France power past Pumas
17 Nov 2012
GARETH DUNCAN watched France break down an early 13-3 deficit to secure a 39-22 win over Argentina in Lille.
Former France coach Marc Lievremont once highlighted Les Bleus’ inconsistencies by saying: ‘One day, my team will deliver an 18/20 performance. The next week, they’ll put in an 8/20 performance.’
However, his successor Philippe Saint-Andre seems to be getting the best out of his charges as they added a good win over Argentina to their 33-6 thrashing of the Wallabies in Paris last Saturday.
An upset was on the cards as the Pumas rushed into a 10-point advantage during the first quarter of the fixture. However, France gained the ascendancy thereafter thanks to their accurate tactical kicking game, smart interplay and resilient defence.
After a frantic first half, the hosts did well to suffocate and restrict the Pumas by bossing possession and tightening up the game. Argentina threatened in the loose, but their attack stifled as soon as France delivered more appropriate tactics after the break.
With flyhalf Frederic Michalak, who kicked 24 points with the boot, slotting four penalties and a drop goal in the second half, France sealed the win.
Argentina started off strongly as they secured an early try via inside centre Marcelo Bosch. The midfielder enjoyed an easy run to the whitewash after clever passing and support play. Flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez added the conversion before slotting two penalties.
However, France rallied into a 24-13 half-time lead thanks to a brace from wing Vincent Clerc and flank Yannick Nyanga, who’s been in great form after a five-year international absence.
Clerc’s first came from great interplay among backs and forwards, which exposed the Argentine defence out wide, before a clever chip put the veteran through for his double. Nyanga showed great power as he attacked around the fringes to motor to the tryline.
The second stanza saw no tries scored as both teams battled via the boot. Michalak enjoyed more successful shots at goal (five compared to Sanchez’s three) and kicked France to victory.
70 Comments
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17 Nov 2012, 23:56 pm
@CoachPete-39:
First loss to Tonga, believe it as not friendly in the french changing rooms after the match
17 Nov 2012, 23:56 pm
Anyway, glad to see French playing really well in successive Tests. Unless unthinkable happens vs Samoa, French should have 1st pot of the WC draw in the bag.
17 Nov 2012, 23:56 pm
@Nils-49:
I said that earlier yes
Because France are usually the strongest of european countries
17 Nov 2012, 23:58 pm
@Hurricane-51:
Idk i was not there
17 Nov 2012, 23:59 pm
@CoachPete-53: Indeed they are.
18 Nov 2012, 00:01 am
@Nils-52:
Just hope we dont get England again
18 Nov 2012, 00:01 am
ok out of here cheers Kiwis
18 Nov 2012, 00:04 am
@CoachPete-54:
Trust me.
@CoachPete-57:
Cheers coach
18 Nov 2012, 00:07 am
And so for the upcoming WC draw we have clear four leaders ahead of the 2nd pot of teams and only England have remote chance to sneak in. Dogfight between Ireland and Argentina plus desparate Welsh to decide who crashes out to the 3rd pot to – very probably – make way for the Samoans.
18 Nov 2012, 00:10 am
@CoachPete-56: Then you should lose heavily to them now, simple. On the bad side, then you could get Kiwis.
18 Nov 2012, 09:01 am
watched a replay of this game. thoroughly enjoyable. although the pumas lost, its evident their inclusion in TRC and GHs input has helped take their game to a higher level.
fast becoming my second favourite team.
18 Nov 2012, 16:25 pm
On current form France would comfortably beat the Boks and have the edge on the All Blacks – fantastic for the game because they play the most exciting rugby. It’s not only about winning – the game has a soul.
18 Nov 2012, 17:04 pm
@Nils-28:
In 2001 (I think, or thereabouts) in the heyday Olivier Magne they put +40 points past the All Blacks in Marseilles for the win (only one of 4 occasions anyone has done that) and if you tell Buck Shelford France is a pushover he might just clock you … whisper in his ear “Remember Nantes” and he definitely will clock you.
As any genuine All Black player will tell you they are massive “when they come to play” – you just don’t know when that it is; everyone agrees that when it actually happens it’s the best there is and the definitely the most attractive to watch. And that is the prime reason enigmatic les Bleurs fascinate – and if you don’t get it, I can’t explain it.
18 Nov 2012, 17:08 pm
@nortierd-44:
Noticed that as well – sort of says it all, doesn’t it?
Although I would imagine AB’s would also play on because they are ruthless to the last second.
18 Nov 2012, 20:48 pm
@J.B. Cowper-63: Of course, they are awesome, when ‘come to play’. The problem is – how we can define when that happens? When they play and win impressively? Or when? Because then any other game (and any loss) can be easily written off, say – whatever, they just did not come to play.
Since that game 12 years ago those performances have been – let’s say honestly – a quite rare occasion. And, IMHO, it has more to do with the quality of opposition than French themselves deciding whether come or not to play.
18 Nov 2012, 20:51 pm
@J.B. Cowper-63: I sincerely hope, their latest games are signs of great positive things to come from France. They have the necessary class.
19 Nov 2012, 03:10 am
@Hurricane-18:
Frogs would klap the AB’s the way they playing on condition Joubert is not the ref
French v Samoa should be a good smash fest this weekend!!
19 Nov 2012, 03:58 am
@whatever-67: What makes you think the opposition would allow them to play like that?
I recall Frenchies come out with all guns blazing in their home games in 04, 06, 09 and 10 – always starting with a bang and allo those games ended in tears and boos long before the final whistle. Why it would be any different this time – as that outcome happens more frequently than them smashing the opposition in style like this month.
19 Nov 2012, 05:01 am
@whatever-67:
And what makes you think that?
Is it because they beat Ozzie and Argentina?
We beat them as well.
Or are you going on the Ireland game where France drew with them and we beat Ireland in 3 tests and one was an absolute hammering of 60-0.
See now i honestly dont know how you can say they would beat us, all i know is i would always back the ABs to beat anyone. Lets face it, if you were a gambler and never back the ABs you would be a broke man.
Out of the last 15 games they have beat us twice and drew once.
They have played awesome rugby in those years as well so them beating NZ is not a given as you think it is.
And what has Joubert got to do with anything?
Are you saying a South African ref is dodgy?
So you are complaining about South African refs now……is there any ref safe from the South African supporters whinge club?
19 Nov 2012, 13:28 pm
@Nils-65:
@Nils-66:
Heck mate – who knows – not even sure God does. In a way those stats you quote affirm their enigmatism – is it Wales or Ireland (or both) who have similar stats against the AB’s – yet you’d never expext them to win – and if they ever did, it would be a one-off. Even at peak they have a ceiling (1970′s Welsh side excepted).
But the Frogs – you might not want to remember ’99 but only 3 months prior to that they lost 54-7 to NZ.
The thing is they have more bandwidth than anyone else – I think we can all agree on that.
Good chatting with you.
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