Player Ratings: What went wrong?
OPINION: France will be kicking themselves after lost that game against the Springboks in Paris on Saturday.
They looked like the better team for most of the game but fell short at the death, 26-29.
Warren Fortune rates the French players!
15 Maxime Médard
He was excellent with ball in hand, beating a number of defenders out wide.
8/10
14 Teddy Thomas
He made more running metres than anyone else on the field, but he butchered a clear try-scoring opportunity in the first half.
7/10
13 Mathieu Bastareaud
He kept the Springboks defence busy with his big physical frame and he scored a great try as well.
6/10
12 Geoffrey Doumayrou
He had a few nice touches with the ball and he was solid on defence as well.
5/10
11 Damian Penaud
He had a few good runs out wide and gained some good metres.
6/10
10 Camille Lopez
He kept the Boks’ defence guessing on attack and exposed the space behind the Boks’ defence with a few good kicks.
6/10
9 Baptiste Serin
Scored 13 of his team’s points with the boot and his service from the breakdowns was excellent.
7/10
8 Louis Picamoles
He had a number of good carries with ball in hand and he was constant physical presence.
6/10
7 Arthur Iturria
He won two turnovers and he was good on defence as well.
5/10
6 Wenceslas Lauret
Made the most tackles in his team, but he could have done more with ball in hand.
6/10
5 Yoann Maestri
A force up front for France. It always took more than one defender to stop him and he was abrasive on defence.
7/10
4 Sébastien Vahaamahina
He put in a huge amount of work around the park. He was France’s main ball carrier and he was a star on defence.
7/10
3 Cedate Gomes Sa
He struggled a bit in the scrums, but he did have a few good carries.
5/10
2 Guilhem Guirado (captain)
The captain played out of his skin in open play and he scored a great try as well.
7/10
1 Jefferson Poirot
It was a mixed bag from the prop.
5/10
Replacements:
16 Camille Chat (On for Guilhem Guirado, 65th min)
He offered very little when he came onto the field.
2/10
17 Dany Priso (On for Jefferson Poirot, 60th min)
He was hard to spot when he came on. One carry and a couple of tackles.
3/10
18 Rabah Slimani (On for Cedate Gomes Sa, 60th min)
Maybe it would have been better to leave him on the bench. He seemed a bit out of sorts.
2/10
19 Paul Gabrillagues (On for Sebastien Vahaamahina, 77th min)
Not enough time to be rated.
20 Mathieu Babillot (On for Louis Picamoles, 61st min)
He was busy on defence and he put in a few big hits.
3/10
21 Antoine Dupont (On for Baptiste Serin, 67th min)
His cover work on defence was good
4/10
22 Anthony Belleau (On for Camille Lopez, 67th min)
He went missing a bit in the final stages of the game.
3/10
23 Gaël Fickou (On for Geoffrey Doumayrou, 36th and 53rd min)
He was good with ball in hand. He beat three defenders with just two carries.
6/10
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