Six Nations: France v Scotland Preview

Both France and Scotland had strong Autumn campaigns, but question marks still remain about their ability to deliver consistent performances. With time running out before the World Cup kicks off, both sides will be desperate to build up some serious momentum and identify their first choice XVs.
 

Both sides have some of the most exciting back lines put out in recent memory, and we’re expecting plenty of tries at the Stade de France this Saturday. The likes of Tommy Seymour, Alex Dunbar, and Tim Visser are all proven try-scorers, whilst Teddy Thomas was a real stand-out for France in the Autumn.

Whilst South Africa import Rory Kockott has been grabbing the headlines, is it the battle between the two massive packs which is likely to matter more come game time. Whilst French stalwarts Nicholas Mas and Louis Picamoles miss out through selection and injury respectively, there is still plenty of power in the French pack, with the likes of Euan Murray, Jonny Gray, and Johnnie Beatie adding similar ballast to the Scottish forwards.

Scotland fans will be hoping that new coach Vern Cotter, making his Six Nations coaching debut on Saturday, will be able to put his experience from coaching Clermont to good use. If anyone has the know-how to out-muscle and out-wit a French side, it’s the New Zealander. For his French counterpart, the pressure is very much on – Saint-Andre has so far failed to lead his side to finish in the top half of the table, and with away trips to England and Ireland, a win on Saturday is essential if France are to have any hope of claiming the title.

Prediction: Scotland have only beaten France once since the Five Nations became Six, and I don’t expect that to change on Saturday. France to win by 7.

France: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Teddy Thomas, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Damien Chouly, 7 Bernard Le Roux, 6 Thierry Dusautoir, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Alexandre Menini.

Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Uini Atonio, 18 Eddy Ben Arous, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Loann Goujon, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Rémi Talès, 23 Rémi Lamerat.

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw (c), 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Rob Harley, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Alasdair Dickinson.

Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Geoff Cross, 19 Jim Hamilton, 20 Alasdair Strokosch, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Dougie Fife.

Date: Saturday, February 7

Venue: Stade de France, Paris

Kick-off: 18:00 local (17:00 GMT)

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)

Assistant Referees: Glen Jackson (NZRU) Mike Fraser (NZRU)

Six Nations Tournament Preview

                                                          A new trophy up for grabs in 2015

Ireland

Last year saw Joe Schmidt's debut in managing Ireland in the Six Nations, as well as being Brian O'Driscol's swansong tournament. It was a wonderful year, which saw them crowned Champions of Europe for the first time since 2009. This must surely bode well for Ireland's hopes in 2015. In Rome on the 7^th, they certainly have a great first fixture to get their campaign up and running. In addition, they will welcome both England and France to Dublin, only a tricky trip to Cardiff, however, on the 14th of March would seem to pose a cause for concern. Other worries for Schmidt might involve the loss of British and Irish lion, Johnny Sexton, at least until potentially round 3 of the championship, plus Paddy Jackson remaining on the treatment table also and Ian Madigan's form dipping at just the wrong time. Add that to a few more 1st team casualties and Ireland's favourites tag looks vulnerable, even if their armour is only a few chain links short at most. That said expect golden boy Joe's Midas touch to carry them somewhere near the top, come the final whistle on Saturday the 21st of March.

England

Oh, what could have been, but for a cruel last minute try by the French in round one. England have a lot on their shoulder, due to what looms 8 months down the road and would perhaps benefit more than the other five nations, in terms of confidence, if able to secure the Champions of Europe title in just under two months time. One major problem however perhaps also proving the value of a free health care system in the UK is the extent of the men in white's list of players crippled by injury. Just naming each player missing would no doubt double the length of this article and it means Stuart Lancaster has had to delve deep into England's supposedly rich squad depth. Combine that with arguably the harshest of starts in Cardiff and you have one hell of an uphill battle for Chris Robshaw and co to contend with. Bridesmaid's in the last 3 tournaments since Lancaster took over the reins of the national side. Can they finally break their duck and graduate to top dogs in 2015? Only time will tell.

Wales

Perhaps the only ones who can boast a full 1st XV come the start of the championship, Wales are poised to make a return to winning ways this year welcoming both, their Anglo enemies across the Severn Bridge in round one and their Celtic rivals, on the other side of the St George's channel, in round four to Cardiff. The former in particular is of huge importance given the ramifications of who they share a World cup pool with making it a must win for Gatland's troops. Expect a big performance from the men in red this year.

France

It feels like France, have been perennial under achievers in Europe at international level for quite some time now. Dominant at club level but never capable of translating it to the world stage (bar perhaps 2011 when they somehow managed to haphazardly grind their way into the World Cup final). That being said they have a squad that would make any international coach's mouth water and if Les Blues do find their mojo again, it will be an almighty tough task for any team to oppose them. Prediction? Pick a number between 1 and 6.....

Scotland

 Whenever this time of year rolls around I find myself saying "Scotland look good this year" and every single time they prove me wrong. That being said, Scotland, do look good this year! With a new man at the helm in Vern Cotter and, if taking the autumn series as an indication, apparently finding a sudden verve for playing running rugby, Scotland look invigorated. Finally, they seem to have fixed a long ponderous backline and could well upset the apple cart if given a chance. Stuart Hogg's rush of blood to the head cost his side dearly as they were ruthlessly drubbed by Wales in last year's closing fixture. Expect a strong fight back this year by the Scots to rectify it.

Italy  

Finally, the Italians! The Azzuri as yet have failed to climb higher than 5th since their introduction into the championship and will once again try to challenge in what is the most important year of the rugby calendar. Always competitive in the scrum, if often lacklustre behind, it could be one of the last chances for some of their stalwarts, who are starting to look rather long in the tooth to achieve something great. Talismanic leaders Sergio Parisse, Andre Massi and Martin Castrogiovanni are all world class players in their own right, but, odds are Italy as a XV will fail to reach the same heights in 2015 yet again. 

By Alex Dodd

Six Nations: Ireland V France: The Analyst versus the Anarchist

  So this is it, the game that will likely decide the Six Nations, and there could not be two more contrasting teams in it. On one hand we have Ireland, coached by Joe Schmidt, a man renowned for his attention to detail and heavy emphasis on strategy. On the other we have France, headed by Philippe Saint-Andre, famous for his wild selection policies and haphazard game-plans. Where Ireland have cohesion, France have individuality; whilst Ireland have a clear sense of direction, France seem rudderless.

  But how exactly can you plan to outplay a team who so often seem to have no idea even amongst themselves as to what they’re trying to achieve? Ireland assistant coach Les Kiss has mentioned in an interview that a “forensic” examination of the French has revealed “a game plan designed to look shambolic, but that actually offers plenty attacking avenues for their marauding finishers.” This may very well be the case, but analyse anything for long enough and you’ll start to see patterns – even with their fingernails on the Six Nations trophy, this France side have at times played too erratically for their performance to be part of a chaotic strategy. To use a bizarre metaphor, it's like a game of top trumps where one player has every stat memorised, whilst his opponent is merely shuffling wildly and playing whichever card rests on top of his deck

Which coach will be smiling come the final whistle?

  A lot has been said about this French squad, and not a lot of it has been positive either. Pundits from all competing nations have weighed in, describing it as one of the worst French sides in recent years. Jeremy Guscott likened them to a troupe of circus clowns, whilst Jonathan Davies laughed when the possibility of them winning the tournament was put to him on the BBC. Despite what the table says, most people seem to have written France off.

  Still, for all the negativity, there are other rugby clichés that might be applied to Les Bleus; it’s often said that great sides find a way to win, even when they are not playing at their best. That is just what France have done, and they are still in contention because of it. Other phrases – “a win is a win”, “better to win ugly than lose pretty” – also spring to mind, and typify the performance of Philippe Saint-Andre’s side. Shambolic and divided as they have been, they are still on equal points with both England and Ireland, and results are what matter in professional sport – just ask Scotland.

  The contrast in style and approach between these sides is also echoed in some of the players; Brian O’Driscoll’s experience faces off against the exciting young talent that is Gael Fickou in the centres, whilst the fly-half roulette wheel has selected Remi Tales for France, set against the ever-present Jonny Sexton for Ireland. Both sides will be bolstered by the return of their stand-out back-rowers; Peter O’Mahony and Louis Picamoles both start, both on the blindside.

Can Gael Fickou undo another team's Championship hopes? Photo: EPA

  If Irish fans were taking some comfort from France’s far from complete performances, they will be less encouraged by what the history books have to say. Ireland haven’t won in France since 2000, their only victory there in the professional era; every Six Nations after a Lions tour has been won by the French; the last three contests between these sides have seen Ireland score first and lead at half-time, only to be defeated come the final whistle – these are the stats that have been on every pundits lips.

  But the past, as they say, is the past, and Ireland will be eager to write a few new chapters in their history on Saturday; a final cap for world record holder O’Driscoll, and a first victory against France since 2009 – the last time that Ireland lifted the trophy. All of these things may be coincidences, but they make what is already a tantalising match-up into the game of the tournament.

Prediction:

  It is very much Ireland’s game to lose, but they should head to Paris with confidence from their past performances. Despite what has been said about France, they will want to win in front of a demanding home crowd. For the second time this year, the Stade de France should be the place of English heartbreak – Ireland to win game and Championship, but only by seven points.

SQUADS

France: 15-Brice Dulin, 14-Yoann Huget, 13-Mathieu Bastareaud, 12-Gael Fickou, 11-Maxime Medard, 10-Remi Tales, 9-Maxime Machenaud; 1-Thomas Domingo, 2-Dimitri Szarzewski, 3-Nicolas Mas, 4-Pascal Pape (c), 5-Yoann Maestri, 6-Louis Picamoles, 7-Alexandre Lapandry, 8-Damien Chouly

Replacements: 16-Guilhem Guirado, 17-Vincent Debaty, 18-Rabah Slimani, 19-Alexandre Flanquart; 20-Sébastien Vahaamahina, 21-Wenceslas Lauret, 22-Jean Marc Doussain; 23-Maxime Mermoz

Ireland: 15-Rob Kearney, 14-Andrew Trimble, 13-Brian O'Driscoll, 12-Gordon D'Arcy, 11-Dave Kearney, 10-Jonny Sexton, 9-Conor Murray; 1-Cian Healy, 2-Rory Best, 3-Mike Ross, 4-Devin Toner, 5-Paul O'Connell (c), 6-Peter O'Mahony, 7-Chris Henry, 8-Jamie Heaslip

Replacements: 16-Sean Cronin, 17-Jack McGrath, 18-Martin Moore, 19-Iain Henderson, 20-Jordi Murphy, 21-Eoin Reddan, 22-Ian Madigan, 23-Fergus McFadden

Date: Saturday, March 15

Kick-off: 17:00 GMT

Venue: Stade de France, Paris

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)

Touch judges: Wayne Barnes (England) & Marius Mitrea (Romania)

TMO: Gareth Simmonds (Wales)

Article by Alex Hawksworth-Brookes

Six Nations: Scotland V France: The Battle of the Bonkers Coaches

  Even if the Mad Hatter was put in charge of a rugby team, he would probably bring more decipherable strategy and reasoned selection than the coaches of the two teams meeting in Edinburgh this Saturday. In fact, seldom has there been a match where there has been more focus on the men off the pitch than those playing on it, but the curious selection policies of both Scott Johnson and Philippe Saint-Andre mean that both coaches have come under intense media scrutiny in the build up to this game.

  The game takes place within a context that few would have thought possible several weeks ago; France, having been talked up as potential favourites, have been all but written-off by most after a dismal capitulation against Wales, whilst Scotland, so hopeful after placing 3^rd in 2013, had scored only 6 points all championship before a spirited last-gasp victory over Italy, and are now hunting a second European scalp in an attempt to salvage something from this Six Nations. When the Gallic Rooster takes to the field against the Gaelic Thistle of Scotland on Saturday, both teams will be desperate for a result.

  Despite that ignominious loss in Cardiff two weeks ago, France can still win the Six Nations, a fact that Saint-Andre will no doubt have reminded his squad of. Whilst many pundits have discarded France from their thoughts, this is Les Bleus we’re talking about, and if history has taught us anything, it is that this is a side that can be as dangerous one week as they were inept the last. Should France manage a win at Murrayfield, then next week’s final showdown in Paris could still be the tournament decider, a thought that is both bizarre and scintillating.

Alex Dunbar will be hoping to repeat his two-try haul against Italy

  For that to happen though, there is a thorny Scottish hurdle to be jumped, and the French could not be in worse shape to face it. A back-row that was already weakened by the loss of Thierry Dusautoir before the tournament even began has been completely remodelled, with Yannick Nyanga forced out through injury and Louis Picamoles dropped for disrespecting the referee in Cardiff, a brave decision by Saint-Andre considering the circumstances. Wesley Fofana is also missing from the midfield, meaning that Les Bleus will be without three of their game-winning players for this critical encounter.

  Other changes, both forced and strategic, have been made; Brice Mach comes in for the injured Dimitri Szarzewski, with Alexandre Lapandry, Maxime Machenaud and Maxime Medard all coming into the side as Saint-Andre’s selection roulette wheel continues to spin. So many changes can only be damaging for a team whose confidence already appears to be shattered.

  Scott Johnson is another man who has been playing Russian roulette with a rugby ball; Kelly Brown, so recently jettisoned from the helm and squad altogether, returns to reclaim his starting place and captain’s armband, apparently because, amongst other reasons, his style of play will suit the Murrayfield turf…

  David Denton is also restored to the starting line-up, with Johnnie Beattie accommodatingly moving over to 6. Whilst these changes will doubtless affect the balance of the back-row, Denton has been one of Scotland’s stand-out players this Spring, and his inclusion indicates that Scotland will be hoping to take advantage of France’s weakness in this area.

  Geoff Cross coming into the front-row is the only other change in this Scotland side – if such consistency of selection can be sustained, then there is hope that the squad can begin to develop. For all of Scott Johnson’s talk of finding out about players and testing combinations, there is only so much time that can be given over to experimentation, especially when said experiments continue to blow up in the scientist’s face.

Prediction:

  It’s hard to know which way to go with these two teams; both are as unpredictable and frustrating as the other, showing equal amounts of promise and panic in their play. However, Scotland have been showing signs of improvement, whilst France seem to be caught in something of a downward spiral, a situation that key omissions won’t have aided. Add into this mix the Murrayfield crowd, and I believe that, so long as they can get off to a good start, Scotland will be able to see the game out, breaking apart France’s championship hopes as they salvage their own rugby reputation. Scotland to win by 7 points.

SQUADS:

Scotland: 15-Stuart Hogg, 14-Tommy Seymour, 13-Alex Dunbar, 12-Matt Scott, 11-Sean Lamont, 10-Duncan Weir, 9-Greig Laidlaw; 1-Ryan Grant, 2-Scott Lawson, 3-Geoff Cross, 4-Richie Gray, 5-Jim Hamilton, 6-Johnnie Beattie, 7-Kelly Brown (c), 8-David Denton

Replacements: 16-Ross Ford, 17-Moray Low, 18-Euan Murray, 19-Tim Swinson, 20-Ryan Wilson, 21-Chris Cusiter, 22-Duncan Taylor, 23-Max Evans

France: 15-Brice Dulin, 14-Yoann Huget, 13-Mathieu Bastareaud, 12-Maxime Mermoz, 11-Maxime Medard, 10-Jules Plisson, 9-Maxime Machenaud; 1-Thomas Domingo, 2-Brice Mach, 3-Nicolas Mas, 4-Pascal Pape (c), 5-Yoann Maestri, 6-Sebastien Vahaamahina, 7-Alexandre Lapandry, 8-Damien Chouly

Replacements: 16-Guilhem Guirado, 17-Vincent Debaty, 18-Rabah Slimani, 19-Alexandre Flanquart, 20-Antonie Claassen, 21-Jean-Marc Doussain, 22-Remi Tales, 23-Gael Fickou

Date: Saturday, March 8

Kick-off: 17:00 GMT

Venue: Murrayfield Stadium, Cardiff

Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)

Touch judges: George Clancy (Ireland) & JP Doyle (England)

TMO: Gareth Simmonds (Wales)

Article by Alex Hawksworth-Brookes