6 Nations France v Italy - 23/2/18

Umm what can you say, looks like the wooden spoon game.

Friday night KO, about as exciting as it gets.

Feel free to discuss the game or anything else you want to chat about, most of us will be elsewhere discussing import matters.



France: Bonneval, Fall, Bastareaud, Doumayrou, Grosso, Beauxis, Machenaud; Poirot, Guirado (captain), Slimani, Gabrillagues, Vahaamahina, Lauret, Camara, Tauleigne.
Replacements: Pelissie, Priso, Gomes Sa, Taofifenua, Galletier, Couilloud, Trinh-Duc, Fickou.

Italy: Minozzi, Benvenuti, Boni, Castello, Bellini, Allan, Violi; Lovotti, Ghiraldini, Ferrari, Zanni, Budd, Negri, Mbanda, Parisse (captain).
Replacements: Bigi, Quaglio, Pasquali, Biagi, Ruzza, Gori, Canna, Hayward.

With France dropping so many players for this game, are they taking Italy too lightly?

France get away with it once again.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43077733

I wish more French and Italians would join this site and post their own thoughts There's gotta be some of you out there..... and don't worry about your English, it's better than some of us people that be flooent at it.

Anyway, I don't like the way that France and Italy are so smugly set-aside as 'dem others' on this site. Here's to a great game and if it ends up 12 - 6; well then, it'll be a classic, won't it.

Ah!,  a red vote, hmm I wonder who did that?

I guess they are too busy selling Onions and making Pasta to post on 606 fly?

Not moi anyway........ So it's just gotta be majestic innit?

Fair enough the French have just binned half the team because they went Oot on the Lash, however they are bringing some decent individuals in to replace them (well I recognise the names anyway).

Perhaps that could be their Achilles Heel - they will be even more a set of individuals than a team and Italy have a reasonably settled side (ish).

I'll be cheering on the team with blue in their strip and drinking a bottle of their wine whilst the epic unfolds across the screen and rumbles to it's conclusion 102 minutes after kick off with most of one of the teams having bandages wrapped round their head in case they hurt an ankle.

You divil, Ape!

We have a France v Italy thread but nothing for Wales v Ireland??? C'mon boys, sort it out.

No one wants to be the one to open up the gates of hell

Be glad it's jackson reffing. At least it'll be a new type of moan after the game.

SecretFly wrote:I wish more French and Italians would join this site and post their own thoughts  There's gotta be some of you out there..... and don't worry about your English, it's better than some of us people that be flooent at it.

Anyway, I don't like the way that France and Italy are so smugly set-aside as 'dem others' on this site.  Here's to a great game and if it ends up 12 - 6; well then, it'll be a classic, won't it.

You'll just end up with greyghost creating yet another account and pretending to be Italian for 5 minutes before the usual crap boils over

lostinwales wrote:

SecretFly wrote:I wish more French and Italians would join this site and post their own thoughts  There's gotta be some of you out there..... and don't worry about your English, it's better than some of us people that be flooent at it.

Anyway, I don't like the way that France and Italy are so smugly set-aside as 'dem others' on this site.  Here's to a great game and if it ends up 12 - 6; well then, it'll be a classic, won't it.

You'll just end up with greyghost creating yet another account and pretending to be Italian for 5 minutes before the usual crap boils over

I remember the fake Japanese account but must have missed that one !

The winner of this match will be presented with the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy.

whocares wrote:

lostinwales wrote:

SecretFly wrote:I wish more French and Italians would join this site and post their own thoughts  There's gotta be some of you out there..... and don't worry about your English, it's better than some of us people that be flooent at it.

Anyway, I don't like the way that France and Italy are so smugly set-aside as 'dem others' on this site.  Here's to a great game and if it ends up 12 - 6; well then, it'll be a classic, won't it.

You'll just end up with greyghost creating yet another account and pretending to be Italian for 5 minutes before the usual crap boils over

I remember the fake Japanese account but must have missed that one !

There was an argentinian one that I can remember

France uninspiring starting XV:
15. Bonneval ; 14. Fall, 13. Bastareaud, 12. Doumayrou, 11. Grosso ; 10. Beauxis, 9. Machenaud ; 7. Camara, 8. Tauleigne, 6. Lauret ; 5. Vahaamahina, 4. Gabrillagues ; 3. Slimani, 2. Guirado (cap), 1. Poirot.

The back 3 is really average (predictable Bonneval, outdated Fall and boring Grosso? no thank you) and the rest hardly better. France to kick all game and win thanks to 7 Machenaud penalties and one Beauxis DG. Parisse to be red carded. Make sure no kids are in front of the TV on Friday night.

been missing from the chat for a long time, hello to everyone..another trashing on the way me thinks

whocares wrote:France uninspiring starting XV:
15. Bonneval ; 14. Fall, 13. Bastareaud, 12. Doumayrou, 11. Grosso ; 10. Beauxis, 9. Machenaud ; 7. Camara, 8. Tauleigne, 6. Lauret ; 5. Vahaamahina, 4. Gabrillagues ; 3. Slimani, 2. Guirado (cap), 1. Poirot.

The back 3 is really average (predictable Bonneval, outdated Fall and boring Grosso? no thank you) and the rest hardly better. France to kick all game and win thanks to 7 Machenaud penalties and one Beauxis DG. Parisse to be red carded. Make sure no kids are in front of the TV on Friday night.

fantastic preview, I above all agree on Parisse red carded

BTW I'm italian

aqualung71 wrote:BTW I'm italian

Ciao amico

I think Italy will feel they have a real shot here.  They've seen that France are still not there with Brunel.  They scored three tries against Ireland in Dublin and Parisse said that Irish team was a sterner test than England, a team they scored two tries against.  
They have 5 tries under their belt from supposedly the two strongest sides.  So we'll see if O'Shea is making incremental progress now with players in camp longer, training aided by analysis of two tough games, and the third game on the horizon.

Going forward Italy look good, just need to start playing in the 1st minute and not allow 20 unanswered points to be scored before they get on the board themselves.

Scottrf wrote:

aqualung71 wrote:BTW I'm italian

Ciao amico

grazie

SecretFly wrote:I think Italy will feel they have a real shot here.  They've seen that France are still not there with Brunel.  They scored three tries against Ireland in Dublin and Parisse said that Irish team was a sterner test than England, a team they scored two tries against.  
They have 5 tries under their belt from supposedly the two strongest sides.  So we'll see if O'Shea is making incremental progress now with players in camp longer, training aided by analysis of two tough games, and the third game on the horizon.

good point. Is actually what COS is doing, in accordance and together the two pro 14 coaches. Seems like we are developing a new and unknow, for us, attacking game ball in hand. I didn't see for a single minute this year the usual tight defensive line and all our usual puffing and mauling 10 men game.
very good ball-in-hand attacking game. This remarkable attitude and achievement, actually has been a miracle we didn't score one or two more vs England (one disallowed if I rememebr good) and Ireland (we butchered the bonus point try in the very end), was oscured by a ridicolous defense, partly due to this new, open approach and partly, hardest point, due to lacking individual skills, above all in our backs. It's all about that at the end, if you, individually, can run good lines or if you can tackle or not. many of our players can't and can't cope with open flowing attacking. France do have those skills.
Only thing to add, not to fish for excuses, is we still can't afford to miss our two best backs, probably the only high-standard ones we have

Campagnaro, Sarto and Esposito in the backs.

What is the obsession the French selectors have with the big Basteraud in the centre? There's a reason players with his size and lack of speed are more commonly found in the front row. Given how the team wilted against Scotland in the 2nd half, bringing in a player who is known to lack endurance and drift in and out of games seems a triumph of hope over experience.

Overall, it looks one of the least exciting and enterprising French XVs I can ever recall.

I think this could actually be quite a competitive game, and have a feeling Italy might just sneak a win - they've shown the capacity to score tries, and managed to stretch England's defence on the outside, and I can see them doing the same to this France line-up.

Between the injuries and the Edimburgh night out related suspensions we are lacking options and at least Bastareaud is fit and has been reasonably good for his club. We tried calling Sella and Jauzion but for some reason they didn’t reply

Fit in the healthy sense of the word.

whocares wrote:Between the injuries and the Edimburgh night out related suspensions we are lacking options and at least Bastareaud is fit and has been reasonably good for his club. We tried calling Sella and Jauzion but for some reason they didn’t reply

that's good for us, I rate Bastareaud but he's not the kind of player who usually tear us apart..players like Joseph are

Teams up

France: Bonneval, Fall, Bastareaud, Doumayrou, Grosso, Beauxis, Machenaud; Poirot, Guirado (captain), Slimani, Gabrillagues, Vahaamahina, Lauret, Camara, Tauleigne.
Replacements: Pelissie, Priso, Gomes Sa, Taofifenua, Galletier, Couilloud, Trinh-Duc, Fickou.

Italy: Minozzi, Benvenuti, Boni, Castello, Bellini, Allan, Violi; Lovotti, Ghiraldini, Ferrari, Zanni, Budd, Negri, Mbanda, Parisse (captain).
Replacements: Bigi, Quaglio, Pasquali, Biagi, Ruzza, Gori, Canna, Hayward.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch judges: John Lacey (Ireland) & Luke Pearce (England)

TMO: David Grashoff (England)

TightHEAD wrote:Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch judges: John Lacey (Ireland) & Luke Pearce (England)

TMO: David Grashoff (England)

That's going to be a strange game.  'Perfection' from the ref (greatest ref in the Solar System) spoiled by constant tomfoolery from Lacey (Irish official Alert - code Red - this is not a Drill!!).  
Oh I'll love this.  He'll be mucking up poor Wayne for fun.

Oh well game on...7-5 Italy

So Italy a better attacking team than Ireland in 10 minutes

I'm not sure about that decision. A clear bring down, but we didn't see it, but we'll award the penalty try anyway?

Hmmm

Scottrf wrote:So Italy a better attacking team than Ireland in 10 minutes

Yep.

I reckon Barnes was too quick to award the try and then tried to cover up his mistake by finding any other reason to award the try after the non-try was discovered. To save face. The shyster!

Oh for the days of the old French teams.

Big, Powerful, crazily arrogant and aggressive, insanely talented and carefree.

Worse than school boys one week...majestic the next.

The Oracle wrote:I reckon Barnes was too quick to award the try and then tried to cover up his mistake by finding any other reason to award the try after the non-try was discovered. To save face. The shyster!

The true home advantage. Video replays to try to get the try scratched.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Oh for the days of the old French teams.

Big, Powerful, crazily arrogant and aggressive, insanely talented and carefree.

Worse than school boys one week...majestic the next.

You think so? I think they are garbage.

Edit. Nevermind. Misread you.

Haha no worries Scott.

Its painful watching France these days. If I was French I would rather have the old sides back...yes some weeks you'd despair..but others...well even the AB's weren't any where near what they could do

They're not that bad. Playing decent enough...but for the excess knock-ons!

SecretFly wrote:They're not that bad.  Playing decent enough...but for the excess knock-ons!

Apart from the mistakes every 3 phases they look okay! Except for their defence.

Well I'm starting to look for pins to stick in my eyes..im thinking it might be more exciting than this game.

I think it's exciting enough. It's just a 4 Nations-persuading standard.

Do you think its exciting Scott?
Its slow ponderous, unimaginative.

Wheres the players running lines and angles, wheres the support play, the quick interplay and offloads.

Wheres the intelligence to draw players in and create space out wide....

Just a whole load of Meh for me...

Maybe not exciting. But open enough. Shocking standard though.

I don't even like him but Basteraud is already MOTM.

And ill give Basteraud credit. I'm a MASSIVE critic of his...yet he's the only one whos actually trying to make things happen.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Well I'm starting to look for pins to stick in my eyes..im thinking it might be more exciting than this game.

Oh come on Geordie. You must have a lot of eye damage after three weeks of the 6N so far.