Seasoned French side named

Press, 2 June 1981, Page 34

Seasoned French side named

By

JOHN COFFEY

The French rugby league management has paid its South Island opponent a compliment by choosing 13 seasoned internationals, led by the vastly-experienced prop, Didier Hermet, for the opening match of the New Zealand tour at the Show Grounds tomorrow evening. Hermet, at 31 the oldest of the 28 tourists, previously visited this country with the 1975 French World Cup squad, and is a gnarled and much-respected veteran of

more than 25 test tussles with the representatives of Australia, Britain and New Zealand.

Although the tour captain, Joel Roosebrouck, is being rested from the first game, France need have no worries

that its side will be without direction against South Island.

Indeed, Roosebrouck plays for the United States Villeneuve club under Hermet’s captaincy, and it was Hermet who led the Tricolours in their drawn series with the Kiwis in France last November.

At I.Bom and 89kg, Hermet is smaller than most of his partners in the pack, but he is without doubt a formidable fellow and his determined expression and bristling moustache fairly summed up the over-all attitude of his team at training yesterday.

Hermet has been given two able lieutenants, Yvan Greseque and Herve Guiraud, in the halves to ensure that the.full potential

of an impressive back-line is realised. Greseque, of French-Indian extraction, and Guiraud are an estab-' lished combination and both are rated by a British publication as among the top: five players in the world in their positions. ; ; One of the most striking features of the side is the sheer size of the three-quart-ers. Three of them, Guy ' Delaunay, Philippe Fourquet and Hugues Ratier, have the physique of second-row forwards: Delaunay, at 82kg (13st 101 b) and 21 years, is a little heavier and a few months older than his compatriats. Behind them all is Jackie Imbert, whose prolific scoring for the United States Le Pontet club is legend in France. He had a personal

aggregate of more than. 300 points in the 1980-81 French season and wil handle the goal-kicking duties against South Island. The.team: is:— Jackie Imbert; Bernard Imbert, Guy Delaunay, Phi-

lippe Fourquet, Hugues Ratier; Herve Guiraud, Yvan Greseque; Delphin Castanon, Andrew Malacamp, Didier Hermet (captain); Guy Laforgue, Jose Gine; JeanJacques Vila. The reserves are the former test inside back, Guy Alard, and Pierre Gonzales, a forward who has gained his first national recognition at 28 years of age. “This team has a lot of experience,” said the French manager, Mr Robert

Rouanet, yesterday,, as the players went through their paces at Hagley Park. “But all 28 know tha they start the . tour equal as far as test selection is concerned. “They < were chosen for France on the basis of their performances at home. That will count for nothing now, though, for some are probably better suited to overseas conditions than others,” Mr Rouanet said. The South, too, made a confident start to its preparation for the match with a thorough work-out at the Show Grounds yesterday afternoon. Any . fears that Danny Carson and Chris Menzies might have lingering effects of injuries, which limited their appearances during the week-end, were quickly alleviated.