Six Nations latest – ‘France can’t win World Cup’
14 Mar 2011
Keo.co.za brings you news from the Six Nations.
‘France can’t win World Cup’ – Coach Marc Lievremont has described some of his players as cowards while some senior squad members have admitted France will struggle at the global tournament this September.
Lievremont has launched a scathing attack on his players after last Saturday’s loss to Italy. France have relinquished their Six Nations title, and it’s not only the French public that are doubting the team’s ability to win the World Cup.
‘Maybe they were too much in the comfort zone,’ said Lievremont. ‘Do I feel responsible for that? No, they betrayed us, they have betrayed me and they have betrayed the French national team shirt.
‘In terms of the tactics deployed, it defied belief. I did not recognise anything in their performance that we had worked on. Do you really think that I told them to play as they did against Italy? I was ashamed. I do not have the impression we asked them to walk on the moon. I do not ask for complicated things.
‘They are lacking in courage. They are good guys but cursed with what is obviously cowardice.’
At this stage, Lievremont seems to be safe from the axe, but the coach said some players won’t be so lucky.
‘I have already looked several players in the eyes and told them they would be at the World Cup. All that is now up in the air. The Italy match means we are back at the starting gate. What is for sure is that certain players have worn the French shirt for the last time.’
Fullback Maxime Medard maintains the players are ashamed by the defeat. ‘If I had a rope, I’d hang myself, ‘he told reporters. ‘Well, I’m kidding, but I’d like to go and hide somewhere.’
Flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc didn’t offer much hope for a turnaround. ‘We do not have a team capable of winning the World Cup,’ he said. ‘We don’t seem to be capable of playing together. Everything is unclear. Some players look like they are lost on the pitch.’
Meanwhile, Lievremont has made six changes to his squad for the match against Wales. Sylvain Marconnet, Jerome Thion, Sebastien Chabal, Yannick Jauzion, Clement Poitrenaud and Aurelien Rougerie have all been dropped.
Jerome Schuster, Pascal Pape, Alexandre Lapandry, Fabrice Estebanez, David Marty and Alexis Palisson have all been brought into the set-up.
19 Comments
14 Mar 2011, 10:13 am
That does it. I’m putting my money on France to win the world cup. These devious swine will resort to anything to fool us.
14 Mar 2011, 10:17 am
Typically emotional Frogs.Why not just congratulate Italy for the win ?
and by the way Mr Francois Trinh-Duc, if you think you ‘re not up for the RWC, drop your self and stay @ home.Ditt the coach!.
14 Mar 2011, 11:00 am
“why not just congratulate XXXX for the win ?”
says the Sth African.
Has the Sth African fan EVER “just congratulated” the opposition without adding provisos incl ‘the ref…..travel….weather…..hot water in the showers….’
14 Mar 2011, 11:17 am
Lievremont needs to take it easy on his players. He has just dropped some quality players that have beaten the ABs twice in recent years.
I have a feeling a similar phenomenon is happening to Italy as it has to the Pumas, since all the players, Puma/Italy, play in France and know the french players very well.
I have a feeling maybe the coach is showing signs of cracking!!
14 Mar 2011, 11:41 am
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-1:
14 Mar 2011, 11:45 am
14 Mar 2011, 13:06 pm
This is ridiculous.
How can a coach speak about his players like this in public and not man up to an iota of blame himself.
France has the talent and the depth.
But Lievremont has chopped and changed his team so much over the last four years, is it any wonder there is no continuity on the field and no conviction from the players because they don’t know where they stand?
He should be sacked.
I never thought I’d say this, but he is displaying more sackable qualities than PDV.
14 Mar 2011, 13:14 pm
On a good day and with a decent coach, this team can beat anyone in the world.
14 Mar 2011, 16:02 pm
@puff(puff)-7: They did play like c rap tho. If I wasnt supporting Italy in that game, I would have felt as angry as I did wen we lost to Scotland on EOYT. Coach couldn’t hav done anything about those guys, everyone felt they were in with a WC chance before they played England and was praising the coach. Now, 3 weeks later, the coach is rubbish? Players didnt play like they wanted to be there and I can understand his anger. Mayb its just wat is needed for them to see that the final responsibility lies with the guys on the field.
14 Mar 2011, 16:12 pm
Lievremont is to France what Strauli was to the Boks. Both are egotistical fools. Its ironic that he calls his players cowards. A brave coach would take at least some of the blame himself.
14 Mar 2011, 16:28 pm
@too 2rue(too 2rue)-3: Oh my golly gosh! BP is that you? or Wakanathan? With a new nick? How bitter and off the subject can you be?!
For your information it HAS happened many times
14 Mar 2011, 17:04 pm
and who the frik are you ?!
my team wears Green.
14 Mar 2011, 18:49 pm
@puff(puff)-7: You are so right! Lievremont has been the architect of his own downfall. In the first two years as coach he chose more players than Rudolph Straeuli did. Look what happened to the Springboks in 2002-2003 due to the chopping and changing.
He has never shown confidence in Key players and they have never been allowed to settle. It is maybe too late to hire a new coach but the French Federation have no other option.
14 Mar 2011, 19:04 pm
@Chile Dog(Chile Dog)-13:
A powerhouse prop like Barcella (who is coming off injury) has no idea whether he’s in international contention or not – where is the communication with the national coach?
Basteraud has the potential to be the world’s most potent centre. He has had some personal issues, but where would he be now under the tutelage and guidance of a more capable mentor?
Veterans with an abundance of talent like Heymans, Michalak etc are simply abandoned.
Players who have the potential to be the best in the world (Harinordoquy, Chabal etc) are shunted around from position to position and often dropped for no reason other than stated “rotation”.
It is crazy.
Imagine what someone like Nick Mallet could do with the French.
14 Mar 2011, 19:14 pm
1. Barcella
2. Servat
3. Marconnet
4. Chabal
5. Nallet
6. Dussoituar
7. Bonnaire
8. Harinordoquy
9. Parra
10. Trin-Duc
11. Rougerrie
12. Jauzion
13. Basteraud
14. Clerc
15. Potrenaud
16. Szarzesky
17. Mas
18. Thion
19. Ouedreago
20. Yachvilli
21. Traille
22. Medard
Surely if given more confidence through continuity in selection this team (or a team closely resembling it) could be world-beaters?
14 Mar 2011, 19:27 pm
Toulouse – Toulouse manager Guy Noves on Monday questioned the future of France coach Marc Lievremont after the side’s historic 21-22 loss to Italy at the weekend.
Noves also slammed the French federation for choosing such an inexperienced coach as Lievremont for France’s top rugby job in 2007.
“You don’t become a great coach in four years,” said Noves.
“You don’t feel there is coherence. Everyone is in a state of uncertainty. When Marc Lievremont says that he’s going back to zero, that’s effectively what you feel. You have the impression that what has been done in the past three and a half years amounts to nothing.
“The responsibility lies with those who appointed him. When they did it they should have been able to say he was the man for the job.”
Former France international Lievremont, 42, coached club side Dax for two years before taking over from Bernard Laporte as coach of the French rugby union side in 2007.
Questioned on the decision to drop Yannick Jauzion, Noves said it was “a little harder for Yannick whose international career is said to be over.”
But he added: “Maybe this coach is very close to the end of his coaching career and that Yannick will become an international again under his successor.”
Toulouse president Rene Bouscatel lamented the lack of experience among the trio of France coaches – Livremont and assistants Didier Retiere and Emile Ntamack – months before the World Cup.
“You can’t take three debutants at the one time,” said Bouscatel.
“We change our strategy every 15 days.”
14 Mar 2011, 19:43 pm
Lievremont is a fool and i agree he has changed the team around far too many times. Case in point Chabal, who i seen as some sort of enforcer on the field this, is a complete illusion, however he has been dropped then selected and played in pretty much every back five position there is, indicating that Lievremont has absolutely no idea what he is doing.
As for the farce at the start of the tournament when they beat us Scots, i seen right through it, people have short memories it was only a few months back when France were being sodomised then tea bagged by the Boks, Argentina (who lost to Scotland) and Australia
The standard in this Six nations is awful though it is collectively awful which is making the games competetive and convincing people that these are proper test matches
As for Italy turning the corner as one poster said, dont bet on it one swallow doesnt make a summer and only a few eeeks ago they lost 59-13 to a very average England team
14 Mar 2011, 21:40 pm
Lievremont is an IDIOT. Never seen anything like this is my life. Not even my alcoholic delusional drunk under 15 b side coach in my small town in Mpumalanga was this useless. And I agree, even Snorre is better than him.
14 Mar 2011, 21:44 pm
France in sh’tstreet , and here I thought we were in serious trouble
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