French mutiny....again? UPDATE - Phillipe Saint-Andre now sacked according to L'obs Sport

During the last WC it was firstly alleged and then broadly accepted that there was a mutiny in the French squad and that Marc Lievremont had completely lost control of his players.

Once again, stories are starting to emerge in the French media that there has been another mutiny and that Saint Andre is no longer in control and hasn't even picked the team to play against New Zealand.  This some claim is why Basteraud has finally been dropped and an article in the French media showed Saint Andre being shoved out of the way by Yoanne Maestri as he stormed down the tunnel after the Ireland loss.  

I don't speak French so can't validate this with any links but its spreading around rugby outlets online.

No doubt the French will beat the All Blacks now...

UPDATE:

Now being reported that hes just been sacked by L'obs Sport

For what its worth, it has been reported on to some extent...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby_world_cup_2015/article-3269725/Are-France-revolting-World-Cup-Yoann-Maestri-appears-shoulder-barge-head-coach-Philippe-Saint-Andre-defeat-Ireland.html

http://www.sportsjoe.ie/rugby/report-france-sack-philippe-saint-andre-ahead-of-new-zealand-clash/44445

Coaching yourself is fair enough. But who picked the team? Dusatoir?

Wow.

Surely it was a combination of Michalak, Dusatoir and Maestri - they're the senior figure-heads right?

Bet the New Zealanders are sweating now. The French are in competition mode at last.

High drama if true. Impossible to tell what has happened, but seems like the players have come unglued, no? Coaching themselves? Bizarre.

How come the French players only lose faith in their coaches in the middle of a WC?  
Slow learners!!!  People keep telling them all their coaches are nuts but the Gallic shrug until it's always too late.

Or its a gag and Saint Andre is in on it.  French in 'disarray' - and then slice through the ABs like butter....... well, that's maybe the plan.  But lightening don't strike twice in the one place boys.

This is all very French.

Players have finally decided that an oeuf is an oeuf.

Notch wrote:This is all very French.

Yep and it also wouldn't be a surprise if they now won on Saturday night.

There have been a number of teams at this World cup that have been somewhat disappointing, they probably would have done better without figurehead coaches, and just left to the senior players would have performed better.

Cardiff Dave wrote:Players have finally decided that an oeuf is an oeuf.

They said his rugby mind was "Fou Canard" to deal with...!

Well thats another candidate with international experience available for the England job. At least he wouldnt be afraid to pick Armitage and co. Plus hes still less likely to fall out with the players than Mike Catt is.

Would the one person who has tried MORE positional partnerships than Rimmer really be wanted ?

Presume Dusatoir is going to go into coaching when he retires? Hes already coached at two world cups, getting to the final once.

Yes he'd be perfect for the England job if it wasn't for the fact that he had international experience - put's him beyond reach of the RFU

Is this France teams performance a shock though?

I keep hearing how they are French and are capable of turning up blah blah blah, they have very few world class players, of which Huget is out, and come into the RWC as huge underdogs to win the group, I had Ireland by 20 and was dissapointed they didn't get it.

Has this actually been confirmed or all rumours still?

I dont really buy in this french mutiny story. first only this article seems to imply that and it's more speculation than anything at this stage. the fact that some players are tired with PSA lack of charisma, leadership and unclear strategies is getting obvious now though so there is chance that PSA, Lagisquet and mainly Blanco have been unofficially "put aside".

France to win by 4pts

whocares wrote:I dont really buy in this french mutiny story. first only this article seems to imply that and it's more speculation than anything at this stage. the fact that some players are tired with PSA lack of charisma, leadership and unclear strategies is getting obvious now though so there is chance that PSA, Lagisquet and mainly Blanco have been unofficially "put aside".  

I think Blanco has grown so fat he is now too difficuklt to simply put him aside. Maybe the team is upset he wouldn't share his cigarettes at halftime?

I read it is just a ruse, trying to make the AB's nervous.

I doubt they will pay much attention to it. I suspect the AB's know all too well they should take any French team serious

doctor_grey wrote:
I think Blanco has grown so fat he is now too difficuklt to simply put him aside.  Maybe the team is upset he wouldn't share his cigarettes at halftime?  

alternatively he tried to nick Bastareaud "packed lunch" ...

whocares wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:
I think Blanco has grown so fat he is now too difficuklt to simply put him aside.  Maybe the team is upset he wouldn't share his cigarettes at halftime?  

alternatively he tried to nick Bastareaud "packed lunch" ...

He shouldnt have left it on the coffee table

Biltong wrote:I read it is just a ruse, trying to make the AB's nervous.

I doubt they will pay much attention to it. I suspect the AB's know all too well they should take any French team serious

There wasn't anything in L'Equipe about it.

Xavier Rush was saying last week that the ABs would have been hoping to get the French in this tie, to bury any notion that the ABs have an issue with their RWC history against France.

Biltong wrote:I read it is just a ruse, trying to make the AB's nervous.

I doubt they will pay much attention to it. I suspect the AB's know all too well they should take any French team serious

ABs nervous? I think the media are having a massive time trying to keep their coach Hansen awake, he's that bored.
Then again...that's probably another habitual ruse from him. Nobody could be so comatose a character in real life. *yawn*

SecretFly wrote:

Biltong wrote:I read it is just a ruse, trying to make the AB's nervous.

I doubt they will pay much attention to it. I suspect the AB's know all too well they should take any French team serious

ABs nervous?  I think the media are having a massive time trying to keep their coach Hansen awake, he's that bored.
Then again...that's probably another habitual ruse from him.  Nobody could be so comatose a character in real life. *yawn*

I suspect he woke up, apparently he has challenged them to come at them.

The Telegraph have a piece on this this morning

I think if you just looked at the match on its merits - New Zealand number 1 team in the world by a country mile, unbeaten in the 2015 World Cup v France under achieving, average team who were well beaten by Ireland - then there wouldn't be much to write about. Whereas an all too habitual French revolution at least allows them to get some awful headlines in.

ClaimDenied

nlpnlp wrote:I think if you just looked at the match on its merits - New Zealand number 1 team in the world by a country mile, unbeaten in the 2015 World Cup v France under achieving, average team who were well beaten by Ireland - then there wouldn't be much to write about.  Whereas an all too habitual French revolution at least allows them to get some awful headlines in.

Yes but it might be the catharticism they need to let the rugby flow.

Genetically the French play a powerful forward game with an elusive creative backline that create from anywhere...!

If St. Andre has shifted sideways then this French side certainly have the ability sur papier

Powerful forward game yes.  And I think that might be New Zealand's main concern around them.  Not the result.  I think New Zealand this time will be relatively comfortable about a result forecast (rightly or wrongly) but they'll be a little apprehensive about the price perhaps paid that might leave them weakened for future rounds.

It was quite blunt and evident that the French were out to do (legally) a number of Irish players - take the head off the snake as it were and feed on the entrails.  They'll be compelled to try something similar against New Zealand because I think they know they won't compete on creativity.

Munchkin wrote:ClaimDenied

"No, no! I tell you. This is a lie, for certain. Saint Andre is still in charge. And to prove it, I will be allowing him to go before the media at 6 o'clock this evening to tell you all so. And no he is not under house arrest. The door it have no keys - simple - we can't find the keys. We still look for them"

maestegmafia wrote:

Biltong wrote:I read it is just a ruse, trying to make the AB's nervous.

I doubt they will pay much attention to it. I suspect the AB's know all too well they should take any French team serious

There wasn't anything in L'Equipe about it.

Xavier Rush was saying last week that the ABs would have been hoping to get the French in this tie, to bury any notion that the ABs have an issue with their RWC history against France.

Yes I expect NZ to put the whole French nemesis thing to bed in style tomorrow, there's going to be a big score on the way this French team is average at best.

Last thing NZ need... the french in mutiny and labelled as no hopers.

Journos looking for stories where none exists... shocker....

Even the French wouldn't sack their coach the week before a Qtr final with the All Blacks. Its mad to even think this... Next you'll be trying to convince us that one of the richest rugby unions of the world cant progress in their own RWC .....

... oh ..

Doesn't matter if St.Andre is gone or not. The French will try to outmuscle NZ and when that doesn't work they won't know what to do.

The worry for New Zealand is that this game goes similarly to our game against them- the French are well beaten but manage to injure several of New Zealands key players for the rest of the tournament. This is very possible.

You'd be mad as a box of frogs to think the French aren't as mad as a box of frogs. PSA should've have gone yonks ago really.
Anyway, Vive La France and please beat the boring, I mean "interesting", ABs

No9 wrote:Journos looking for stories where none exists... shocker....

Imagine if we had proper investigative journos in Wales. The mind boggles. I blame Woodward and Bernstein.