I can understand the management thinking of the next World Cup but for the players it would
Posted in General on 04. Sep, 2010
“I can understand the management thinking of the next World Cup but for the players it would be a big mistake,” said the Wasps hooker. “We are going match by match.”Still, Iba?played the full 80 minutes here as did Thomas Li?emont, the 32-year-old No 8 and scorer of France’s first-half try. So, too, did Pieter de Villiers, the tight-head prop a year older than Li?emont. Remember the “Dad’s Army” jibes aimed at Martin Johnson’s England in the run-up to the last World Cup? By selecting eight men aged over 30, Bernard Laporte, the France coach, appears to be playing follow-the-leader.The doubts which set in when France lost their Championship opener in Edinburgh have been only partly assuaged by this middle win in a run of three fixtures here and the unexpected form line through the Scots. “Scotland’s win is very good news for us,” said Fr?ric Michalak, France’s outside-half. “Now we have got genuine hopes of winning the Six Nations.”
Hopes or expectation? England will have their own view when they hit Stade de France in vengeful mood on Sunday week.
And who knows which face they will see of this maddeningly inconsistent France XV? Although Italy were allowed to lead 12-8 at the interval, France were never in the remotest danger of losing.
Their other face is marked not so much by worry lines as the creases of ageing skin. There were sheepish looks but no excuses from the Welsh camp after the comprehensive defeat inflicted on them by Ireland at Lansdowne Road yesterday. The Wales caretaker coach, Scott Johnson, said afterwards: “We let ourselves down a little bit. We set ourselves high standards and I thought that in the first 20 minutes we showed great intent.”. The French team were too busy schmoozing with sponsors and black-tie banqueting with the beaten Italians to watch their next opponents, England, in action on Saturday evening.
Nevertheless, the simple result from Murrayfield acted as a pleasant pick-me-up to go with the after-dinner cognac. Any of five teams – Italy are the exception – can now win the title. The Irish victory was marred by the loss of their prop Marcus Horan, who was taken to hospital after being carried from the field with his neck in a brace. However, he is expected to be fit to face Scotland a week on Saturday.. Substitutes used: Bosc, Chan, Touxagas, Mounis.Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).. Ireland blasted the Six Nations Championship wide open yesterday with a comprehensive annihilation of Wales, who were in their first match under Mike Ruddock’s successor, Scott Johnson.