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France vs Ireland Buildup Thread [MOD WARNING IN OP]

thomond2006

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MOD WARNING: No discussion of the Paddy Jackson/Stuart Olding case in this thread, even if only somewhat related.

This thread is for discussion of the match/build up to the match only.

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thomond2006

Per MK:

Tolofua and Chat are out of the Ireland game with uncapped Adrien Pelissie (Bordeaux Begles) set to make his debut.

Guirado's status is pending.

[Deleted User]

I wonder are the FFR going to go to town with the 2023 branding to rub our noses in it?

Zzippy

Deleted User wrote: »

I wonder are the FFR going to go to town with the 2023 branding to rub our noses in it?

I hope they have it all over our dressing room walls

thomond2006

GUIRADO Guihem
PELISSIE Adrien

BEN AROUS Eddy
GOMES SA Cedate
POIROT Jefferson
PRISO Dany
SLIMANI Rabah

GABRILLAGUES Paul
ITURRIA Arthur
LAMBEY Felix
VAHAAMAHINA Sebastien

CAMARA Yacouba
LAPANDRY Alexandre
LAURET Wenceslas
MACALOU Sekou
GOURDON Kevin
TAULEIGNE Marco

DUPONT Antoine
SERIN Baptiste
MACHENAUD Maxime

BELLEAU Anthony
JALIBERT Matthieu

CHAVANCY Henry
DANTY Jonathan
DOUMAYROU Geoffrey
LAMERAT Remi

FALL Benjamin
THOMAS Teddy
VAKATAWA Virimi
BONNEVAL Hugo
PALIS Geoffrey

sydthebeat

france could have up to 6 uncapped players starting

Zzippy

sydthebeat wrote: »

france could have up to 6 uncapped players starting

The cliche "You never know which France will turn up" is kinda moot when you really don't have a clue which France will turn up...

prawnsambo

Deleted User wrote: »

I wonder are the FFR going to go to town with the 2023 branding to rub our noses in it?

I think I have an Ireland jersey circa 2000. :pac:

swiwi_

France seem to have a fair few Fijians in their side these days, but I'm picking the men in green to field the most Irelanders.

[Deleted User]

swiwi_ wrote: »

France seem to have a fair few Fijians in their side these days, but I'm picking the men in green to field the most Irelanders.

Terrible.

ionadnapóca

thomond2006 wrote: »

Per MK:

Tolofua and Chat are out of the Ireland game with uncapped Adrien Pelissie (Bordeaux Begles) set to make his debut.

Guirado's status is pending.

If they now loose Guirado France are totally focked

PhlegmyMoses

For me with Henderson, the better the players around him, the stronger he looks. Which is meant as a compliment. I wouldn't be using his Ulster form in a stuttering pack as a gauge for how good he is.

Yeah_Right

I think Ireland will beat France and it will be thanks to the ABs.

With a new coach and a bunch of new players, France will have to rely on passion and physicality. After the ABs physically dominated and beat the snot out of Ireland the last time they played, I expect JS and the coaches to have them ready for anything France can throw at them.

Dave_The_Sheep

Yeah_Right wrote: »

After the ABs physically dominated and beat the snot out of Ireland the last time they played

That's a remarkably understated way of putting it.

I don't disagree with the sentiment though.

.ak

Gerry Thornley in the IT, interesting article that suggests despite form that playing away should never be taken lightly and the records show how hard it is to over come the home side.

One particular tidbit is interesting considering how things ended up last year:

GT wrote:

It’s also worth remembering that last season, but for Elliot Daly’s late try in Cardiff, there would have been no away wins outside of Rome, and under the old scoring system there would have been a five-way tie atop the table with three wins apiece.

ionadnapóca

And excluding Rome; Ireland have lost their last 4 6n games away from home.
Defeat in Paris, Twickenham, Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Actually since WC the only decent victory out of 7 games (against a “top team” on their patch) was v SA. & they were ****e!

bilston

I assume we will target their back three and send Stander, Healy, Aki and Stockdale straight for destination Jalibert.

If ever there was a time to beat France in Paris first up in the 6Ns this is it. Other than form logic tells me this will be very hard. But I can't shift the feeling we will win. Put it this way I remember being a lot more concerned going to Murrayfield last year.

I reckon I'm complacent about this one and we k ow what happens when we get complacent, or maybe I'm just an Irishman trying to adapt to the new reality...we're actually bloody good and we should expect to win these games...

stephen_n

bilston wrote: »

I reckon I'm complacent about this one and we k ow what happens when we get complacent, or maybe I'm just an Irishman trying to adapt to the new reality...we're actually bloody good and we should expect to win these games...

I reckon for most it’s a bit of both, we are bloody good, but as Murrayfield proved last year, if we are a little bit off our game or maybe a little complacent. Then we will almost certainly lose, the margins aren’t that wide.

[Deleted User]

Just looking at the side that lost to France in 2016, the team that should be playing on Sat is definitely better imo. Back 3 is far better, front 5 is better, centres are better, only area that we're weaker is probably the backrow.

[Deleted User]

I knew it. I F**KING knew it.

I just stared at the clock for 5 minutes straight and it definitely wen't backwards at least twice.

Saturday is never going to come.

Noopti

The simple fact is that Ireland is a much better team. More experience, much better organised, better coached. And that is considering a French team without all the injuries/sickness and a brand new coach.

If we are to have any notion of continuing to be considered a top team in the world, and being in with a shot of winning this thing we should be taking a team like that, especially with all their issues, to the cleaners and beating them by at least 10-15 points.

Of course, maybe France will be positive and feeling good with a new coach and lots of young and enthusiastic players - but that just won't be enough if Ireland do what they need to do, maintain composure and their organisation.

I just feel it would require a monumental mess up/bad luck from Ireland to lose this one. A couple of yellow cards, or a red card, a bunch of injuries early on......something unexpected, for France to win this.

Also doing something like not taking points and kicking a number of penalties to the corner, and then messing up the lineout, is something else which could easily result in a shift in confidence and make things difficult for us.

I still think we will win this with something to spare.

Quint2010

I think being optimistic makes sense. But then again-this is France. In Paris. The amount of times over the years we've gone there optimistic and got turned over...

sydthebeat

Quint2010 wrote: »

I think being optimistic makes sense. But then again-this is France. In Paris. The amount of times over the years we've gone there optimistic and got turned over...

in fairness, we've never gone over there as third ranked in the world while they are ninth.

its time we started to accept and act on our favourites tag.

amcalester

pc7 wrote: »

Head Friday, back Sunday, hoping to see a game this time after last time we tried and it was Frozen off! I remember it being desolate near the stadium, is there anywhere near to watch the welsh game before going in?

I was there too. Raging I was. Wasn’t even that cold.

I remember Paul O’Connell out on the pitch in just his shorts and jersey while the French team were all huddled up in jackets and pants.

[Deleted User]

amcalester wrote: »

I remember Paul O’Connell out on the pitch in just his shorts and jersey while the French team were all huddled up in jackets and pants.

He can actually tan in that kind of weather so hardly surprising.

Larbre34

They don't call France mercurial for no reason. A french team in their current sort of mood made it to a RWC final.

However, I still think we can beat them through sheer superiority of talent and cohesion. Ireland by 9 points for me.

scott1974

Deleted User wrote: »

I knew it. I F**KING knew it.

I just stared at the clock for 5 minutes straight and it definitely wen't backwards at least twice.

Saturday is never going to come.

Sure, I thought it was Thursday for most of the day.... just added an extra 24hrs to my wait...

arsebiscuits1

Stockdale on his Instagram is kitted out up in Ravenhill today?

I figure the lads are off today. But would be really be heading to train up North on a down day?

I assume I am reading too much into this and he will be picked this weekend

[Deleted User]

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Stockdale on his Instagram is kitted out up in Ravenhill today?

I figure the lads are off today. But would be really be heading to train up North on a down day?

I assume I am reading too much into this and he will be picked this weekend

He might be shooting promotional material. There is no way he is training with Ulster this week unless he is definitely not involved at the weekend.

[Deleted User]

scott1974 wrote: »

Sure, I thought it was Thursday for most of the day.... just added an extra 24hrs to my wait...

There is no point in both of us having to wait until Saturday. It's getting pretty cold again, let's draw straws and one of us can hibernate until kick off.

awec

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Stockdale on his Instagram is kitted out up in Ravenhill today?

I figure the lads are off today. But would be really be heading to train up North on a down day?

I assume I am reading too much into this and he will be picked this weekend

Henderson and Best were in Belfast today.

I'd say they all head home for the day off.