Six Nations is second tier rugby, says Lievremont
By Baptiste Pace, 22 Mar 2011 Baptiste Pace is a Roar Rookie
Related coverage
- Rugby Union news
- Super Rugby news
- International Rugby Union - Six Nations, Heineken Cup, Rugby Championship news
The Six Nations is second division rugby compared to that of the southern hemisphere where the Super 15 franchises and the national sides play in the same manner, says France coach Marc Lievremont.
However, the 42-year-old believes that, despite a difficult Six Nations tournament for his side and for him personally, the French will be the northern hemisphere side to beat come the World Cup in New Zealand later this year.
France failed to repeat their Grand Slam exploits of last year – their first since 2004 – beaten by eventual champions England and suffering a humiliating and historic defeat at the hands of Italy.
But Lievremont – who accused his mem of cowardice and of betraying their country after the Italy loss – insisted coming out of the tournament with a convincing 28-9 win over Wales and with a two month training camp prior to the World Cup they could well be the team to be feared.
“Certainly,” he said in answer to whether the Six Nations was second rate compared to the southern hemisphere rugby.
“It is difficult to compare the two types of preparation, between that of the northern hemisphere and that of the southern hemisphere.
“They (the southern hemisphere players) spend six months together. They play half as much rugby as us.
“They are based in five (Super) franchises in each country who play the same style of rugby. That has always been the case, it is not a revelation.
“From time to time, we manage to match them, to beat them.
“The North is also another type of rugby.
“One would have thought with the new rules we would have a game with more rhythm, with passing moves of longer length, but there are also equally as many matches as the one on Saturday (against Wales) which is a physical battle, with a huge amount revolving round the scrum, a kicking game and unpredictable bounces of the ball.
“I am convinced that we will be ready physically, that the two months of preparation will allow us to evolve and to progress both technically and tactically.”
Lievremont, who was a member of the French side that lost to Australia in the 1999 World Cup final having experienced a terrible Five Nations prior to that, said he was having a devil of a time in choosing his final 30 players for the World Cup.
Last week he said several from the Italy match would never wear the national shirt again.
“The essential thing is that the players weren’t caught napping a second time. That they reacted like men.”
By dropping veteran centre Yannick Jauzion and icon Sebastien Chabal for the Wales game Lievremont would seemingly have ended their international careers.
The coach received the unqualified support of the federation last week despite being heavily criticised both by influential Toulouse manager Guy Noves and former players in the media.
“I have always managed to weather the storm.
“The harder the punches, the harder I punch back.”
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
March 22nd 2011 @ 6:42am
Pot Hale said | March 22nd 2011 @ 6:42am | Report comment
Mon Dieu!!
March 22nd 2011 @ 8:27am
Ben S said | March 22nd 2011 @ 8:27am | Report comment
Pot, remember that thing I mentioned to you a few days ago about that old friend?
Also, who edits this stuff? The title literally has no connection to the actual content of the article.
March 22nd 2011 @ 9:21am
Pot Hale said | March 22nd 2011 @ 9:21am | Report comment
I remember perfectly, old bean.
March 22nd 2011 @ 10:17am
Jerry said | March 22nd 2011 @ 10:17am | Report comment
Depends on the wording of the question he answered “Certainly” to.
If it was as worded in the article (or close to that intent) then the title is apt, surely.
March 22nd 2011 @ 10:27am
Ben S said | March 22nd 2011 @ 10:27am | Report comment
That his description of the gulf in preparation follows the word certainly leads me to infer differently, Jerry. I don’t think a tournament can be second tier because sides have more or less time in camp than other sides.
March 22nd 2011 @ 10:55am
Jerry said | March 22nd 2011 @ 10:55am | Report comment
That could also be read as him giving his interpretation as to why the SH sides are a step ahead.
It’s all speculation of course, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if the question he replied to was worded in such as way as to give a completely different intent. It’d hardly be the first time an interviewer inferred an inaccurate opinion to an interviewee.
March 22nd 2011 @ 8:52pm
Ben S said | March 22nd 2011 @ 8:52pm | Report comment
Yes, I agree, but IMO the title still doesn’t correlate.
This is typical Lievremont trying to highlight the reasons why the national side has been so bad over the past few months. It’s old news now. All he does is moan.
March 22nd 2011 @ 8:21am
Marissa said | March 22nd 2011 @ 8:21am | Report comment
I thought you’d have more to say than Oh God.
Reality is the coach knows a thing or two more than most roarers and I for one whilst not whole heartedly agree it does make you think. Maybe it’s the varying styles that each hemisphere plays because the two are quite different.
March 22nd 2011 @ 9:19am
Pot Hale said | March 22nd 2011 @ 9:19am | Report comment
marissa – Reality is i think youre right marissa it certainly does make you think whole heartedly about the whole thing and I mean lets face it. The french coach has been there done that and should know an awful lot more than most of the roarers on here as you rightly say. And whne you’re asked a question about whether the competition that your being forced to play in is really beneath you and you really wish you were playing in a much superior competition on the other world side well I would anyway, then i think it’s only fair to say yes that it is secodn rate I mean come on did the question really even need to be asked when the answer was soooo obvioous anyway Someone told me the other day that levremontt was buying a house in sydney or new zealand somewhere so its obvious where his loyalties are. I betcha he cant wait for september to touchdown in canberra and get on track.
oh and mon dieu actually means my god but no harms no worries,
cheers PH.
March 22nd 2011 @ 9:55am
Marissa said | March 22nd 2011 @ 9:55am | Report comment
Pothale I can understand that your upset that a dirty Frog has given an answer you do not like in regards to your beloved 6 Nations. Fact of the matter is he knows a lot more about rugby and has far better credentials than you or I. Personally I don’t necessarily agree with him but yes it does open it up for debate. Of course your going to jump to the defence of the 6nations and rightfully so but is there any need to be so sarcastic in your rhetoric. Honestly there isn’t a big difference between ‘oh god’ and ‘my+god’
March 22nd 2011 @ 9:57am
Ben S said | March 22nd 2011 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Why would it upset Pothale that Lievremont has said the SH sides have far greater preparation time together than the NH sides do?
March 22nd 2011 @ 10:15am
Pot Hale said | March 22nd 2011 @ 10:15am | Report comment
“a dirty Frog” – I hope you’re not intending to be offensive to French people, Marissa, but you should know that they would regard that as very insulting.
I’m not upset in the slightest at what Lievremont has said. What he says about the differences between the preparation times of the two hemispheres is quite accurate – myself and other NH posters have made the same point countless times on here. SH rugby is set up to promote and prioritise Test rugby. All of NH rugby is not.
Whether he commented on the how things will go in the future with the re-designed Superugby format, I don’t know. We’ll only start to see the effects of that in 2012, outside of a World Cup year.
Something to think about.
cheers PH
March 22nd 2011 @ 10:04am
Marissa said | March 22nd 2011 @ 10:04am | Report comment
I understand you and Pothale are brothers in arms on everything Northern Hemisphere Ben but i’m sure even you are better than the this type of sarcasm. It’s quite clear from his childish retort that he does care. Also blatantly obvious that he’s accussing the french coach of saying the right quotes to appease the Southern Hemisphere nations. The conspiracy theory and tone insinuated throughout the post smacks of sour grapes.
March 22nd 2011 @ 10:07am
Ben S said | March 22nd 2011 @ 10:07am | Report comment
I repeat my initial question, ‘Marissa’.
Further, why would it appease SH coaches to have Lievremont say that they have greater time together in camp etc?
Incidentally, you’re definitely a new poster aren’t you, Marissa, so what would lead you to suggest that Pothale and I are brothers in arms?
March 22nd 2011 @ 11:38am
Pot Hale said | March 22nd 2011 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Marissa – relax – I was taking the pish.
I’m not accusing the French coach of anything. Jeez, if you were able to recognise it as sarcasm, then recognise to take it with a pinch of salt. A journalist (no doubt from a SH media outlet) purposely asked him if the 6 Nations was second rate – provocative questions to which you get a good answers make for great headlines as this article proves.
The headline aims to frame a story in which a top NH coach admits that the premier NH test competition is second rate to SH competitions. And it’s the French coach. Even better. It’s manna from heaven for a sports editor.
He then makes the point about preparation times differing. This is nothing new, it’s been said countless times by NH commentators, and sometimes, grudgingly, by SH ones.
That’s it. Story over. The rest is standard fluff from a coach talking up his team for the WC, which I’d expect any coach to do.
March 22nd 2011 @ 10:16am
Marissa said | March 22nd 2011 @ 10:16am | Report comment
I have been reading these forums for the last few months and have noticed you both are there or there abouts when it comes to commenting on issues. It doesn’t take a scholar to work out that Pothale was being very sarcastic in his posts Ben. I’m not here to argue with people like yourself nor do I need to subject myself to petty taunting and obvious confrontation by which it seems quite clear you are trying to provoke.
March 22nd 2011 @ 10:19am
Ben S said | March 22nd 2011 @ 10:19am | Report comment
I see. Months of viewing without any involvement? Do you mean to say that Pothale and I tend to converse with each other and other NH Roarers on matters of European rugby?
I’m not trying to provoke anything, Marissa. I merely asked you two as yet unanswered questions.
March 22nd 2011 @ 11:06am
Go_the_Wannabe's said | March 22nd 2011 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Ben, you and Marissa aren’t married are you?
Jus wunderin”……..
March 22nd 2011 @ 11:21am
Pot Hale said | March 22nd 2011 @ 11:21am | Report comment
I certainly hope not, cos he’s hitched to me already.
Have you bin cheatin on me agin, Ben?
Now I told you what would happen…….
March 22nd 2011 @ 8:54pm
Ben S said | March 22nd 2011 @ 8:54pm | Report comment
Haha… Was it the perfume that gave it away?
March 23rd 2011 @ 2:57am
Pot Hale said | March 23rd 2011 @ 2:57am | Report comment
Nah – I just love the smell of napalm in the morning
March 22nd 2011 @ 11:40am
katzilla said | March 22nd 2011 @ 11:40am | Report comment
Haven’t all 3 of you changed your moniker since you’ve been on here?
March 22nd 2011 @ 11:46am
Pot Hale said | March 22nd 2011 @ 11:46am | Report comment
Who me?
March 22nd 2011 @ 8:53pm
Ben S said | March 22nd 2011 @ 8:53pm | Report comment
I’ve changed my name a few times, katzilla, simply because I fancied a change (for example, thought Mr Saunders was too stuffy etc) however I have taken the time to inform people prior to the name change.
March 22nd 2011 @ 9:27pm
Eric said | March 22nd 2011 @ 9:27pm | Report comment
Have I missed something here? Do they play rugby in France? Whom is married to whom? Is Marissa a boys name?
It was a revelation to me that the 5 Aussie franchises (French for team) play the same style. If so, we are in deep poo-poo after watching Tahs. Mon Dieu!
March 23rd 2011 @ 1:00am
Ivan said | March 23rd 2011 @ 1:00am | Report comment
So what is he saying that nobody already knows ?
The NH is poles behind the SH. England may well challenge with a strong pack, and France too – but ultimately they do not have the men or the brains to match the Top 3.
March 23rd 2011 @ 1:20am
Ben S said | March 23rd 2011 @ 1:20am | Report comment
I see.
March 23rd 2011 @ 2:58am
Pot Hale said | March 23rd 2011 @ 2:58am | Report comment
Do you think Ivan is from Russia? He’s very dark and gloomy.
March 23rd 2011 @ 9:05pm
Ben S said | March 23rd 2011 @ 9:05pm | Report comment
Or the Southern Hemisphere Russia… South Africa.
March 24th 2011 @ 10:15pm
Ivan said | March 24th 2011 @ 10:15pm | Report comment
Die einste (thats the one).
Back to the topic – Im too lazy to read all the gibberish above so let me just ask, does anyone here disagree with the statement made about the second tier ?
March 25th 2011 @ 12:38am
Ben S said | March 25th 2011 @ 12:38am | Report comment
Have you even read the article?
March 25th 2011 @ 1:23am
Ivan said | March 25th 2011 @ 1:23am | Report comment
naaaa, i never learnt to read growing up in the bushveld. Whats reading going to help when youre being hunted by lion all day ?
i cannot agree or disagree with the coach – Since the French are the really good when theyre good, and crap when theyre not. If anyone, they are still the Kiwis bogey team.
I find his comment on half the rugby hard to believe since the SH is playing rugby about 11 months a year. Anyone have any comments on that ?
March 25th 2011 @ 2:02am
Ben S said | March 25th 2011 @ 2:02am | Report comment
A good Australian Test player will feature in (as of last season for the sake of ease) 13 Super games, 3 pre- 3N games, 6 Tri Nations games and 4 end of year Tests. That’s 26 games. The season may be lengthy in the South, but the rugby is irregular allowing the Test players far longer in camp and periods of conditioning and recuperation. In contrast the French play every weekend for months and months.