France vs Wales

First topic message reminder :

15. Halfpenny, 14. Williams, 13. Davies, 12. Roberts, 11. North, 10. Biggar, 9. Webb, 8. Faletau, 7. Warburton(c), 6. Lydiate, 5. Charteris, 4. AWJ, 3. Lee, 2. Baldwin, 1. Jenkins.
Replacements: Richard Hibbard (Gloucester), Paul James (Bath), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets).

Some changes to in the pack to counter the France scrum and lineout drive threat - Baldwin to start is a bold call though. Our bench is better this week, apart from the replacement halfbacks.



France team announced:
Dulin - Huget, Lamerat, Fofana, Guitoune - (o) Lopez, (m) Parra - Le Roux, Chouly, Dusautoir (cap) - Maestri, Taofifenua - Slimani, Guirado, Ben Arous.

Subs: Kayser, Debaty, Atonio, Suta, Goujon, Tillous-Borde, Tales, Bastareaud.

How nice to see scrums actually used to restart the game

Wales too predictable in attack again. Too slow behind the ruck again notably.

France offering very little though. Plans scuppered I suspect by the early introduction of Basteraud.

I fear this is the last game of Lopez for a while in Blue... Good ideas but very poor execution...

The appealing to ref constantly is irritating, its taking over in the pro12 due to the weak refs we suffer from.
What's this though with an English fan doing nothing but baiting on a thread about France V Wales?
Just enjoy the rugby and forget the nationalistic bullwhip, its not banter its juvenile.

Bigger very lucky not to have seen yellow though. Clear hit on the man in the air. Referee should've acted, otherwise we will see more play acting to milk penalties,

This is the type of game that France may just cut loose in the second half.

Wales do seem to stop playi9ng in the second half for some reason.

Did not think it was a forward pass to be honest,

Nachos Jones wrote:

quinsforever wrote:how awful is all the appealing from the players in red. has wendyball taken over across the Severn?

Are you on here to comment on the game or is your intention to upset the Welsh fans?

did you not notice all the appealing? not a single french player appealed for anything. maybe they assume the ref wont understand them!

wales have mastered the art of running into decoy runners with their arms in the air looking for the penalty. i hate it. the rule is play the whistle. ref should let tries be scored then review, and if defenders went looking for contact, or chose to tackle the wrong guy, no obstruction.

majesticimperialman wrote:This is the type of game that France may just cut loose in the second half.

Wales do seem to stop playi9ng in the second half for some reason.

Did not think it was a forward pass to be honest,

I think it's one of those that if it hadn't been called it would've been hard to argue. Tough one.

majesticimperialman wrote:This is the type of game that France may just cut loose in the second half.

Wales do seem to stop playi9ng in the second half for some reason.

Did not think it was a forward pass to be honest,

You know what, I actually feel that the Welsh may step it up in the second half. I predict a wild Liam Williams try

quinsforever wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:

quinsforever wrote:how awful is all the appealing from the players in red. has wendyball taken over across the Severn?

Are you on here to comment on the game or is your intention to upset the Welsh fans?

did you not notice all the appealing? not a single french player appealed for anything. maybe they assume the ref wont understand them!

wales have mastered the art of running into decoy runners with their arms in the air looking for the penalty. i hate it. the rule is play the whistle. ref should let tries be scored then review, and if defenders went looking for contact, or chose to tackle the wrong guy, no obstruction.

The appealing is annoying, suspect they've started to get on the wrong side of this referee. That may be crucial later in the match.

I thought it was forward. That's a Welsh view though! Thought the overhead angle showed it quite clearly forward for me.

yes, hopefully ref telling biggar off towards end of that first half will lead to less appealing. win-win all round if so.

What was wrong with that turnover by Davies? He stripped the ball in the tackle.

quinsforever wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:

quinsforever wrote:how awful is all the appealing from the players in red. has wendyball taken over across the Severn?

Are you on here to comment on the game or is your intention to upset the Welsh fans?

did you not notice all the appealing? not a single french player appealed for anything. maybe they assume the ref wont understand them!

wales have mastered the art of running into decoy runners with their arms in the air looking for the penalty. i hate it. the rule is play the whistle. ref should let tries be scored then review, and if defenders went looking for contact, or chose to tackle the wrong guy, no obstruction.

Yes and I don't like it but your contributions on this thread so far have been to accuse Ireland and Wales of being cynical and to accuse only the Welsh of appealing.

As an England fan, I really don't think you should do that unless your house is clean, which it is not.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:What was wrong with that turnover by Davies? He stripped the ball in the tackle.

Thought exactly the same.

Hmmm, seems there was equal obstruction from Wales earlier. Wales getting the tub of the green from the officials here.

You watch Parra in this game and you have to wonder if PSA is mentally alright. How did he not start the last two games?!

He's been injured hasn't he? His right leg is strapped.

Was on the bench the last two games I thought? Can't have been that bad.

like watching paint dry only less fun

We're lucky with the advantage there. Played advantage far too long gone.

24stone 5 pounds. thats unreal!

Wtf was Geth doing? Get him off.

For all his flaws, Charteris is such a threat when it comes to driving line outs and the maul.

The Saint wrote:For all his flaws, Charteris is such a threat when it comes to driving line outs and the maul.

he's like the bad guy in a spiderman movie with the crazy arms.

He gets one drop goal in every 100 attempts. I really hate seeing them in the game.

The Saint wrote:For all his flaws, Charteris is such a threat when it comes to driving line outs and the maul.

The management get criticism, rightfully, but they got that one right this week. He's been a beast defending the French maul.

Awesome. No need to check it... Haha

Geth would have got that drop

Get in! Lovely stuff!

Wonderful from Webb and an excellent pass from Lydiate

France are getting the worst of the big decisions when even Jonathan Davies thinks Wales have been lucky. But that was a well worked try and France are offering little in attack.

Lydiate the distributor! Who'd have thought!

After that Australia game we've really learned how to maul.

The French have gone. Ours for the taking.

Have France run/passed once?

France just have not looked the same since Parra was replaced.

Forward pass knock on missed. Why aren't the english commenting on that?

Lucky france getting away with blocking and that knock on. Wonder if we'll see a witch hunt on here now? Or are they not Welsh enough to be a victim of that?

I am not sure that try should be awarded, the French were going off their feet in the phase before the try so it should have gone back for the penalty...

The Saint wrote:Forward pass knock on missed. Why aren't the english commenting on that?

is that a new type of infringement?

Cardiff Dave wrote:The French have gone. Ours for the taking.

Charteris, Baldwin and Warbs off...

If Biggar goes off we'll lose.

Nachos Jones wrote:I am not sure that try should be awarded, the French were going off their feet in the phase before the try so it should have gone back for the penalty...

true. but i would have awarded a straight yellow for the deliberate slowing down that led to the initial penalty advantage 10m from the line.

Our set-piece has been really very good today. Promising stuff.

The Saint wrote:If Biggar goes off we'll lose.

You wouldn't mind though as long as we learn something eh

quinsforever wrote:

The Saint wrote:Forward pass knock on missed. Why aren't the english commenting on that?

is that a new type of infringement?

The combined forward pass/knock on is allowed in Stade de France as is smoking, but you have to be French to qualify of course.

I'm not so sure that's our penalty. Great defence from us though.

Gwlad wrote:

The Saint wrote:If Biggar goes off we'll lose.

You wouldn't mind though as long as we learn something eh

Before this game I said that he's got a few selections right for a change.