Tired France will struggle against well drilled Wallabies

 
James Mortimer Roar Guru

By James Mortimer, 25 Jun 2009 James Mortimer is a Roar Guru

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The real season for the Wallabies starts now. They will face a surging Les Bleus team, before commencing hostilities with the All Blacks in the Tri Nations on July 18th.

First, the true test may not be as apparent as first thought, with French coach Marc Lievremont making seven changes to his starting team.

There were virtuoso’s who said that against the All Blacks the French were under strength.

Original captain Lionel Nallet, Morgan Parra and Imanol Harinordoquy were ruled out through injury, and outstanding Clermont combination Aurelien Rougerie and Julien Bonnaire were injured in the Top 14 final.

While those five players may not be as an illustrious collection as the All Black injuries headlined by luminaries Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, it was still over 200 Test caps.

Now, not only is the caveman Sebastien Chabel and in form number eight Louis Picamoles out, but some of the Tri Colours’ best players have been dropped or moved.

With a new halves combination, new centre, two new front rowers, new lock and the fullback and number 12 switching positions – it is a vastly changed French team.

On the evidence of how impressive they were against the All Blacks, one could assume this is a weaker side, but on the end of nearly 40 matches in 12 months, perhaps it is the wisest move by Lievremont.

They are on evidence to similarly placed teams. Both are without top level recognition or any major titles in recent years.

Under Robbie Deans, the Wallabies have played 16 and won 11, three losses to New Zealand, one thumping loss to South Africa and one defeat to Wales.

Under Lievremont, the French have lost eight: twice to Grand Slammers Wales and Ireland respectively, twice to England and once to a wounded All Blacks.

Three of those losses were to the Wallabies, but in 2008 the Tri Colours were woefully undermanned, and last year, if not for a horrific night from the boot of David Skrela – who missed five kicks – the French would have defeated Australia.

Deans’ Wallabies appear to be on the verge of something special, they have at least four world class players and under the former Crusaders wizard, all his Test players seem to have that extra ten percent of class.

Lievremont’s French team look capable, but a seemingly all encompassing desire to play expansive running rugby during his tenure has cost the side at times.

But as their Test series against the All Blacks illustrates, they know how to grind and physically impose themselves to win a test match.

If they can do this for a fourth consecutive game (including their 50-8 destruction of Italy), then one thinks they could defeat this Australian team.

The Wallabies have broadcast what appears to be their strongest test team for France, a side with a heady mix of veterans, world XV class and rising talent.

It is a side that screams Canterbury and Crusaders rugby.

The Stirling Mortlock experiment at number 12 has been shelved, and Deans has reverted back to the traditional New Zealand methodology of playing a second five eighth – Berrick Barnes – who is a centre with the playmaking skills of a first five eighth.

He has selected two open side flankers on the bench, with Phil Waugh and David Pocock operating under the pure rugby philosophy of securing possession at any cost.

Not only is this a Deans blueprint, but it is an acknowledgment of the threat that the French will bring to the breakdown, where in the first Test the Tri Colours out enthused and utilised a superior technique to New Zealand.

It is a solid Australian side, but as previously mentioned, they have not been tested in 2009.

Lest we forget, they lost to Wales in their final match last year, scrapped past Italy, were beaten three nil in the final matches of the Bledisloe, and suffered the biggest defeat in Australian Test history to the Springboks in Johannesburg.

This happened less than 12 months ago.

So this is still far from an awesome Wallaby test side.

France though, by any standard, stand on the verge of significant history. A win over Australia, no matter how ugly or narrow, gives them wins over two of the SANZAR powers, not achieved since England in 2003.

France has only beaten Australia twice at home, in Ballymore in 1972 and in Sydney in 1990. They have beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand four times, in 1979, twice in 1994, and this year.

Six wins against two nations away, this is their worst record against any two teams.

Could they become the greatest ever French team to tour the Deep South?

Much will depend on their recycled team, and on the French game plan itself.

Against the All Blacks it was a fundamentally simple game plan, a strategy that the under-strength New Zealand team struggled to overcome.

Ironically, those tactics may not have worked against a full strength All Black team, and for this, they may not work against a well drilled Wallabies team.

Australia may lose Test matches this year, but they will against firing Springbok or All Black teams, not a Les Bleus side at the end of their season, whose mental reserves may have been exhausted against New Zealand.

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