Ali Williams: What the All Blacks can expect from this French side
Ali Williams, 77-Test All Black and former Toulon lock, is here to tell you who and what to look out for when France take on the All Blacks over the next three weeks.
There are definitely a lot of elements in the French game that have changed over the years.
Looking at the French squad, you notice there isn’t a lot of Castres or Montpellier players in there – the two Top 14 finalists – which sort of sums up where French rugby is, with the best clubs now relying on a mix of both foreign and French players to find success.
However, what is happening with the influx of foreign players in the French game – especially in their club competitions – is that the skill level of the French players is increasing individually.
Where individuals – like front rowers and locks – previously performed only their core roles, I think that they’ve elevated their level of play and expanded their skill set across the park after seeing foreign players in their club competitions perform outside of those core roles.
If we look at Uini Atonio, the prop – I know he’s New Zealand-born, but he is a very skilful front rower. In my eyes, he’s got the same style of play as former All Black Charlie Faumuina. Someone like that offers a new dynamic to the French side.
Sticking with the front row, I think it’s a real shame that rested captain Guilhem Guirado won’t feature, because I think he’s the best hooker in the world. To have seen him and a healthy Dane Coles go at it would have been amazing.
But, if there’s another threat to grace the rugby field in the No.2 jersey it would be Racing’s Camille Chat. His workrate is huge and his anticipation for the game is massive. It always shows when he’s playing so I hope that he’s in their starting team for the duration of the series. He’s just great to see.
A new French combination to look out for will be in the halves.
I’m picking that halfback Morgan Parra will play a huge part when he returns to the international arena after last featuring for Les Bleus at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. I’m excited to see how the veteran links up with 22-year-old first-five Anthony Belleau.
He was just a young kid, but watching Anthony Belleau absorb all of the information from Jonny Wilkinson during my time at Toulon was unbelievable.
If you look at the way Belleau plays, you can see a lot of Jonny in him. Just little things, like the depth that he stands in the line. He also doesn’t mind the physical contact. He likes to just get in there and get stuck into it.
In the midfield, Gael Fickou and a healthy Wesley Fofana potentially form what I believe is one of the best centre combinations in the world.
That’s without considering series captain Mathieu Bastareaud. Everyone thinks that potentially he’s not the greatest defender, but I would very much argue that in a linked team he’s a great defender.
In terms of leadership, Bastareaud is a leader through his actions on the field. He is very much a man that can grab a game and really take it on. He likes a challenge when it comes in front of him.
In saying that, he does have some weaknesses. He does require strength around him. He performs best when the whole team has collectively bought into what they are trying to do.
The surprise package for the All Blacks to handle will be Racing wing Teddy Thomas. There’s danger in underestimating how he plays. He’s got an ability to slip tackles, he’s back to his best form and has been outstanding.
In terms of style, I think the French will be able to dictate the pace of the game. Where the New Zealand side tends to play at a high pace the full 80 minutes, the French have the ability to play at a high pace and then slow the game down and let the forwards do their thing when the time is right.
I still think the glaring weakness of the French is their tactical kicking. Can they execute a tactical kicking plan to match that of Beauden Barrett, Ben Smith and the like? Tactical kicking would be my area of doubt for the French and where I think New Zealand are definitely far superior.
In summary, I wouldn’t write off the French. I would be wary that there isn’t a lot of combinations in the squad that you would see in the traditional French sides that we have seen play against New Zealand, but I think that also adds an element of danger, because despite their relative unfamiliarity there is no doubt they will come together.
They are away, and this time of the year is very tricky for them as they’ve just come off big seasons and heading into summer. You come down here and it’s cold, wet and miserable but I think elements like that will bring them together and I think they’ll be a surprise package that could deliver something pretty magical.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments