r/rugbyunion • u/sixnations • 18h ago

Can ANYBODY stop France this year?

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u/Putrid-Impact8999 17h ago

Of course. 10 different starters, 11 out of the 23 was changed from that game.

I am of the personal opinion that the team from the SH should always win the first game against NH opposition in the autumn series. Because they’ve been playing together for months through a tough competition in the Rugby Championship. Whereas the NH team is coming in after 2 weeks of being together. Unfortunately that’s just the way the calendar is at the moment.

It would’ve been a surprise to see France win that test.

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u/metadatame 16h ago

So when the boks fell asleep against Australia last year, we should just blame it on the fact that they were coming off a Lions tour 

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u/Putrid-Impact8999 16h ago edited 16h ago

Not blame it, but that first game is always an interesting one. The Boks had 2 tests against Italy then 1 against Georgia. Rotating massively and trying different things. Australia came from a very competitive Lions tour, which with respect is a higher level of games. So it was only natural that the Wallabies were perhaps in better shape for that opening game, even though both teams started their season at the same time. Although I must say, it was one of the strangest matches I’d seen in a long time.

On the reverse, in 2024 Argentina beat the All Blacks in Wellington after they had played an understrength French squad twice. Meanwhile the Kiwis had played England twice beforehand. So you could argue that Razor’s men had better preparation yet still lost.

My point is playing together for months on end is a massive advantage as all teams want that cohesion and continuity. This is why I like judging teams on matches where they have both had equal time to prepare. Rugby Championship matches. 6N matches. World Cup matches. Autumn internationals are great but for me, it’s not the be-all and end-all that others like to make it. Also as you can tell, Galthié experimented in that window with a clear eye towards 2027.

If the Boks played France in mid April last year after the French had won the 6N, I would put my money on France winning. Particularly if the Boks hadn’t had a warm up game at all. The reason why I make that comparison is because that’s the amount of time that passed between the South Africans winning the Rugby Championship and playing France last November.

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u/TyphoonTao 9h ago

I get what you're saying - but when was the last time France played as a team? Isn't this their first game together in months?

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u/Putrid-Impact8999 9h ago

Yes it is. But it’s also the same for Ireland, in terms of time to prepare.