FRA vs NZ - Match d'ouverture de la coupe du monde de rugby 2023

Amping it up, like France did there and New zealand tried to do, is something I don’t feel we do well. Things have to go our way and to our liking to win games.

France are my favorites due to depth and how they turn it on when the chips are down

I genuinely hope we can do the same as it’s the best chance we’ve ever had at taking this thing home!

Agreed! I suppose we could say his “bad”game is a great game for any other scrum half.

That's exactly what I read in 2019 though.

Im in shock at the lack of replays of key moments in the game...

NZ would have had their arses handed to them even more if it was officiated correctly...

It seemed anything that would contradict the referees original decision wasnt replayed....

Very unusual and it will be interesting to see if it continues....

An English* display by France today. They kept their shape after a spectacular try and despite looking knackered at 40 minutes gradually overpowered the opposition.

*when they were beating us over the years.

I wonder is this a way to avoid giving out all the yellow cards and red card that have marred the game - there was a late hit on Ramos also and it was not mentioned at all. Strange. Not sure how I feel about the bunker system either must be nerve wracking for the player waiting.

Is there any data to suggest that teams which don’t have as much time together training as our lads do, e.g. Argentina, Samoa, improve more as the WC progresses?

Lets call a spade a spade here.

Ian Foster isnt cut out to be a head coach of a Tier 1 rugby side, neither is Borthwick but that hasnt been fully proven yet, it will be within the next 12 months though.

Fair play to their unions for appointing them.

I watched a NZ doc about the fallout from the Irish series and then redemption when the team went to SA and won in Ellis Park which saved Foster’s job. Interviews w Ardie, Cane, Smith and a few others talked about rallying around the coach and supporting him to the point where immediately after arriving back in NZ the whole team met the union boss to argue for fosters retention. Admirable loyalty but nowhere did anyone talk about WHY Foster should be retained other than loyalty. It was obvious that the players felt responsible bauble and guilty that foster was getting fired because they hadn’t delivered.

Fair play to them but you’d hope at that stage someone in the room would say, hang on, maybe a new coach would help. Literally nothing about him being a good coach.

NZ aren’t consistently good like they used to be but are still capable of beating anyone on a day. They just won the RC fairly convincingly, got pumped in twickenham and again today but they’ll still hand out dune bearings in this comp. Irelands series win was impressive for coming back after that first test. Going ahead and then being comprehensively demolished like that is hard to recover from but they did.

They also have pretty poor halfbacks, likely missing their best center, and have struggled to create scoring opportunities when they opposition doesn't gift them penalties

They've also benefited from some soft draws too. They weren't particularly good in the last WC. They struggled past an average Wales team, and played a great game against England.

They're a good team, but I don't fear us playing them. We've beaten them plenty of times and were a terrible pass by Paddy Jackson away from winning a series there. No team has physically dominated us under Farrell, and I don't see it starting now.