France could be without stars

[jargan83]

France could be without stars

By David Beniuk

April 13, 2008

RUGBY audiences could be watching an under-strength France team in Test matches against Australia later this year.

Australian rugby boss John O'Neill says the French line-up could be without several stars because the nation's domestic competition was pushed back as a result of hosting the Rugby World Cup last year.

“France have a little bit of a problem which I'm sure will resolve itself,” O'Neill said.

“Because of the World Cup finishing late last year, their domestic competition finishes a bit later in June so they may be missing a handful of tier one players.”

The situation is sure to Test rugby's core supporters in Sydney and Brisbane, where the Tests will be played on June 28 and July 5 respectively, after Wales and South Africa sent second string sides last year.

The Wallabies will also play Ireland in a one-off Test match on June 14 in Melbourne.

“Certainly Ireland will be sending a full strength team,” O'Neill said. “Under the IRB (International Rugby Board) regulations they've got to send the best available.

“I'm confident that both France and Ireland will be sending out best available teams. (We) have had very constructive conversations with all the northern hemisphere countries about ensuring that the IRB's regulations relating to best available are enforced.”

Meanwhile, O'Neill said the ARU was close to finalising a fourth selector to work independently of new national coach Robbie Deans and his assistants Michael Foley and Jim Williams.

“Come the first of June, the selectors will be Robbie Deans and the two assistant coaches, namely Michael Foley and Jim Williams,” chief executive O'Neill said.

“Most likely there will be a fourth selector who will be an independent and we're not in a position to disclose that name yet.

“We've got a couple of people we're talking to.”

Deans had previously suggested Australia's Super 14 coaches be a sounding board for selections, a notion unpopular with some of them.

“Until Robbie Deans comes into the role fulltime on the first of June the selections are being run by (high performance unit manager) Pat Howard and Michael Foley and they broadly consult with the Super 14 coaches as well,” O'Neill said.

Howard will quit his HPU post later this year but O'Neill said reports Blues and former Brumbies coach David Nucifora had already accepted the role were premature.

“David's a candidate along with a couple of others,” O'Neill said. “He's a very good candidate and discussions are continuing with him but there's no done deal.”

[James]

Thats a big change of tack from when you were crowing about how you and Matt Carroll had Bernard Lapasset's guarantee that the French would field their best team. Why am I not surprised?

At least it will take a little bit of the pressure off Robbie Deans. He's got two weeks or so to work with the Wallabies but thankfully he's only facing off against an Irish team that is struggling with form and coach issues and a French team also out of form and possibly not the first choice team.

[AndyS]

But hardly news - starts with:
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France vow full-strength team
December 02, 2007

THE French rugby federation has assured the Australian Rugby Union it will send a full-strength team to tour Australia next year, ARU deputy chief executive Matt Carroll said. (So you'd say "definitely")

Carroll said French Rugby Federation president and new International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset had assured him France will send a strong team for their two-Test tour in June and July.(Hmm, but not "strongest")

"The French club competition doesn't finish until June but quite a few of their international players play in England and their competition finishes in May, so they will be in the French team,'' Carroll said.(So, maybe "mostly")

"Talking with Bernard Lapasset, he is very sure they are going to have a very good French team come down here.(So now it is going to be a "good" team)

"There's certainly a very strong willingness by the European unions to ensure that the best players are in their teams.''

Carroll said he is confident the northern hemisphere unions will no longer send weakened teams for internationals after an agreement over playing dates was reached at the three-day global forum in England.

Among the commitments made at the forum were for the English and French professional club seasons to finish by May 31 each year, which would likely ensure the northern hemisphere nations sent full-strength squads for the June Tests in the southern hemisphere.(Ah, and now it is just "likely")

Lead-up Tests to the Tri-Nations have been poorly received in recent years with European nations often sending depleted squads.

It reached a low point this season when Wales left 18 first choice players at home in World Cup year.

The forum also agreed to implement a minimum 10-weeks of player rest and pre-season conditioning periods, and the full integration of Argentina into the international calendar, Carroll said.

However, it was decided that the Pumas' future rests in the southern hemisphere, effectively excluding Argentina from participating in the annual Six Nations, despite the fact that most of their top players are based in Europe.

He said the decision to retain a 20-team World Cup for the next 2011 tournament in New Zealand was passed "without a murmur''.

"I think everyone realised that to reduce the number of teams would be a backward step,'' Carroll said.
France vow full-strength team - Rugby - Fox Sports

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Becoming:
France to leave many top players behind
Thu, 27 Mar 2008

France tour Australia in late June, early July, but it seems that they will be doing so without many, many top players. The problem is caused by the dates of France's championship if L'Equipe is to be believed.

The first of the two Tests is to be played on 28 June. The original French intention was to leave on 22 June for Australia, but that date has now been brought forward to 18 or 19 June so that the French can arrived before the weekend, rest the weekend and than start their preparations to meet the Wallabies.

The departure date has been brought forward to enable the French players to get over jetlag.

France's semifinals - involving naturally the top teams and so the top players - will be played on 21 June with the final to follow on 28 June.

The top four teams play in the semifinals and the top four teams at present are Toulouse, Clermont Auvergne, Stade Français and Biarritz.

That could exclude players such as Vincent Clerc, Cédric Heymans, Yannick Jauzion, Clément Poitrenaud, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, Grégory Lamboley, Thierry Dusautoir, Jean Bouilhou, Romain Millo-Chlusky, William Servat, Nicolas Jeanjean, Christophe Dominci, Lionel Beauxis, David Skrela, Pascal Papé, Dimitri Szarzewski, new players Anthony Floch and Julien Malzieu, Aurélien Rougerie, Elvis Vermeulen, Julien Bonnaire, Damien Traille, Dimitri Yachvili, Serge Betsen who may well not make it in any case as he has just turned 34, and Jérôme Thion. That may well be a better team than France can pick.

In addition Marc Lièvremont and his fellow selectors will meet in Perpignan in April to decide whether the players who were played in the World Cup should be included. Lièvremont is concerned about them as they started their season on 1 July 2007.

Lièvremont intends incorporating three new staff into his management team - a skills and defence specialist, a kicking specialist and a fitness trainer.
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