ENG vs FRA - Match Thread - Team announcement, Chat & Banter etc...

[HERSH]

First topic message reminder :

Last 10 meetings

26 Feb 2011 England 17 - 9 France
20 Mar 2010 France 12 - 10 England
15 Mar 2009 England 34 - 10 France
23 Feb 2008 France 13 - 24 England
13 Oct 2007 France 9 - 14 England -RWC
18 Aug 2007 France 22 - 9 England
11 Aug 2007 England 15 - 21 France
11 Mar 2007 England 26 - 18 France
12 Mar 2006 France 31 - 6 England
13 Feb 2005 England 17 - 18 France

ENGLAND - 5 Wins - FRANCE - 5 Wins

England

1 Matt Stevens
2 Steve Thompson
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon
5 Tom Palmer
6 Tom Croft
7 Lewis Moody
8 Nick Easter
9 Ben Youngs
10 Jonny Wilkinson
11 Mark Cueto
12 Toby Flood
13 Manu Tuilagi
14 Chris Ashton
15 Ben Foden

Replacements

16 Dylan Hartley
17 Alex Corbisiero
18 Courtney Lawes
19 Simon Shaw
20 James Haskell
21 Richard Wigglesworth
22 Matt Banahan



France

1 Jean-Baptiste Poux
2 William Servat
3 Nicolas Mas
4 Pascal Pape
5 Lionel Nallet
6 Thierry Dusautoir
7 Julien Bonnaire
8 Imanol Harinordoquy
9 Dimitri Yachvili
10 Morgan Parra
11 Alexis Palisson
12 Maxime Mermoz
13 Aurélien Rougerie
14 Vincent Clerc
15 Maxime Médard

Replacements

16 Dimitri Szarzewski
17 Fabien Barcella
18 Julien Pierre
19 Louis Picamoles
20 Francois Trinh-Duc
21 David Marty
22 Cédric Heymans

[TheGreyGhost]

Well I'm not in the least bit surprised, England need 10 points before halftime, and if 1 point were a possibility - they wouldn't get that.

The biggest halftime turnaround in WC history is 13 points.

Lucky he's missed a few, or it'd be 23-0 right now.

[perand25]

I reckon Vickery is going to sub himself on shortly.

He could not be any worse than Stevens

[Cymroglan]

Who did that PJ ?

[Guest]

PJ, it's never simple in an england v France match, stil lloads of time left, anything can happen!

[Gatts]

exactly. a try from england and the game is back on

[perand25]

Terrible by Foden

[mystiroakey]

if we can score before half time we have a shot- otherwise no chance

[PJHolybloke]

France are playing a simple game, there's nothing special about it - it's just that England are too simple to do anything about it.

WTF Foden, seriouslY. WTF?!

[glamorganalun]

Dam, trust the French to come up trumps, I was hoping for a Wales v England semi, should be a better game with France.

[Guest]

England, honestly, wehre are your brains?! my Dad's going to be going nuts.

[maestegmafia]

This England, LACK of, performance is an insult to Scotland who deserve to be here more.

[PJHolybloke]

Don't tend to score too many from their own 5 metre line do they?

[Guest]

Maes - that's really not needed. If Scotland deserved to be here, they'd have won their matches.

England, please please, find your brains eh?

[Portnoy]

I have to say. This is the France I love to see. Pity is you only get it one game in five to ten.

[PJHolybloke]

Jeez, 40 metres of pitch to work with, some genuinely decent backs and....

....yeah, chuck it up the short side.

Pathetically poor.

[Hood83]

Wow, we're getting thumped. Fair play to the French, theyve turned up. if they ever gained consistency God help us all. Think this may be an embarrassment now, but if it means Jonny, Easter, Moody, Thommo and Stevens never play for us again i spose its something

[rodders]

Holey smokes!

[Guest]

oooooh Ashton! should have got that ball, great chance to score there although the pass was fairly dodgy,

HT 0 - 16. Blimey.

[mystiroakey]

well we could and should have got back in the game- but we cant catch so there you go

[Pal Joey]

Nothing sticking for England - France's rush defence doing the job so far.

[perand25]

Apart from the one pass to Easter i think wilko has been terrible along with youngs

[PJHolybloke]

Never been done before, wont be done this time either.

Woeful England, the NH SF should be a good one though.

[wales606]

Umm, wasnt it on the Wales vs Ireland thread that someone said only 8 times have teams come back from 7 pts down at HT in the WC - How many have come back from 16 - 0 down?

[Gatts]

Jeez, 40 metres of pitch to work with, some genuinely decent backs and....

....yeah, chuck it up the short side.

Pathetically poor.

feck come on lads, the masters of the win anyway need to start playing the england way and grind it out up front

[Guest]

I don't think it's been done wales606. Huge ask for England but if it can happen in any match, it'll be this one.

[Gatts]

I don't think it's been done wales606. Huge ask for England but if it can happen in any match, it'll be this one.

+1 really think there is alot more rugby to come from england

[PJHolybloke]

Umm, wasnt it on the Wales vs Ireland thread that someone said only 8 times have teams come back from 7 pts down at HT in the WC - How many have come back from 16 - 0 down?

Yes Wales, that was I. The answer to your question is none, 13 is the best Samoa 16-3 up against Argentina lost 16-32.

That ain't gonna happen here.

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

Umm, wasnt it on the Wales vs Ireland thread that someone said only 8 times have teams come back from 7 pts down at HT in the WC - How many have come back from 16 - 0 down?

Someone said earlier that the record comeback is 13 points in RWCs. France vs NZ in '99?

[EnglishReign]

Absolute mare! We need an early 2nd half try. If we get that, game on. Otherwise, les bleus will run away with it. Get that useless lump Stevens off.

[radelven]

A number of selection errors coming to bear. Wigglesworth, Corbisero, Haskell & Hape should have all started.

Dire basics from the team as a whole though.

[rodders]

Wales v NZ final. You didn't hear it here 1st.

England aren't out of this though. Score first after after half time and they are right back in it. However if France get the next score it's curtains I think.

[Portnoy]

Anyone remember that 37-0 debacle on '07?

Of course you do.

This could be as ugly.

[EnglishReign]

Wales v NZ final. You didn't hear it here 1st.

England aren't out of this though. Score first after after half time and they are right back in it. However if France get the next score it's curtains I think.

You're not wrong. Bloody France and their bloody inconsistency!

[HammerofThunor]

Don't exaggerate.




It was 36-0

[Taylorman]

Geez.
All looks too easy for france.
England started the tournament with a terrible ability to concede penalties.
They just look laboured. Like ireland everything seems just too hard.

[Gatts]

A number of selection errors coming to bear. Wigglesworth, Corbisero, Haskell & Hape should have all started.

Dire basics from the team as a whole though.

Think we will see all 4 before 50 mins

[PJHolybloke]

Umm, wasnt it on the Wales vs Ireland thread that someone said only 8 times have teams come back from 7 pts down at HT in the WC - How many have come back from 16 - 0 down?

Someone said earlier that the record comeback is 13 points in RWCs. France vs NZ in '99?

France have come back twice from 10 down, Scotland in 95 and NZ in 07.

[Hood83]

I think GG said on another post the Wilko Flood selection smacked of giving Jonny a safety blanket, he's right. I just can't see why anyone would make that selection. At what point do we accept that the Golden one is no longer up to international rugby. Typically, too late. Just can't see the logic behind a loosehead who can't scrummage, an 8 who can't run and a 9 who can't pass. Hey ho

[TheGreyGhost]

England look threatening in attack. But just lacked composure close to the line. I don't think the game is beyond them yet.

[EnglishReign]

We've decided to stop conceding penalties for this game, but I don't think deciding to start conceding tries was a wise alternative.

[PJHolybloke]

Well, I'm going to do what a good Englishman should always do in moments of adversity - cup of tea anyone?

[Ozzy3213]

No accuracy in any facet of Englands play. Very disappointing.

[mystiroakey]

lol why do we keep making school boy errors.

[PJHolybloke]

They don't know what they're doing Pete, clueless.

[Gatts]

yep....too deep, just lateral

[Gatts]

best get fresh legs on england

[Redrage]

The moment I saw this England side I felt they were in danger of blowing their chance at this RWC. MJ has bottled out of the big decision at 10 and persevered the a front row that cannot help but give away penalties. The players need to take responsibilty for their poor performances and mistakes, but the manager needs to take some of the blame for perserveering with Wilkinson when he is clearly off the boil, for allowing repeat offenders to remain in the starting XV, or not coaching the errors out of them after more than 5 games (if you got back to the Wales loss).

[PJHolybloke]

best get fresh legs on england

How many are allowed? I suppose 16 is out of the question?

Lawes at 6 and Haskell on the bench, some surefire genius at work there Johnno.

[Hood83]

Well, I'm going to do what a good Englishman should always do in moments of adversity - cup of tea anyone?

Ha. But i don't like tea, does that make me a terrible Englishman?! I think anymore coffee will send me through the roof watching this. Is it too early to get on the sauce?

[Gatts]

is he being punished

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