France shun media hype
20 Oct 2011
The French have avoided all forms of media in the build up to the World Cup final and will draw confidence from their recent successes against the All Blacks.
Most pundits haven’t given France a chance of beating the All Blacks this Sunday, with some even going as far to say that this French side is the worst to qualify for a final in the tournament’s history. France wing Vincent Clerc has responded by saying that the team has taken no notice of such statements, and that while they are underdogs there’s a healthy belief that they can achieve the improbable in knocking over the All Blacks.
‘I have not turned the TV on all week so I am not sure what is going on in the outside world,’ said Clerc. ‘We do not need motivation and we do not have to look at what others are doing. We are in our own bubble so it does not matter what the New Zealanders are doing in terms of their preparation.
‘We have not played the match yet. They are not world champions yet. I do not feel I am in the skin of a future loser, someone who can’t win. This is the World Cup final and we are not here by coincidence. You can put some of it down to chance but I don’t think it is coincidence.’
Clerc added that France’s victory in the 2007 World Cup quarter-final will be remembered as they prepare for this week’s challenge. The 2009 win against the All Blacks in Dunedin will also help the Tricolores to believe that they can best the All Blacks on New Zealand soil.
‘I think we are drawn to difficulty and I think it allows us to bring out the best in ourselves and it allows us to believe in the impossible.
‘We know we can destabilize the All Blacks and we can do some exceptional things. I experienced that in 2007 and we experienced it in Dunedin a few years ago so it is a great source of inspiration for us. I think all the French team has underperformed in respect to the All Blacks and they have gone on to improbable victories.’
The French winger added that the visitors cannot hope to rely on luck in this fixture. More than anything they will have to bring a combative attitude to the contest.
‘We will have to be committed and we will have to fight. We can’t fall into the trap of just doing any old thing. We have to be extremely lucid and we will have to make sure we manage the match, take the opportunities that are given.
‘They have weaknesses as well and we just have to make sure we just don’t do any old thing. We will have to put the heat on them and we will have to be extremely defensive in the way we were against the Welsh [in the semi-final].’
26 Comments
20 Oct 2011, 21:48 pm
Surrendering dragons
20 Oct 2011, 22:13 pm
these be FIGHTING words
i can’t wait for this match!
20 Oct 2011, 22:30 pm
Honestly, I am more nervous about this game than the semi.
I think it fair to say that we (generally) respect the Boks, View the Wallabies
with caution, but the dammed froggies we just cannot read. We either smash them
with impunity or they confound us.
form does not seem to matter with them. They are like permanently wounded wild
animals…ripe for the kill or dangerous killers.
we hates them. We hates them forever. Yellow bellied, cheease eating, terrorist bombing,
surrender *******.
But that is why I don’t think the ABs have “won”. On paper, they should clean up.
Most other countries it seems would too against lez blues. but you never know.
i reckon it’ll be a cracker.
20 Oct 2011, 23:13 pm
@hashi(hashi)-3:
There are two types of Kiwi rugby person (like Boks) – those who know the game of rugby and those who think they know … you sir, are the former. Those who write off France are the latter.
20 Oct 2011, 23:41 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-4:
So many people make the great mistake of proclaiming victory before the event takes place.
That is arrogance.
There is virtue in believing your chosen team is the best, and of hopeing and believing
victory will come, but claiming victory before the fact is just plain wrong.
Too many make these claims and it bothers me.
The AB’s “should have” won in 99 and 07. Many claimed victory before the fact. fools.
The Boks “should have” won against Aus. Many claimed victory before the fact. Fools.
We can never “know” before a result. Only the truely ignorant make these claims.
I actualy want france to play well…for the sake of the game.
mind you, I won’t be watching…I’m off hunting tonight for the long weekend while everyone else is away from the bush! I can watch the replays safe in the knowledge of the result!
20 Oct 2011, 23:57 pm
Garco, le fromage sil vous plait. I feel le ze leetle surrendeur coming on, alors…
21 Oct 2011, 01:53 am
This World Cup has been scripted from start to finish. And the result is a side that has lost twice makes the final. Another side, of whom has played very weak opposition all the way through (showing frailties throughout) makes the final. I have never seen anything like this before. But I did predict this last year, after the first ok test to New Zealand. A team so good it needed the laws changed twice, and had it’s cheating blueprint sorted last year. New Zealand will win, the ref will make certain of that. No matter how well France may play, and no matter how poorly New Zealand could play, it will make no difference to the outcome. New Zealand have paid too much money in too many dark places for this final to be lost. Mark my words, these cheating animals already have the Webb Ellis trophy in their grubby paws. It will be a fitting end to an astonishingly flawed tournament. The worst in World Cup history.
21 Oct 2011, 02:10 am
GO FRANCE!
21 Oct 2011, 02:11 am
ALL OF SOUTH AFRICA IS BEHIND YOU, FRANCE!
ALLEZ LES BLEUS!
21 Oct 2011, 02:40 am
@Alucard(Alucard)-7: LOL
Another side, of whom has played very weak opposition all the way through (showing frailties throughout) makes the final. I have never seen anything like this before.
umm…like SA in 2007? Oh, sorry, thats right… “you can only play whats in front of you”. Unless you are any country but South Africa.
But you are right, it has obviously been scripted. We payed the Bokke to throw their game against Aus…how else can you explain the loss? it can’t be because of a cheating ref, that excuse isn’t good enough eg: 2007.
21 Oct 2011, 03:50 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-9: Honestly? You’ll find most Bok fans support the Kiwis against the useless French. I am convinced Habana was French in a previous life – all show pony with fkall substance.
21 Oct 2011, 03:54 am
@hashi(hashi)-10: Ag please man, Hashi. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that this was the softest WC victory ever. The All Blacks played the hopeless French twice and never got out of 1st gear against the Wallabies as the Saffa ref nailed Pocock from the first minute.
21 Oct 2011, 04:01 am
As has been written since 2007…“you can only play whats in front of you”.
I would much rather the AB’s played the Boks…or even Wales.
21 Oct 2011, 04:20 am
ABs by 30
21 Oct 2011, 04:39 am
@Alucard(Alucard)-7:Bring some reasoned opinions man
or crawl back under your rock
21 Oct 2011, 04:46 am
the **** thatt the NZ media is putting out about the freench is just plain ridiculousss and unhospitablee. every man and his dogg is celebratingg the All Blackss as World Champions. If you weree a frenchh player, what motivation moree then you need?????? logic and statss say the ALl Blackss will wipe the floorr clean with frog skinss.
Keep an eye on the singing of the frenchh nationall anthem and that will give you an insightt into how the french will play.
I havee seen the mad look of men possessed beforee a game has kicked off!!!!!
21 Oct 2011, 04:48 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-9:
1999, 2007, 2011
men possessed!!!!!
21 Oct 2011, 04:50 am
Agreed, much of it is ****. But thats the media for you. Same the world over.
while the media might tell you that every man and his dog are celebrating already, the media also told you that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.
Don’t believe everything you read, and dont equate a bo11ocks journalist opionion piece with the public of a nation.
You can of course, but says more about you than anything else.
21 Oct 2011, 04:55 am
the NZ mediaa have disgracedd themselvess with theirr coverage of this finalll
INo Respectt for the frogss
21 Oct 2011, 04:57 am
Thats true 19, but the frogs have been shown even less respect by all those claiming that the AB’s will just walk it. Many Saffas and Aussies on here included. As well as much of the world media.
21 Oct 2011, 06:08 am
of course the media speaks for a nation, why I always take the word of the Keo journalists as the opinion of the whole nation, like many are doing with the journalists in NZ
21 Oct 2011, 09:32 am
@kwas(kwas)-11: Please man, no self respecting Bok fan could EVER bring himself to support the All Blacks.
They are the ENEMY.
Respected, but they don’t have our “support” or best wishes.
South Africa is Blue for the final! Go France!
21 Oct 2011, 15:18 pm
@greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-16:
Quite right my friend – if the props are crying during the singing the game is on for sure … France will come to the table, this is exactly how they want it – written off with the ticker tape parade already organized and bookies paying out bets on NZ before the game is even started
I’ve got money on France at 10-1 (in 1999 they were 15-1)
Vivre le France
21 Oct 2011, 19:41 pm
@hashi(hashi)-3:
you are a kant.
22 Oct 2011, 11:28 am
@Alucard(Alucard)-7:
brilliant
you should be the Team Captain here on Keo.
Nothing like an inherently poor and bitter loser to perk up my day
22 Oct 2011, 11:29 am
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-22:
even more brilliant from Spooner, the reserve orange-peeler for the 2nd-reserve linesman.
lovin it
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