The bigger they are the harder they fall, ask Les Bleus
Posted by | Posted in All Blacks | Posted on 15-06-2009
After watching the All Blacks fall to their voodoo team, France yet again, I cannot help but empathise with their supporters, especially those who have been regulars on this website. These poor supporters have been ranting and raving about how many problems the Springboks have with no fetcher, make shift flyhalf, no recognised fullback and the list goes on and on. Saturday proved to be a classic example of the biblical parable of an individual pointing out a spec in another’s eye, not realising that they themselves have a log on theirs. While the All Black supporters have been pointing out all the issues the SA Squad has, their house has been burning in the back yard without them realising it.
With a pack that was reportedly 80kgs heavier than the french speaking men and having had 3 teams in the semi-finals of the S14, the All Blacks went into the game as clear “favourites”. While their teamlist did not reflect the best ever assembled team in black, the average rugby follower (myself included) would have expected them to win this one comfortably in their backyard. But how the mighty crumble!!!!!
The All Blacks were outfetched, outsmarted and more importantly,France defended like their lives depended on it. I was surprised by how much quicker Thierry Dusautoir was in getting to the ball than both Adam Thompson and Liam Messam. However, this is not the only area where the French dominated. The rush defence that the French used seemed to trouble the men in black to a point where Ma’a Nonu looked like a dear in headlights as he made silly mistakes time and again in the face of the rush defence. The tactical kicking by France was also much better and more educated. The French may have feasted off turn over ball but it must be mentioned that they forced a lot of these turnovers and they put in their first time tackles. At the tackle point, they were quick to get to their feet and contest at the breakdown.
Many may argue that the All Blacks did not have their best players available due to injury but may I remind you all that the French did not have all their players available due to their Top 14 Domestic final. This was a simple case of a David vs Goliath story in which David proved to us all that the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
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Thank goodness I support the Wallabies!
I only watched snippets of the game so I can’t rally add much except to say that the AB’s need to sort out their mess a.s.a.p or else they could be holding aloft the wooden spoon come tri-nations!
With the W lifting the Mandela, Bledisloe and Tri-Nations!
Guru if you care to read my comments on the other thread that ron created for the all black team to face france you’ll see i didnt rate this team very highly.
i dont think that the french side were as undercooked as people may have believed them to be. they had a lot of experience in most positions, 9 and 10 being probably the least experienced. that aside, the all blacks were a no show in the first half and frances defence was massive, as it was in 2007 quarter final!
as i said in my previous post, thiery dusitoir dominated the breakdowns because adam thomspn is not an open side flank…FAIL! messam is too small to be an 8 FAIL toeava FAIL rockoco FAIL donald FAIL tialata FAIL the
i said they shouldve chosen masaga at wing, he’d have rocked. they didnt play the rush defence very well and nonu kept slipping on his runs, altho when he did keep his footing he was still dangerous. dont know what donald was doing and toeva was an embarressment for the wealth of talent he is supposed to have. messam was being owned by that man-mountani of an 8th man from france, i’;d like to see him and spies clash, that’d be manic…
frances first try was a joke, 4 missed tackles?? their second came from messam’s chip and chase and bundled over by his opposite number. and their 3rd try from and intercept. all mistakes from the all blacks…they’ll improve, but maybe not in time for the trinations
this is going to be a tough year for them and i wouldnt be surprised if they got the wooden spoon, but i wouldnt be so quick to right them off as so many did last year after losing all their experienced players to northern hemisphere clubs.
I would not gp as far as writing off the AB’s at all. In fact, I am still calling for a 10-15point victory margin over the french in the 2nd test. One can only write off the AB’s at your peril. They will still be competitive come 3Nations. But Saturday just showed how much work they have to get through before they get to Tri Nations.
ha ha ha ha ah ah haahahahahahahahahaha
i watched a bit of the game at the end, as i thought it was going to be an all black victory considering they were playing at home and the record they HAD at home. But i guess statistics at times dont mean too much, especially when you play an unpredictable side like les bleu. however, Guru i have to agree with you, the all blacks will probably win the second test, as i am sure they will sort out the mistakes that helped the french get this victory. ie tackles bags this whole week, so expect a much more committed defence next weekend.
i am surprised about the ruck situation, i would have thought southern hemisphere had the advantage over the north in this area, or was i wrong or did the ABs just get it all wrong?
anyway, maybe Guru you are right, the AB fans should focus on their burning house and less on the Boks as we are clearly in a better boat than on their shipping canoe! expect Mills to continue making those loss speaches after the upcoming tri nations games. its Boks or W this year.
haha people are already writing off the all blacks like they did last year….not so smart. rather to have made errors against the french than later on during the trinations. while this current squad isnt the strongest, it’ll be vastly improved come trinations. add the return of injured players intime for the competition and you’ll see a much stronger side, so please keep talking down the ABs while you can…
lets not forget that the boks have almost their full squad since the winning the world cup, the all blacks have lost more players over the last 2 years, and are still ranked number 1 last i checked??
I guess it will be a titanic struggle for second place between the Boks and the AB’s (once they are back at full strength) in the tri-nations.
The W have to be favorites to take it this year.
wallabies favourites this year based on what? lack of teams in the s14 semis? or warm up games against lacklustre barbarians and italians?
haha
it’ll be between the all blacks and the boks…soz bru…
MAN….
Indeed Guru,how the mighty crumble.
A moment of silence in remembrence of former glory…!!
Alot of talk about 2007 1/4 final being a fluk.Many will argue that the Blacks did not have a number of their front line players.Well,1. 2007 they had them all and what happened then!?2. So did the french, i mean how many players are missing!?
Ya,the aura of invincibility is slowly going.I predict a Lions series as well as Trination win for the boks.Blacks to take the wooden spoon…
wooden spoon, fellas, wooden spoon.
i think people are neglecting to realize that all of frances tries came from all black mistakes, and ahd it not been for the intercept the scoreline would read very different. while the all blacks didnt deserve to win, they gifted it to the french in that intercept.
so you’re basing aussie’s resurgence on what exactly? if the all blacks smash italy next weekend are you still goign to be singing the same tune that they’ll get the wooden spoon? and if the boks caugh it up against the lions? haha come now!
as i wud have feared. the guru really puting my beloved to the sword, well lads speak all u can, for soon u wont be speaking tht loud, enjoy it while it lasts cos the black fern is coming back correct trust…..tri nations is still to come, i can also guarantee u tht the lions tour will leave many a bokke wounded best believe, nice article thou guru
Cheers Kamate, I have put your boys to the sword as I believe they are better than that display in Dunedin. God help me if the boks do the same vs the Lions, I know a few chaps who would be queing up to share a word or 2 on the boks.