*not a big fan of doing whats fair as opposed to what is in the best benefit for the team, but then again Johnson is an unknown at international and one bad game against a mean French pack could effect him much longer than missing his debut by one week.

Thanks again, and hopefully friday is a great match.

Played 135, Won 83 = 61.5%
@home = Played 61, Won 47 = 77%
@away = Played 56, Won 21 = 37.5%

So ok – that is pretty damn rubbish and only marginally improves if we take out our Tri-Nations cousins to a 53.8% away ratio. Even in the last 5 years what many would consider a renaissance period the overall record reads as follows

Played 76, Won 52 = 68.4%
@home = Played 36, Won 29 = 80.6%
@away = Played 32, Won 15 = 46.9%

In my opion in relation to this conversation it is a slightly skewed view as a majority of the Boks away games are in the SH. Which where we all know its almost impossible to win away for most teams unless they are the ABs. So in the last 5 years removing the tri nations games the average reads played 14 won 9 = 64.3% ratio. To me this shows that the Boks have been crap away from home but are definitely improving their record to the point over the last few years they have shed the poor traveller tag

Kirchner proved earlier this year that he isn’t up to international standard yet (if ever), but playing alongside Ndungane and Nokwe is hardly the same as Habana and Pietersen.

Just looking at France’s back row, I would have also preferred to see someone harder than Kankowski – Deysel or Johnson – start. Come to think of it, with all the promising young loose-forwards coming through, this tour is probably old Kanko’s last chance.

However Trinh-Duc will ask questions of SA, mark my words, youth and relative inexperience aside, the boy has talent, and while Traille is not great at 15 I think he’ll be safe, but would have preferred like you to see Medard starting there. Traille must be considered a “bigger” boot …

I fully agree about Nallet, he has been very good, and not sure who else could go instead of Millo-Chluski. – Pape ? (he is the plodder in my opinion), Chabal? (exciting but lazy, and variable work ethic). I think M.C is under-appreciated much like Nallet used to be.

I still think Ouedrago will be missed most for his speed and tackling, and great linking work. Harinordoquy has the power but can be a bit slow and one-dimensional when he’s not on top of his game (his best form was way back in 2003 ).

Paris in 2007 for the WRC was fantastic, and I enjoyed having a few beers with the SA fans who all behaved great and had a good time. Have a good match and trip!

The significant point about Marty – and this is something that Lievremont has touched upon – is that he has a club relationship with Mermoz, which may have been signficant against such an experienced team. Mermoz is a very inexperienced 12, and Trinh-Duc is an inexperienced 10. In light of that Lievremont is taking a big risk with Traille at 15.

‘I know why Millo-Chluski has been selected. There is a glut of good locks in the T14, just as there seems to be worldwide, but ultimately he is a plodder. I worry that France will struggle to get quick ball with him, just as England do with Deacon and Borthwick. I know that Nallet is maligned and considered a French Borthwick, but I think he is a very good player. I watched him very closely over the past two seasons and his work ethic and committment is second to none.

Although SA is the no 1 ranked team in the context of their recent results with France I would have France as the favourites. Everybody wants to be the underdog but France seems to trouble SA (or at least they have done in years gone by) and SA has lost Jean de Villiers and Frans Steyn. I hope it’s not just a dog fight with big lumps crashing up the middle.’

Despite my obvious hope that the Boks will win, I am a undecided, as the french have had it over us for the past few years. It will be a great game though.

Anyway completely off topic, I am heading to Paris for the first time next month for 3 days, and other than the obvious tourist things such as the Eiffel Tower etc, any suggestions for any must visit or must do activities in Paris?

As often, the battle between the forwards will probably but not necessarily determine the outcome. SA to have an advantage in the lineouts, French to dominate the scrums, and as for the breakdown, which back row will gain ascendancy? Kicking duels will be interesting, with both Traille and Heymans solid at the back for France.

It should be a great game, and I’ll be watching it from Cafe Oz in Paris, with a couple of hundred giant SAFFAS (even their women are huge) and a few scrawny Frenchmen.

Allez les Bleus!

Knives Out reveals the French team is:
France: 15 Damien Traille, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Yann David, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 Francois Trinh-Duc, 9 Julien Dupuy, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Imanol Harinordoquy, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Romain Millo-Chluski, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Fabien Barcella.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Sylvain Marconnet, 18 Sébastien Chabal, 19 Julien Bonnaire, 20 Morgan Parra, 21 David Marty, 22 Maxime Médard.

I’m underwhelmed.

Reply
Parisien said:

I think it looks a good team but I’d prefer to see Medard at fullback, and Traille in the centres (perhaps in place of David). The pack looks good but I prefer Szarzewski to Servat. He’ll certainly bring impact and freshness coming from the bench, as will Chabal.
What team would you pick?

Reply
Knives Out said:

Mostly the same except with Medard at 15 and Traille at 12. I would have seriously considered Marty at 13 too. He’s played well this season whereas I haven’t been bowled over by David. I remember when he was meant to be the next big thing but he seems to have stalled somewhat. I see him as the French Lloyd Johansson: big and durable. I’m worried that the lineup is too conservative. France has a very good recent record against SA. When they have beaten SA they did it with a robust forward pack and guile in the backline. Picking Traille’s big boot and David at 13 strikes me as an effort to mirror SA. Bernard Laporte used to have a SH complex and I would hope that Lievremont would have the courage to put SA to one side for a moment and pick players to worry them, not players to neutralize them. Pro-active as opposed to reactive, if you see what I mean? Perhaps this side has the necessary tactical blend? We shall see.

At least the bench has a real zip to it. Every player should be able to impact positively upon the match. It’s a shame that Ouedraogo is injured but Picamoles has been in good form and I think the back row has a nice blend to it. I’m less enamoured with Millo-Chluski at 5, but Chabal should provide relief if necessary.

Parisien said:

Marty has looked good this season in Top14 but I feel he has never really delivered at test level, despite a great debut a few years back. Lots of handling errors at test level…This is another chance to prove the doubters wrong I guess.

Ouedrago is a big miss, he has improved so much in a year. Millo-Chluski is Lievremont’s type of forward I think, no nonsense, unglamourous, not particularly noticeable but works hard in tight and a good scrummer (almost the opposite of Chabal who has other qualities).

I think this team could go very well, should be a good game! The French may cause an upset.