The selection of Morgan Parra at fly-half has caused controversy in New Zealand
© Getty Images
|
Wales defensive coach Shaun Edwards, writing in the Guardian, says the criticism of France's selection for their clash with the All Blacks has been over the top and at time hypocritical
"Things have got a bit out of hand. When you wake to read the front‑page lead story in the nation's main morning newspaper is talking about "French farce" and suggestions are made that France would be happier to lose Saturday's match against the All Blacks, then it's time to take stock. I know this is a rugby-mad country, but hang on a minute.
"First, you can dismiss any suggestion that Marc Lièvremont and the French team will not be taking the match at Eden Park seriously. They will. There may appear to be contradictions in the side France's coach has selected, but when haven't there been in his four years in charge of the national side?
"He has constantly fiddled, but if you trace Lièvremont's selections through the warm-up games it's reasonably easy to see the thinking behind the team he has picked. It's a pity that a journalist who seems to delight in getting his pieces quoted down here didn't do his homework before claiming that the game has been "downgraded close to an irrelevance by the deliberate French selection".
RSS feed
