RWC 2011 SF1 - Wales v France

[Jethro Tah]

I was once an avid follower of Formula 1. I recall reading in the british press, when Renault (French) were first in formula 1 in the 70s, they would arrive for Wednesday practice where they would always set the fastest time...but having done so they would then break out the camembert and champers and have a picnic for 3 days. Come sunday they would finish middle of the pack, having lost 3 days of development...thats one reason why they were so unreliable.
It is a national trait, apparently.

Sure is. They work to live, not live to work. If in doubt, go on strike.

 

[Jnor]

From the outside and as a traveller I love it (same goes for Italy and Spain from what I've seen). I can't imagine it's quite as nice to live with though

 

[Bowside]

Surely if france get their shit in order post world cup they will be up there with the best. Bucket loads of potential.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Surely if france get their shit in order post world cup they will be up there with the best. Bucket loads of potential.

Without doubt that they have really good players and some of the strongest teams in Heineken League. Perhaps this is where the problem lies.

 

[sudrugby]

I found this written by another french rugby blog
http://boucherie-ovalie.org/2011/10/17/open-letter-to-the-welsh-and-the-rest-of-the-world/
I nearly think the same!

 

[Swarley]

Really impressed with Yachvili/Parra in the knockout stages of the tournament. Not to mention Clerc and Medard at the back, plus the firing back-row combination of Dusautoir-Bonnaire-Harinordoquy. Key players performing well in key positions. Lucky they've come into form over the last few weeks.

 

[Dai bando]

I found this written by another french rugby blog
http://boucherie-ovalie.org/2011/10/17/open-letter-to-the-welsh-and-the-rest-of-the-world/
I nearly think the same!

He ho he ho he ho, Cant really argue with most of that, You're right of course Rolland Has a French Father that he loves very much, Who incidentally put 10,000 euros on the french to beat Wales, Of Course his lovely Irish mother Who lost 10,000 euro on the Wales Ireland game, Nahhhh, he was the perfect choice for Wales France:lmao:

 

[sudrugby]

He ho he ho he ho, Cant really argue with most of that, You're right of course Rolland Has a French Father that he loves very much, Who incidentally put 10,000 euros on the french to beat Wales, Of Course his lovely Irish mother Who lost 10,000 euro on the Wales Ireland game, Nahhhh, he was the perfect choice for Wales France:lmao:

Your players still have to learn how to kick a ball...

 

[Dai bando]

I concur,

 

[the plastic paddy]

Why bother? I don't agree with you and I can probably find at least 3 million other people who don't ,but in the end it's history. History that ruined the game, but there we go. We didn't adapt well. frankly I didnt realise quite how central Breadman was to Wales' performance but it was obvious from the lineouts to the rucks.

BTW you know that Huw richards was sent off in RWC'87 semifinal, and remember david Codey was sent off in 3rd place playoff

The main point is that you should have won anyway and you cannot blame Rolland for that the same as we couldn't in the 6 nations when phillips knowingly cheated and Kaplan and allan had a brain fart; Ireland had ample opportunities then and you did on saturday. The hefty bans handed out to Estabanez and the tongans for 'tip' tackles indicate that subsequent to the event those tackles were regarded as red card offences maybe those refs got their decisions wrong and Rolland got his right? I would have liked to have seen you boys in the final but am disgusted by the hate campaigns being directed at Alan Rolland. Anyone who knows the game of rugby knows that the tackle was illegal and as such, according to the letter of the law, warranted a red card; sad but true.

 

[Dai bando]

Yes very sad, I think the red card issue has been put to bed by most of us, I made a point earlier in the thread I will reiterate, If you play by the letter of the law for one thing then you must do it for all laws, I quoted the breakdown, when is there a breakdown without players infringing, Hands off, roll away, stay there, ruck is formed, every breakdown you hear this, if the refs played to the letter of the law then it would be a game of penalties, Tipping in the line out, attacking a player while in the air catching a ball, high tackles, all as dangerous, but interpritation is given the benifit and very few red cards are given.
Warbs tackle because there was no intent on harming the tackled player, Interpretation must play a part, he was not driven into the ground but let go, let go because he is an open side flanker and his priority was to claim the ball, you must also remember that warbs head was in his middriff he was probably unaware that he had turned over. In my playing days if I had made a tackle like that it would have been high 5s all round,

What I will say is Warburton is an excelent player, is not a dirty player, one day will be a great player, this would have taught him a great lesson, which he will take on board for sure.

 

[Dai bando]

One more point Paddy refering to Phillips cheating, the Irish line had formed, ball thrown in game on

 

[Cardiffblue]

Nothing we say or do will change the decision. I think that rugby league has a much better system of dealing with this where send-offs are rare but citations and suspensions are common. Breadman would be out of the next game anyway and that would be justice. But all that is for the future which is where we all should be looking. This will pass into folklore of what might have been. Still got to play the criminal element on Friday and put up with the fact that the final of rugby's showcase will be a walkover. The repercussions of the send off are that for most aussies the whole tournament is now a massive turn off.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I have it 3rd hand that Alain Rolland believes that he made the right decision.
I reckon that's important but I recognize he's not likely to have said differently


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[the plastic paddy]

One more point Paddy refering to Phillips cheating, the Irish line had formed, ball thrown in game on

As I say the ref did not change that game as we should have won anyway but to claim that Mike phillips would have run in unopposed from near half way if the irish were expecting it is like saying Quade Cooper tackles like Serge fucking Betsen (although if he could get away with tripping people like the stone headed man used to Quade might think about it!?!) Anyway, my main point is the villification of Rolland is wrong and is a disgrace to the game of rugby the same as the saffer villification of Lawrence after the QFs because they didn't take their many opportunities either.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Really impressed with Yachvili/Parra in the knockout stages of the tournament. Not to mention Clerc and Medard at the back, plus the firing back-row combination of Dusautoir-Bonnaire-Harinordoquy. Key players performing well in key positions. Lucky they've come into form over the last few weeks.

Yew must be watching different games from me. Shewer your not watchin the Fox Sports replays of previous tournments. This french team is absolute shit and sorry Paddy but the result did turn on the red card.

 

[light]

Cardiffblue, I think Swarley has a point. Their back-row has been immense, Harinordiquy especially, as have Medard and Clerc. Not entirely sure I agree with Yachvilli/Parra combination but Yachvilli has been one of the top 5 scrummies this tournament IMO. No point being bitter towards them just because the result didn't go your way, they deserve praise.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Cobblers, they were playing against two back row players and a centre. How anyone can jusdge Medard and Clerc as immense given they never had the ball beats me and Parra was utter crap at 10. Hairydonkey did play well against engl*nd but they were truly awful

 

[Cardiffblue]

Wales considered cheatin

One of the questions circulating following red card is why Cement Head didn't get one of the props to feign injury in order to get uncontested scrums. Apparently the thought did cross his mind and in an interview today he says they discussed it at the time. Was this right? Or should wales have been as pragmatic about the result as the garlic eating surrender monkeys? was this an instance when winning warranted using the rules

Should Gatland have shut the f@ck up about his inner thoughts and is he now guilty of disrepute

 

[the plastic paddy]

Yew must be watching different games from me. Shewer your not watchin the Fox Sports replays of previous tournments. This french team is absolute shit and sorry Paddy but the result did turn on the red card.

In which case it is warburton's fault for commiting a clear red card offense and getting himself sent off; ARs decision has been entirely vindicated by the citing commision. One question, if SW had been yellow carded or not carded, subsequently been cited and banned and Wales had won by a point would that have been fair? Was it fair in the first lions test of 2009 when Burger tried to rip Fitzgeralds eyes out, wasn't sent off, SA won and he was subsequently banned? The tip tackle is a red card offense and the citing and banning of Estabenez and the Tongans is cast iron concrete proof that AR made the correct decision. Like I say I would have prefered to see Wales in the final but all the whining (not from yourself I would add) is encouraging talk of the old quote about Welsh Rugby that 'you can never beat Wales at rugby, the best you can hope for is to score more points than them.' You had your chances and bottled them same as Saffers against Aus in the QFs. And same as Ireland against you in Cardiff in the last 6 nations.