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The 2009 France ambush that England fans have been warned to remember going into Sunday's final

(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Eddie Jones has warned England fans not to underestimate France in Sunday’s Autumn Nations Cup final at Twickenham, claiming they have a proud history of causing upset results and referencing an ambush of the All Blacks that happened eleven years ago. 

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The French had travelled to New Zealand in 2009 with a side lacking numerous established players, but they still pulled off a shock victory in Dunedin and halved the two-game Test series. 

For this Sunday’s final in London, Fabien Galthie has selected an XV containing none of the starters that defeated Ireland 35-27 in the October 31 Six Nations finale and just one starter – Matthieu Jalibert – from the team that beat Scotland 22-15 at Murrayfield in the November 22 Nations Cup game.

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The utterly ruthless way France assistant Shaun Edwards prepares rugby teams

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The utterly ruthless way France assistant Shaun Edwards prepares rugby teams

Their selection for Twickenham has left Jones believing that the scenario where so many people are expecting an England Nations Cup final win against an unfamiliar France XV is similar to the dynamic that surrounded the build-up to the famed 2009 French-All Blacks meeting in the southern hemisphere.

“Strong team, very strong team,” said Jones when asked for his opinion about the Nations Cup final French XV that has been generally dismissed as a shadow B team.

“You just have to look back to 2009 when they went on tour to New Zealand, the first Test of a two-Test series. They didn’t have a lot of their senior players available and they won that Test. We know that the French are capable of great things, they have got great depth in their rugby, the Top 14, and particularly at the moment they are on a project to win the World Cup in 2023, so this is just part of their project.

“Look, we are always picking our best 23,” he later added when asked if England’s selection consistency in starting 13 of the XV that began last year’s World Cup final – and the most experienced England team of all time with 813 caps – was a  sign of respect for the challenge the revamped French present. 

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I have been consistent about that from the word go. Test match rugby is about picking your best 23. If you just look at the guys coming through on our bench, it’s exciting for England rugby that we have the depth coming through pushing the guys that are starting for us. 

“Of course we respect French rugby, you can never underestimate a French team. As I said, their history shows on that 2009 tour what they are capable of doing. They have set themselves a project of winning the World Cup in 2023.

“Historically we have seen they did that with their football in 1998. Gerard Houllier was the technical director and they set a project to win that World Cup, and in 2018 they set another challenge to win the World Cup. We don’t underestimate France at all.

“It’s no advantage (having a settled side). They have got a squad in place, they are playing different members of their squad. We have been able to select from the core of our squad so it’s one squad against another, no one gets a head start. It’s all square when we run out there on Sunday.” 

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J
JPM 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 2 hours ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

13 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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