Blacks flog sorry France
28 Nov 2009
New Zealand were very impressive in their 39-12 victory over France in Marseille.
The French seeked to base their challenge around brutality at the tackle point and flair in the backline. However, with the latter being so reliant on the former, they struggled when they found an All Black side unwilling to take a backward step in contact in general play or at scrum time.
Furthermore, the French defensive line looked decidedly porous at times, with the likes of Dan Carter, Sitiveni Sivivatu, and Ma’a Nonu slicing through with alarming ease at times.
It underlined the fact that France had shot their bolt with their strong performance against the Springboks, and the Blacks were never forced to shift into fifth gear to negotiate their challenge. Graham Henry’s charges comprehensively outplayed their hosts in all facets of play, and finished their year-end tour with a morale boosting win.
The early exchanges suggested neither side were going to be afraid to get width on their attack, with France the more expansive, if less effective, of the two.
However, it would be the Blacks who would be the far more clinical of the combatants, capitalising on the majority of the opportunities they created in the first half, and racing to a 22-9 lead.
They breached the goal-line first, with their first threatening foray into France’s 22m. They rumbled up into the red zone, shifted the ball wide, where Sivivatu shrugged off the challenge of Vincent Clerc to score.
Carter converted, but France scrumhalf Julien Dupuy kicked two more penalties to go with an earlier three pointer to stay in touch.
Then a vintage moment from the Blacks, as they counter-attacked from deep in their half in a move that culminated in Sivivatu turning provider for Mils Muliaina after a break down the touchline.
Carter missed the conversion, but not long thereafter the Blacks extended their lead when they shoved the France scrum over their tryline, and Jerome Kaino was on hand to apply downward pressure for the try. Carter made no mistake with the conversion.
France were on the ropes, their counter-strikes being easily repelled by a well organised defensive line. Their inability to unlock the Blacks off set or general play forced them to seek other routes of point collection, and in this regard they had to be content with a Francois Trinh-Duc drop-goal.
The Blacks would have trotted down the tunnel the more content of the sides, enjoying a comfortable 10-point lead. Carter increased the buffer with a penalty 10 minutes into the second half and at 25-12, France would have been acutely aware that they needed to be next to cross the whitewash to drag themselves back into the contest.
Dupuy missed his second penalty of the half to compound their woes. Cory Jane then produced a wonderful piece of individual skill to hand off his defender then chip and collect, all within the confines of the tram tracks out wide, and you sensed it was all over.
Carter converted to take the score to 32-12, and when Conrad Smith broke around an unguarded blindside to score with 10 minutes left, the French looked utterly deflated and accepting of their fate.
294 Comments
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28 Nov 2009, 23:53 pm
@fantasticbarnsmell:
When?
28 Nov 2009, 23:53 pm
Have to hand it to the French that they tried to entertain today. There was probably as much running rugby today as there was in half the rest of the Autumn internbationals combined. End result was that they got beaten by playing to the AB’s strengths, but the game was more entertaining than most of the others played in 2009.
Will be interesting to see if the new confidence developing amongst the AB back 3 will translate into problems for the Boks with their kick and chase game in 2010. It would be nice to see running rugby dominate again, but I don’t think that is a safe assumption for now.
28 Nov 2009, 23:54 pm
@AiDoc: the year of our lord 2009…
28 Nov 2009, 23:54 pm
well dome nz.
didnt watch the game though.
28 Nov 2009, 23:54 pm
Five tries! France were given a severe and pretty humiliating spanking by the officially #1 ranked team on the planet who continue their “tired and burnt out after a long season” triumphal march still gloriously unbeaten.
Not 4 whippings in 5 games, and two by lowly club B teams…
28 Nov 2009, 23:55 pm
wasn’t he injured for a few games earlier this year too? i know he’s an incredible player, but he wasn’t the best this year surely…
28 Nov 2009, 23:55 pm
@TheTackler:
Gotta love ya!
28 Nov 2009, 23:56 pm
Tackler!
Answer me this, are you not from SOUTH AFRICA?
28 Nov 2009, 23:56 pm
@TheTackler: stop posting
28 Nov 2009, 23:57 pm
@WP_: hey WP….the same world champs that won 1 game on tour was it
28 Nov 2009, 23:57 pm
I have got to say that the obnoxious gloating from some of the AB supporters is just as childish as the continual ‘chokers’ taunts from some of the Bok supporters. Must be a lot of emotionally insecure people come here for their fix.
28 Nov 2009, 23:58 pm
Player of the year should have been Nigel ‘raging ******’ Owens. He won the game for Ireland today, all by himself!
28 Nov 2009, 23:58 pm
@Robzim: One thing if your kicks are tactically accurate but they were just kicking straight to Kearney´s arms too boot. Its beyond pathetic. I´m fairly disgusted with that lame attempt they made today.
What a wet fizzle to what has been a good year. but I would add the warning signs were there to see against the B&I Lions. We were very lucky to walk away with a win there. Not convincing at all.
28 Nov 2009, 23:58 pm
H@fantasticbarnsmell:
Only when they lost. Like then two No 7′s for the Dingoes today. both men of the match but Ditto got the votes because he played both halves!
28 Nov 2009, 23:59 pm
@aliboy: just returning serve Ali, we cop it all the time, nice to be able to return it occasionally… perhaps some of your brethren will realise this (I doubt it) hence, paybacks a ******!!
29 Nov 2009, 00:00 am
@poppa69:
They are only world champions because Barnes is a moron.
29 Nov 2009, 00:00 am
And Suzie is real!!!!!!!!!!!!!
29 Nov 2009, 00:02 am
@poppa69:
In Shangainese poppa is a weak kneed pooftah.
29 Nov 2009, 00:02 am
Yes poppa
Rub it in mate, we were awful on tour it must be said.
Not sure why, i’m sure they are a number of excuses floating around but fact is we were not good enough. We were, however, good enough to beat your lot 3-0 this year.
Let me remind you of the scores: 28-19, 31-19 & 32-29.
P.S (SA’s score is written first)
29 Nov 2009, 00:02 am
@Robzim:
Boks would have lost by a ton tonight had they played NZ.
It feels like the Boks are dunking stale biscuits in cold coffee at the moment.
They are so pedestrian they could be fined for J-walking.
Boks have become very one dimensional and we’d better have a very cold shower and smell the roses. 2010 & 2011 will reveal some hard truths for the Bok coaching staff and supporters unless we move on and re-invent ourselves.
Seeing NZ tonight was a treat.
Boks beware!!! You have been warned. You’ve had a rosy year but now the cracks are showing heavily.
29 Nov 2009, 00:02 am
@AiDoc:
I seen the second half of the wobblies game, he hasnt got any better…
29 Nov 2009, 00:04 am
@WP_: That’s like asking someone if they’re from Bloemfontein.
As they say in the classics, it’s a great place to come from but a truly ghastly place to go to.
29 Nov 2009, 00:04 am
Nigel ‘raging ****’ Owens should have won the Player of the year award! He won the game for Ireland all by himself today!
29 Nov 2009, 00:04 am
@poppa69: Actually poppa, I am a born and bred Kiwi who just gets a bit embarrassed reading some of the drivel since that is not how I and the people I know were brought up to behave.
29 Nov 2009, 00:05 am
Nigel ‘raging ******’ Owens should have won player of the year
29 Nov 2009, 00:05 am
@WP_: all good mate
Im sure you guys will be back strong and ready next year mate…
heres some scores for you 19-0, 49-0, 24-23,53-3, 15-10, 20 13..
P.S SA’s score is second
29 Nov 2009, 00:07 am
@aliboy: its all banter mate, as has been said on here previously, if we were at the pub we’d all be sharing beers and half the stuff wouldnt be said…
29 Nov 2009, 00:07 am
Tackler.
Why suck up to the kiwi’s then?
Why do you dislike your countrymen so?
29 Nov 2009, 00:11 am
@poppa69: “wouldn’t be said in the pub” – exactly!! I sometimes moderate another large (non rugby) website forum and it is sad to see ‘internet bravado’ turn interesting threads into virtual fistfights. Witty banter is great, but there is some pretty dumb stuff that goes on here. A bit more respect and intelligence in the banter would make for a better site IMHO.
29 Nov 2009, 00:12 am
gotta go, well done AB’s, their best game of the season…
FDP deserves player of the year, I just wonder if the loss to Ireland has hurt his chances..
Heres looking forward to 2010, when 2 NZ national sides will again go to the republic..
Imagine the banter if NZ and SA are drawn in the same pool of the Fifa world cup…
Cheers All…
29 Nov 2009, 00:15 am
226 poppa
Alright you asked for it.
Here are some scores for you. (NZ score is 2nd and the year is in brackets)
15-12 (1995), 43-31 (1999), 22-10 (2003), 20-18 (2007)
oops, I forgot the score from 1991
29 Nov 2009, 00:17 am
@WP_: I´d say he´s pissed at SA´s poor performance this Nov and I´d say I have to agree. NZ show again how its done. I agree completely. Well done NZ -flying the SH flag high. Oz didnt do us southerners any favours either with their draw and loss.
29 Nov 2009, 00:17 am
@WP_: thats cool, just tell me WP
how many times have you lost to Ireland now ? and its 4 times vs Scotland is it ?
combined, they still havent beaten us.. enjoy your day mate.. cheers..
29 Nov 2009, 00:18 am
Player of the year should be N.igel ‘raging f aggott’ O. wens!
He won the game for Ireland today, all by himself!
29 Nov 2009, 00:20 am
poppa69
Hahaha, got me there. Just remember 2 World Cups to one mate!
Have a great day there mate, and very well done to your ABs! Much better than the spineless and predictable Boks! Cheers
29 Nov 2009, 00:20 am
well done SA,u beat the ABs 3-0,we’ll see if u can back it up next year one good season does’t = dominance unless u can consistantley beat us over a longer period.
29 Nov 2009, 00:26 am
so is it true Richie McCaw got player of the year. Good choice thank goodness neither of those other 2 hyped up prima donna’s Fdp or Bod got it would have gone straight to their overrated heads.
29 Nov 2009, 00:26 am
@skopskiet: dance my puppets, dance!
29 Nov 2009, 00:29 am
@skopskiet: skop…..Boks better catch a wake up real quick….we in major strife…..a couple of okes not gonna make that wc 2011….Matfiel d looked a goner!
29 Nov 2009, 00:34 am
skop
Your head’s overrated too.
29 Nov 2009, 00:36 am
need some youth….fark me i am a concerned man now….2010 gonna be tough for Boks….please cj and bj come home boys…
29 Nov 2009, 00:36 am
Bismark better prove himself in next season’s s14, his form has been piss lately.
Smit, A Strauss and Liebenberg are all better
29 Nov 2009, 00:44 am
@WP_:
Flannery was by far the best hooker on the field today.
The Lions certainly missed him big time.
John is too sluggish to make it as a modern day hooker and has to do a lot of “down toning” if he wants become the SA no 1 in that position again
IMO it is too late for him – he should go before he damages his reputation even more.
29 Nov 2009, 00:47 am
Rob – He only ‘bulked up’ cause of PDV ridiculous idea to try to convert him to a 3!
imo he can still play with a bit of conditioning , as a 2, till the 2011 wc
29 Nov 2009, 00:52 am
@WP_:
Agree, Peter must take a lot of the blame.
It will be tough for him to “bulk down” again – the “youngsters” (Bismark, Liebenberg, StrausX2 and even Burton) are queing up.
Maybe the time for him to go and sit on his stoep (like old Blokkies Joubert) has arrived.
29 Nov 2009, 00:55 am
Richie McCaw HAS to be up for a knighthood in the New Year Honours List. Next year the yarpies will be up against an AB team captained by Sir Richard McCaw, KCMG (or whatever). Won’t that look pretty damned awesome on the team-sheet?
Much better than, say, Brian Habana, grand chieftain of the Order of Mapungabwe Chumbalumbas (Platinum Class)? Proudly sponsored by KFC?
Ehhhehehehhh…
29 Nov 2009, 01:00 am
245 possibly Robbo. Would be sad to see tho
29 Nov 2009, 01:26 am
@WP_:
Are you f#@king kidding me, now I’ve heard of clutching at straws but that statement is ridiculous. If anything Owens HElPED SA, I recall Roussou Kneeing Wallace in the Head and got away with a warning which should have been at LEAST a yellow card. I also recalling Pieterson nearly taking Bowe’s head off while he was Off-Side. Face it bro you were beaten by a better team on the day.
29 Nov 2009, 01:35 am
@TheTackler: wow, racist much?
29 Nov 2009, 01:45 am
Well, you can@fantasticbarnsmell: Well, you can’t SERIOUSLY believe that old Idi Amin’s Ugandan “Victoria Cross” was ever going to carry the same prestige as the real thing, do you?
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