France fail to fire
9 Mar 2008
France won against Italy in Paris, but they will have to be 20 points better than Wales in Cardiff to win the Six Nations.
The French were ordinary in beating an equally average Italian side 25-13, but the victory at least gives them an outside chance of retaining the championship.
To beat the resurgent Welsh in Cardiff by 20 points seems beyond the French, but if any team in world rugby can achieve this it’s the temperamental French.
The French inconsistency in team selections meant the new combinations didn’t work resulting in many errors but at the same time both teams played very exciting end-to-end rugby. The French set-piece struggled throughout, missing their jumpers in a number of line-outs while the Italian scrum dominated – at times they walked with the French seven or eight meters. It doesn’t matter who France pick if they don’t have a solid tight five the rest of the players will not be able to fire at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
Both sides missed early try-scoring chances – the French when they took a quick-tap off a penalty right in-front of the posts and knocked it on. Italian centre Gonzalo Canale also dropped the final pass of what would have been a great try, where the ball was spread from side to side of the field from a number of phases after hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini made a brilliant break down the touchline.
France’s first try came from good forward drive from a line-out, French flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc received the ball on the 22 and put a well-weighted cross-kick that was collected in the air by wing Julien Malzieu who flipped a basketball-pass back inside to fullback Anthony Floch. This was just one example of the variety in France’s play which they did not show in their previous loss to England.
Italian fullback Andrea Marcato kept his side in touch with two penalties, while French scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili kicked two for his team.
Centre Yannick Jauzion scored the French second try after another good chip over the top, this time from Yachvili. But Italy would just not go away and they were rewarded for their forward dominance when prop Martin Castrogiovanni scored from a surging maul to bring them within five points of the French.
Jauzion made another good break and off-loaded to winger Aurelien Rougerie who scored the try that sealed the win.
France will have to sort out a number of aspects of their play by next week, and hopefully will be consistent in their selection.
Italy are still in search of their first win in this year’s competition and will be positive after another encouraging display. They have their best chance when they face Scotland in Rome on Saturday.
France – tries: Floch, Jauzion, Rougerie. conversions: Yachvili. penalties:Yachvili 2
Italy – tries: Castrogiovanni. conversions: Marcato. penalties: Marcato 2
By Grant Ball
19 Comments
9 Mar 2008, 19:36 pm
Fair comments! Check the squad of France, all good players.
9 Mar 2008, 19:43 pm
Looks to me like its Wales’s championship this year.
9 Mar 2008, 19:45 pm
Come on the Frogs!
9 Mar 2008, 19:52 pm
keo,
the flashing advertising is making the site look tacky.
perhaps that is what caused the site to crash yesterday.
9 Mar 2008, 20:20 pm
Hi Fish
9 Mar 2008, 20:37 pm
The standard of the 6 nations looks below par this year.
9 Mar 2008, 20:52 pm
hey coach,
hows things today?
9 Mar 2008, 20:57 pm
Fish going ok thanks and you?
9 Mar 2008, 20:57 pm
Heading to T/Island. Sons rugby practice
9 Mar 2008, 21:17 pm
Things are good, stoked the Sharks won.
Going up to SF for lunch. Enjoy the rugger.
9 Mar 2008, 21:19 pm
Yeah its a nice day.
Very happy about both Stormer and Sharks.
Cheetahs were very unlucky again
This week has made things interesting.
9 Mar 2008, 22:25 pm
Damn French.
They only play good against the best teams in the world,NZ and SA.
9 Mar 2008, 23:27 pm
Wouldn’t it make more sense if two teams end top of the log that the champion should be the one that won the match between them?
If France beat Wales (by less than 20) on Saturday they have equal points but the loser gets the crown….kinda strange
Anyway I hope Wales win
10 Mar 2008, 00:01 am
Points for/against if France win! They need to win by 20 to take title!
10 Mar 2008, 00:12 am
#14
Yeah, I know but I just feel it’s strange that both teams can end with 4 wins and the loser on the day can be Champion
I guess it rewards consistency and take home-field advantage out of the equation
Both great teams to watch….i hope they play expansive rugby on Saturday too
10 Mar 2008, 00:45 am
HELLO!!!! IS ANYBODY OUT THERE!!!!! HHEEELLLOOOOO!!!! CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME!!!!!
Vark! This place is a graveyard!
10 Mar 2008, 01:16 am
which french team we talking about here??
seems be different side every week.
10 Mar 2008, 08:09 am
#12 Cane. How 100% right you are. They can lose to a 2nd grade provincial side and then beat SA and NZ. I played 2 seasons there and I still can’t figure it out.
10 Mar 2008, 14:15 pm
I still like alot of the young talent in France. The French seem to have a conveyer belt of great flyhalves and scrumhalves. Even Wales have 2 great flyhalves, we only have one at the moment in Butch and possibly another in AP.
Why Laporte didn’t take Yachvilli to the RWC is a mystery, i saw that man single handedly destroy England to take the Six Nations for France, 2004.
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