Behind the 'French farce' and Kiwi rugby arrogance

French coach Marc Lièvremont ... pensive. Photo: Planet Rugby

EXTRAORDINARY HYPE in the New Zealand media this week about the alleged France "B" team playing the All Blacks this weekend in the Rugby World Cup. In fact, 11 of the French players have tasted victory (plus two among the reserves) over New Zealand, and some twice! This thanks to KiwiRooster:

The likes of Peter Bills and Chris Rattue are not exactly what we call journalists of investigation, they are more into the trashy business of making sensational stories. Hence the reason why Peter Bills does not feel he has to justify his rant by telling us which French players he would have selected. Not mentioning the fact that Peter Bills does not represent the whole of New Zealand, maybe not even part of Great Britain, given he is apparently British.

Anyone who has watched the French games against Japan then Canada must have realised that neither Trinh-Duc nor Harinordoquy performed well. (That's an understatement). Bonnaire and Parra did much better. Now, to call that team second string is utterly arrogant:

Poux(*)- Swarzweski(*) - Ducalcon

Bonnaire(*) - Picamoles(**) - Dussautoir(*)

Yachvili(*) - Parra

Medard(**) - Mermoz(**) - Rougerie(*) - Clerc(*)

Traille(*)

On the bench: Harinordoquy(*) and Servat (*) might come in as impact players.

(*) players from the RWC 2007 Cardiff game

(**) players from the 2009 Dunedin game

Ducalcon and Forestier (who is unfortunately not in this World Cup) formed the best forward pack in the whole French championship with their club Castres Olympiques this season. For any French supporters it is not a surprise to see him here, especially since Thomas Domingo is injured and Sylvain Marconnet got smashed to pieces by pretty much every prop in this squad.

Allez les Bleues!

• French side 'far from throwing it' - by John Daniell, a Kiwi journalist who has played for Perpignan
• Hansen defends French selections
• Lièvremont reassures New Zealand
• Game preview
• Bleacher Report - NZ 37 - France 17 - A US view on how the French failed to storm the Eden Park fortress
• NZ media say French rugby jinx buried
• France 'too clean' at the breakdown - defence coach
  
• NZ in raptures, but it was a French farce
• Pacific rugby - Fiji and Samoa 'most boring game'
  

That outrageous pick-and-flick Trinh-duc inspired try

FRANCOIS TRINH-DUC'S moment of genius with a flick pass under his legs to Imanol Harinoroquy. The outrageously exciting try contributed to France's 34-21 victory over Scotland in the Six Nations tourney last weekend. One of those distinctly French gems in rugby that have been missing for a while.

Parochialism in NZ rugby coverage

An interlude from the Pacific with an item on rugby. Considering the passion for the game in New Zealand, it is astonishing that the media is still so parochial in its coverage. For example, the refreshing French 27-6 victory over Scotland in the Six Nations at the weekend - four debutantes and three converted tries to none - should warrant decent coverage. The country's major newspaper, the New Zealand Herald, could only find room for one line - the score in the results section (not even a breakdown of the scorers).
How bizarre, given that only three months ago, the French team was responsible for the All Blacks' humiliating exit from the World Cup. Disappointed that France didn't go on to win the cup after dispatching the favourites, new coach Marc Lièvremont's axe has been wielded heavily on Les Bleus cup team. But one of the inspirational players at the weekend was young French-Vietnamese flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc (pictured) from Montpellier. He is certainly somebody quickly making an impression on the game. One of the leading global rugby writers is Ian Borthwick, a Kiwi writer on the French sports daily L'Equipe. Yet we rarely see pieces of his in New Zealand media. Borthwick's writing on French rugby in the Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday was far more perceptive than anything run in the NZ media since before the start of the World Cup.
Another perceptive writer is Paul Ackford who analysed the "surreal environment" for France's flyhalves leading up to 21-year-old Trinh-Duc being tossed in the deep end. Trinh-Duc is the seventh player in the last 23 games to feature in the pivot role for France:
Walk with me back to June 2006. In that month the impish Thomas Castaignede was handed the 10 jersey against Romania. Thomas, bless him, lasted a single match before making way for Damien Traille who held on to it for four. Then it was David Skrela's turn. He also played four games against Italy, Ireland, Wales and England before getting booted out in favour of Lionel Beauxis who managed one before the baton was passed to Benjamin Boyet for France's 2007 tour to New Zealand. Too much to hope that Benjy would hang on to his place against the mighty All Blacks? Yep. Boyet had two outings and was summarily dumped.
Next, Skrela and Beauxis job-shared so-to-speak for France's World Cup warm-up games against England (twice) and Wales before Freddie Michalak entered stage left for the tournament proper, whereupon the trio mixed and matched for the remainder of the competition.
And now it's poor Trinh-Duc's turn.
But Trinh-Duc played impressively against Scotland in his debut.

• Francois Trinh-Duc in at France's deep end
• Lievremont to make his marc
• Old friends, new blood
• New-look French put Scots to the sword - South African media give it the works