Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[LDiCesare]

Unfortunately, it must be noted that, the more I play hooker and the older I get, the more my pace and passing skills become that of your average hooker.

[finbar]

In other words, you now can't run out of sight on a dark night and you pass like Mike Tindall?

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, Italy could perhaps be on their way to taking down France...

65 minutes in, Italy 16 - France 18

[kittenOFchaos]

4 minutes to go...

Italy 22 - France 21

Go Italy, go!!!

[LDiCesare]

Well done Italy.
France played very badly, Lièvremont said at half-time that the French didn't "want", they didn't have the will to win the game, it's good that Italy finally managed a victory in this tournament. They should already have beaten Ireland, it's good that Italy has won.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well done Italy.
France played very badly, Lièvremont said at half-time that the French didn't "want", they didn't have the will to win the game, it's good that Italy finally managed a victory in this tournament. They should already have beaten Ireland, it's good that Italy has won.

Lievremont should be on the way out. This sort of result has been coming for some time.

[finbar]

Yes, France were poor. No spirit, no strategy, poor discipline. Massive Italian commitment and defence. The Italian commentators are in tears, everyone's in tears.

[Havak]

But will they dismiss him ahead of the RWC? The successor is on a hiding to nothing.

Well done Italy - great to see them close out a tight game with good discipline.

[LDiCesare]

The problem for France is that at this point there's simply no alternative. I said it before the match against England: The team is made mostly of veteran players. They will lose in the world cup, and then leave, and be replaced by young players who should have been playing earlier. We'll be having a few years of poor results ahead of us.
The issue was a lack of spirit. No fighting spirit at all when almost every player, individually, in terms of skills, strength, speed, was superior to their Italian counterpart (the most obvious exception being Parise who is way better than Chabal). But in terms of will and spirit, France was inexistant, except maybe for Bonnaire. Trinh-Duc showed he's a good opportunist but unable to organise the game around him.
I'm at once really happy for Italy (after all, my father was born Italian), and quite concerned for France. I had been concerned for a while, but firing Lièvremont now would still result in a failed world cup. I say let him go to the end and be replaced afterwards. He could use someone who can instill fighting spirit to his players. I believe Lièvremont worked on the technical aspects of the game and forgot that it's first and foremost a combat, and the first virtues required of a rugbyman aren't physical skills but a competitive mindset and the will to fight.

[finbar]

I actually don't see any evidence of M'sieur Le Coach having worked on technique or skills. Too often I've seen French players producing well below what they're capable of doing. I also don't know what has motivated his eccentric selection policy: to create a bigger pool of experience? I read somewhere that something like 45 players have been through the mill in the last 18 months or so. Yet what do we see? As you say, an ageing team, the likes of Rougerie playing out of position, ditto Traille, and the likes of Chabel, for goodness sake. Personally I think M'sieur Le Coach has drained the spirit out of his team. If his coaching mirrors his selection policy, I'd be surprised if his team knows what he wants.

Ireland -v- Wales was dire. But nice to see Dan Luger alive and well in a red jersey with 9 on the back.

[finbar]

Another lovely slab of Flatman:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/news-comment/david-flatman-my-role-in-ollys-rehab-cook-his-meals-mow-lawn-drive-him-round-2240406.html

[LDiCesare]

Technique has been worked in the scrum. With mitigated results, as the refereeing of the scrum varies wildly. As for the rest, when players aren't motivated to play, you won't even see it. I guess he must have been working on something.
Flatman's writing is really goo indeed, thanks for the link.

[finbar]

He writes regular articles, weekly I think. Lovely sense of self-deprecating humour. Always worth reading. Bookmark the Independent's page and keep an eye out.

Yesterday wasn't as spectacular as the surrender to the Wallabies in the autumn but there are things in common. They actually look leaderless. I know there's a view in France that Dusautoir isn't a good onfield leader as good a player as he is.

[kittenOFchaos]

So near and yet so far. A spirited performance by Scotland and one that with a better operating lineout and scrum that could have led to victory.

Pleased to see Jackson improve massively on his performance last week. Not too sure why Robinson pulled him and Lawson off, the partnership seemed to be working well. I also don't understand why Ross Ford is our hooker as he is a liability in the set-piece. I would hope that the SRFU would be targetting this position for development.

A big game next week to avoid the wooden spoon. I think we can do it, but it ain't going to be pretty.

[finbar]

Scotland did what they usually do - turn up against the old enemy. Played well, committed themselves, defended well, suffered a very harsh yellow. But it was the age-old Scotland problem - lack of penetration; apart, obviously, from Evans' nice bit of trickery. That baby Richie Gray is going to be a star.

There's a bit of a pattern emerging for England. Under pressure, they revert to the old ways. As in the first half against France, but against France they managed to turn it around. Not this week. And the black hole that is the centre pairing was shown up even more today with the Scotland defence tying up Cueto and (for a lot of the time) Ashton. Maybe the Royal Tubby's ankle injury might be a blessing.