French want to fry Boks
1 Jun 2006
French coach Bernard Laporte has shocked everyone by picking an experienced squad to play June’s one-off test against the Boks in Cape Town.
Laporte had initially indicated that he would rest many of the French senior players, but he confirmed a squad of 26 to play Romania and the Boks that includes just one new cap and plenty of experience.
And despite flyhalf Frederic Michalak’s plea to be rested, Laporte has chosen his number one flyhalf. Laporte told the French media had no other options because of injury.
Toulouse fullback Clement Poitrenaud and Biarritz number eight Imanol Harinordoquy, who have not played for France for two seasons, are included along with debutant prop from Castres David Attoub.
It is a strong squad, but French based rugby editor of L’quipe, Arnaud David told Keo.co.za that it was not the strongest possible French team.
David said Laporte may have opted for experience in the squad, but he was still resting several key players, including Yannik Nyanga, Lievremont, Elissalde, Rougerie and Milloud.
France
Forwards: Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais), Pieter De Villiers (Stade Francais), David Attoub (Castres), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Raphael Ibanez (Wasps/ENG), Dmitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Fabien Pelous (Toulouse, captain), Lionel Nallet (Castres), Jerome Thion (Biarritz), Serge Betsen (Biarritz), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Thierry Dusautoir (Biarritz), Remy Martin (Stade Francais), Julien Bonnaire (Bourgoin)
Backs:
Dmitri Yachvili (Biarritz), Pierre Mignoni (Clermont), Frederic Michalak (Toulouse), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Christophe Dominici (Stade Francais), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Francois Clerc (Toulouse), Thomas Castaignede (Saracens/ENG), Clement Poitrenaud (Toulouse), Julien Laharrague (Perpignan)
31 Comments
1 Jun 2006, 16:29 pm
dragons , sheitload of dragons…..
1 Jun 2006, 16:29 pm
Aren’t they the Frogs, big g?
1 Jun 2006, 16:32 pm
yeah if we didnt select r best team it be a shock
1 Jun 2006, 16:32 pm
this is really good news if you want to be the best you need to play the best….that is the way it works….this is going to be a hard season….but then again we will know where we stand before the WC…..
1 Jun 2006, 16:33 pm
The French will get pumped.
1 Jun 2006, 16:34 pm
We will beat them…
1 Jun 2006, 16:35 pm
I wonder if this is one of the games Jake will “risk”……..
Personally,I don’t think we should be playing the frogs in Cape Town.
Bloem would have been a good venue for this test I think.
1 Jun 2006, 16:35 pm
last two test we played in south africa we drew the one and won the other one. These french not so easy
1 Jun 2006, 16:37 pm
That French mid-field…
Traille and Jauzion
…wow.
They’ll run through,over and around us if we are not careful.
1 Jun 2006, 16:39 pm
Hmmm, pleas frm French players to be rested. Where have we heard that before…
Keo’s contradicted himself more times in the last two weeks than I have fingers, all in the cause of news hits.
1 Jun 2006, 16:40 pm
Jake probably phoned and asked Laporte to please pick a strong side just so that they can fill the stadium.
1 Jun 2006, 16:42 pm
so glad ive got tickets…..should be a GREAT game….revenge for the boks after last years paris loss and revenge for french after last years tests!
1 Jun 2006, 16:47 pm
they fancy they can beat us at home, unlike last time, should be another great test.
1 Jun 2006, 16:51 pm
That is one sexy team! I do believe Traille probably inches JDV for versatility. I have a hunch White may play Butch at 12 for that game to neutralise him. This game will be an absolute humb dinger. My best team the Boks v my second team Tri Color!
1 Jun 2006, 16:51 pm
That is one sexy team! I do believe Traille probably inches JDV for versatility. I have a hunch White may play Butch at 12 for that game to neutralise him. This game will be an absolute humb dinger. My best team the Boks v my second team Tri Color!
1 Jun 2006, 16:52 pm
This will be a good workout. If the Boks concentrated more on winning than avoiding loss they might acquire some of ‘le flair’ the French have. When the Boks lose their nerve they start to kick, they take passes at a standstill so they are easy to stop – all the worst aspects of Bok play were on display against the Crusaders.
Oddly enough it is the lack of risk taking that exposes the Boks as unimaginative and ponderous. It would be nice to see some flow and movement rather than halting and kicking. If they could shed the fear of losing, it might get exciting.
You don’t have to play like the others to learn from them. Supposing the French win and give the Boks ‘ a rugby lesson’, hopefully the Boks will learn the lesson. Even when the Boks win it is seldom with style against a top team. They could do it, but do they believe it. When they do it will happen. Bring on the the strongest French team. It is better to expose all the weaknesses now to correct them properly. No point in having one of those typical Bok wins which noone really believes in and which lulls everyone into a false sense of security. We’ve had enough of those. Go Bokke.
1 Jun 2006, 16:57 pm
Should be a real cracker. Jauzion is the best 12 in France not Traille. I’d bet on a Jauzion, Fritz combo for the test.
1 Jun 2006, 17:02 pm
I cannot understand how they can leave out Chabal from Sale Sharks…. The man must be the biggest hitter in world rugby, I include The Wet and J Collins in that…..
1 Jun 2006, 17:17 pm
jonny ur an idiot.
http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/36_4571.php?player=1589
Traille plays 12. He is a big boy
1 Jun 2006, 17:48 pm
StP
Think they should ahve played te World XV spanners in CT and the French at Ellis Park?
The frogs are well capable of beating us with this side, especially in the back line. The mid field will be tough on the day, depending whether we have tacklers or show ponies at 12. I think 10 could also be a handful.
1 Jun 2006, 17:49 pm
Bokbafana – Good comment – Chabal had his chances under Laporte but disappointed – play below par with Bernard and you won’t play for two seasons – he’s arbitrary and capricious it seems – look at Haridnoroquay (sic) and what a calibe No. 8 he is – he made one ****-up and out he went. (Galthiere and Magne were the only ones who were immunce). Chabal is a big-hitter and recognized as a hard man in France – but his distribution, especially for a Frenchman, is suspect. He’s a good player though – I hope we see him back.
John Cowper – Detroit
1 Jun 2006, 17:53 pm
Sarky -
Small point – normally the Boks win at Ellis Park – the ONLY exception, which I guess is typical of their unpredictablity, is France who have their WON THE LAST FOUR TESTS AT ELLIS PARK.
Newlands actually might work for SA – the Frogs don’t like wet conditions …. because it frustrates the flair; the thing is never to write them off in the press or treat them as underdogs.
John Cowper – Detroit
1 Jun 2006, 18:37 pm
Cheers leeanthonyw. Obviously I need someone of your intelligence to point out the error of my ways, and clearly you are an expert in European rugby.
I wasn’t saying Traille isn’t a 12, merely that Jauzion is better in that position. Combined with his club-mate Fritz at 13 they would be my 1st choice. Traille is a good player no doubt and a big boy as you point out, but does that make him better?
1 Jun 2006, 18:48 pm
agreed jonny
the centres pick themselves…jauzion & fritz are in my view the best pairing in world rugby
2 Jun 2006, 09:08 am
Jauzion V Fourie, this is like a great match up if ever i seen one on a rugby field. Good french squad. The last time the french took an experienced team overseas to these parts of the world, they won the series and it was against my beloved AB’s.
2 Jun 2006, 09:35 am
Fourie will murder Jauzion on defence. The guy hits hard and he never misses a tackle…
2 Jun 2006, 10:14 am
This will be a cracker!!!!
If the half-baked French of last year could win one and draw another,then this side will be a massive threat.
2 Jun 2006, 10:33 am
yoda I disagree. Jauzion plays against big guys weeke in week out and can handle the big hitters. Plus he will be attacking mostly in JdV’s channel.
2 Jun 2006, 12:32 pm
Get Januarie back up to scratch and set him loose on the French half-backs again.
He sowed mayhem amongst them in PE last year. They were running up their own arses.
2 Jun 2006, 14:15 pm
These French are going to uproot the bock squad if we dont watch out. We have dependet on forward domination for all these years but if you recall last years test you will remember what Pelous Nyanga and the rest of the french forwareds did to us. Marconett will come and scrum the living **** out of whoever is wearing the no.3 jearsey and Chabal will run holes thru our defence so will Jauzion and Treil. Jake better stop being arogent and start thinking about what he has to do to beat this powerfull french team.
2 Jun 2006, 17:36 pm
Anyway the French have still to complete theirdomestic championship. They play the SF this week-end and the final the following week-end. There will be injuries and the final list can be very different to this one.
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