@OomPB said in France vs Springboks:

FRANCE – 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12 Gaël Fickou (c), 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Nolann Le Garrec, 8 Mickaël Guillard, 7 Paul Boudehent, 6 Anthony Jelonch, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Régis Montagne, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Baptiste Erdocio.
Bench: 16 Guillaume Cramont, 17 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18 Dorian Aldegheri, 19 Romain Taofifénua, 20 Hugo Auradou, 21 Oscar Jegou, 22 Maxime Lucu, 23 Nicolas Depoortere.

19, 20, 21 and 23 is some decent impact. Big units in there to bash it up

@pakman yes.niggle

@Smuts said in France vs Springboks:

Anyone got any perspective on the props & 7/8? Did they okay in the summer against the ABs?

backline is predictably terrifying.

Number 8 is top notch, and caused ABs problems in June. All French loosies are big units, and (SA style) 7 has played a few tests.

LH is short in quite typical French style and was solid but not spectacular in June.

Still think France are the best side in the world, the fact Lucy would walk into any test side in the world and is only third choice in France continues to blow my mind.

Looking forward to this one, hope France are up for it, bit of a revenge mission.

SA by 10-15.

@pakman said in France vs Springboks:

@Smuts said in France vs Springboks:

Anyone got any perspective on the props & 7/8? Did they okay in the summer against the ABs?

backline is predictably terrifying.

Number 8 is top notch, and caused ABs problems in June. All French loosies are big units, and (SA style) 7 has played a few tests.

LH is short in quite typical French style and was solid but not spectacular in June.

Thanks - watched highlights of eight. Looks handy. Remember the frog props from the summer. Not hugely impressive.

I’m excited to see how boks approach this game. My guess is they’ll want to move the Frog pack around - force them to work, with lots of mauls and long scrums. Try to keep the ball in play. With back three given licence to counter from deeper than usual. Worked pretty well in the QF. That’s why he’s got a whole tightfive on the bench.

Also expect lots of traffic down ntamack’s channel. Apart from our 10 being our best ball runner, DDA’s backed up by Andre T Giant on the bench, and anyway you can’t go wide all the time if your loosies are all playing 80.

Saturday can’t come fast enough.

I think it will go down to the wire, but the Boks will win.

Boks should sneak this.

Some of their stars are a bit ageing but Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu ( again, thanks Google for the cutting and pasting so there's no spelling mistakes ) is the most impressive young talent I've seen from any nation in years. Absolute superstar.

Seven of 23 players named in the French side (list below) also toured New Zealand in July which suggests it wasn't a totally weakened squad as some claimed.

•	Gaël Fickou
•	Nolann Le Garrec
•	Mickaël Guillard
•	Thibault Aurd­adou
•	Régis Montagne
•	Romain Taofifenua
•	Baptiste Erdocio

The Boks have a Bulls tight 5 playing from the bomb squad. They also have in SFM and Willemse as versatile players that can move between 15/10/12. Libbok kicking to goal will always worry me in this big matches but then he is very affective when the game breaks up. Its the start of France season, obvious the Boks would want to run it in the second half. Also Rassie's 50th match as Bok coach.

@MN5 that post sounds like you have used AI to generate...

@taniwharugby said in France vs Springboks:

@MN5 that post sounds like you have used AI to generate...

Well I didn’t.

Aside from the cutting and pasting of what’s his name the rest is pure MN5

@sparky said in France vs Springboks:

Seven of 23 players named in the French side (list below) also toured New Zealand in July which suggests it wasn't a totally weakened squad as some claimed.

• Gaël Fickou
• Nolann Le Garrec
• Mickaël Guillard
• Thibault Aurd­adou
• Régis Montagne
• Romain Taofifenua
• Baptiste Erdocio

Here's 7 of our 23:
Lord, Lakai, Leicester, Leroy, Darry, Du'Plessis, Proctor.
If you topped that up with guys who wouldn't make the squad, I reckon it would be regarded as fairly weakened.

@Smuts said in France vs Springboks:

Also expect lots of traffic down ntamack’s channel. Apart from our 10 being our best ball runner, DDA’s backed up by Andre T Giant on the bench, and anyway you can’t go wide all the time if your loosies are all playing 80.

Ntamack is a very good defender.

@reprobate I didn't say it wasn't weakened. It just wasn't the "C" team, as some people claimed.

@MN5 said in France vs Springboks:

Aside from the cutting and pasting of what’s his name the rest is pure MN5

So we're going to see your post again in a couple of days?

I agree with the above, French depth is scary.

@nostrildamus said in France vs Springboks:

@MN5 said in France vs Springboks:

Aside from the cutting and pasting of what’s his name the rest is pure MN5

So we're going to see your post again in a couple of days?

It's not a meme

@Dodge said in France vs Springboks:

Still think France are the best side in the world, the fact Lucy would walk into any test side in the world and is only third choice in France continues to blow my mind.

Looking forward to this one, hope France are up for it, bit of a revenge mission.

Yep, France at home should be the best team in the world, I fully expect them to win given that. Should be a helluva game. SA now focusing on attack and leaking tries makes for an interesting contest

French hooker looks more like Malcolm Marx than Malcolm Marx does

What a try

My word. That's outrageous.

This full strength French side might be able to belt this Bok side.

@ExiledHalfback said in France vs Springboks:

My word. That's outrageous.

This full strength French side might be able to belt this Bok side.

Even without DuPont. French playing like the ABs used to.

@Canes4life said in France vs Springboks:

@ExiledHalfback said in France vs Springboks:

My word. That's outrageous.

This full strength French side might be able to belt this Bok side.

Even without DuPont. French playing like the ABs used to.

Their wingers and fullback are outrageous.

The way the French hit that last ruck. Talk about ferocious.

Nice delay tactics there from SA, using the HIA to get a breather, and switch the replacement at the last minute

Both these teams are a few streets ahead of the ABs

@ExiledHalfback said in France vs Springboks:

Both these teams are a few streets ahead of the ABs

Just as long as we are up there with them come the WC.

@Canes4life said in France vs Springboks:

@ExiledHalfback said in France vs Springboks:

Both these teams are a few streets ahead of the ABs

Just as long as we are up there with them come the WC.

I actually think the ABs are building nicely.

Some of these players are so slick

France will be incredibly tough to beat in 27.

Also missing Mauvaka, Atonio, Cros, Alldritt, Dupont & Jalibert tonight.

@hikastags said in France vs Springboks:

France will be incredibly tough to beat in 27.

Also missing Mauvaka, Atonio, Cros, Alldritt, Dupont & Jalibert tonight.

Crazy isn't it. The Top 14 is the best domestic competition in the world by a distance.

Not to mention most of their B/C team players have done a tour vs a pretty much full strength NZ. They're very well prepped.

Every team needs to find a way to compete with the Bok scrum. It's such a huge advantage for them and they seem to have a number of props who are capable of dominating. Amazing depth.

@ExiledHalfback said in France vs Springboks:

@hikastags said in France vs Springboks:

France will be incredibly tough to beat in 27.

Also missing Mauvaka, Atonio, Cros, Alldritt, Dupont & Jalibert tonight.

Crazy isn't it. The Top 14 is the best domestic competition in the world by a distance.

I find that hard to believe when Nonu’s playing in it and someone like Pita Ahki who didn’t do anything in New Zealand was a dominant force.

Up there as one of the best comps in the world but let’s not get carried away.

Best crowds though.

Also have to note Stade de France has a field width lower than World Rugby regulation.

Helps some of the fatties get around.

That’s a red ffs

Tough call imo with the French player dropping.

Still think SA will be good enough to win this, even with 14 men.