French pick strong side to open tour

Press, 1 June 1984, Page 30

French pick strong side to open tour

NZPA staff correspondent New Plymouth The touring French rugby team will roll out its heavy artillery in the first match of the tour against Taranaki tomorrow.

Team officials, as expected, announced a powerful side for the match which begins the eight-match, twotest visit. Among the big guns named by the manager, Yves Noe, is the towering loose forward, Jean-Luc Joinel, who, surprisingly, will play on the side of the scrum rather than at No. 8. Others are the lock, Francis Haget, the big-kicking first five-eighths, JeanPatrick Lescarboura, and the talented backs, Larent Pardo, Phillipe Sella and Serge Blanco. Mr Noe said the side would not be considered at test strength because of the unavailability of the centre, Didier Cordoniou, a wing, Patrick Esteve, and the omission of a prop, Daniel Dubroca, and a flanker, Pierre Lacans. Cordoniou and Esteve, along with a centre, Eric Bonneval, have remained in France for a club championship match and will not join the tourists until next week. Dubroca and Lacans have been rested, Mr Noe said, because of their involvement in the recent match between their clubs, Beziers and Agen. Apart from the stand-ins for those players, members of the side are all considered prime contenders for test places.

The tour captain, Philippe Dintrans, said it was important for his players’ morale and confidence to begin the tour with a win, and Mr Noe acknowledged that this was why the tour selectors named such a strong side. Matching the French forwards in both set and loose play, and coping with the pace and innovation of their backs, will be a major battle for Taranaki. Haget and his locking partner, the 1.96 m Jean Condom, will give the French a considerable advantage in line-outs, enhanced by the 1.93 m frame of Joinel, and his tall fellow loose forwards, JeanCharles Orso and Laurent Rodriguez. Orso is versatile, equally at home at lock, and the selectors keeness to see his form at No. 8 has sent Joinel to the blind-side flank. Rodriguez, who has gained a lot of weight since the All Blacks first met him as a beanpole flanker in 1981, should also be able to turn his 1.92 m to good use in line-outs. A prop, Jean-Pierre Garuet, described as an “imbecile” after the incident which resulted in him being sent off in a recent Five Nations championship match, will be able to disprove that reputation tomorrow when he forms part

of a formidable front row. The powerfully-built Lescarboura, while slow moving, is expected to be a major force on tour through his kicking prowess. Fans of innovative backplay should also find plenty to enthuse about in the selection of Pardo and Sella in midfield. They boast 23 caps between them and Pardo has experience of New Zealand conditions as a member of the 1979 French team. The uncapped Marc Andrieu, who will play on the right wing, is more familiar at centre while his left wing, Patrice Lagisquet, is a renowned speedster, capable of covering 100 m in 10.8 s. Blanco, at full-back, needs no introduction. His performances in New Zealand for France in 1979 and for his national side rate him one of the most potent attacking backs in the world. The team is.— Serge Blanco; Marc Andrieu, Phillipe Sella, Laurent Pardo; Patrice Lagisquet, Jean-Patrick Lescarboura; Pierre Berbizier; Jean Charles Orso; Laurent Rodriguez, Jean Condom, Francis Haget, Jean-Luc Joinel; JeanPierre Garuet, Philippe Dintrans (captain), Pierre Detrez. Reserves.— Forwards: Bernard Herrero, Pierre Dospital, Jacques Gratton. Backs: Henri Sanz, Bernard Vivies, Guy Laporte.