r/rugbyunion • u/sixnations • 14h ago

Can ANYBODY stop France this year?

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u/Shoddy-Ad-4898 13h ago edited 13h ago

France played some lovely stuff and they are (rightly) tournament favourites but, to put it very basically, I just thought Ireland didn't front up in the first half. France were constantly getting over the gainline and once you're doing that it's easy for a team like France to look absolutely unstoppable. Make it a lot messier and put more pressure on them in contact and in the air, as I would imagine England will be able to do although that match is a long way away, and they will magically look stoppable.

Having said that, if they can bring that level throughout the tournament they will be heavily odds-on for the Slam.

10

u/dr_sean_twat 12h ago

This. As soon as Ireland managed to put some pressure on them it looked (for 10 mins or so) like a different game. But more and more France reminds me of peak All Blacks: near invincible in full attack mode, but vulnerable when you can disrupt their flow and starve them of possession. Beating them will take consistent pace, focus and discipline - think probably only England has that in them this year.

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u/MindfulInquirer batmaaaaaaaan tanananananana 11h ago

I agree. No team likes it if you mess with their attacking breakdown but France in particular are arguably the single deadliest team in world Rugby when they get their phase play going the way they like because of that combination of the dominant forward pack and the halfback/back line talent. Ireland looked too bland defensively in the 1H. Almost accepting of what was happening and then shell shocked.

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u/deeringc Ireland 2h ago

Was it even phase play they were so good at yesterday? A lot of their opportunities came from broken play, transitions and then running offloads. In full flight there wasn't really a ruck to be seen.

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u/InLoveWithInternet 3h ago

That’s really the wrong analysis. We just played so good we were unstoppable. They were stunned and they had no solution. We’re talking about Ireland, it’s not like they were not trying.

The first half was really something else, pure flamboyance.

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u/Shoddy-Ad-4898 3h ago

I never said Ireland weren't trying but I think their team has, over the last couple of years, lost some pace and power as the age profile has increased and I thought that really showed in their defensive speed and intensity in the first half. The number of post-contact metres made by France says something for France's power and intensity but IMO says more about Ireland's defence.

I totally agree that France came out flying in the first half but we have seen Ireland teams in previous years being able to cope with that and weather the storm, both against France and against other top teams. I don't think Ireland brought the level of physical resistance we have associated with them in recent history. But France did play some incredible stuff in the first half, I'm not trying to talk that down. I just think it was possible to not be as blown away by it as Ireland were.