
Their outright odds were far too short!

got -18 went to -21 yesterday :eek:

captbarnacles

France butchered that chance. Looked like 5 on 2. Sadly NZ would have scored there.

duckysauce

class tap