All Blacks v France II
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@frugby said in All Blacks v France 2:
Why drop Barrett? Thought he went pretty bloody well - DMac on the other hand was rocks and diamonds.
I’d stick with the same team barring injuries (Lomax for Newell & Clarke for Reece). Proctor was poor, but one game is not a big enough sample size.
He did go well, and yes, I agree, those are the only changes I'd make too.
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@Kirwan said in All Blacks v France 2:
Barrett’s passing in particular was really good. Am sure Will Jordan wants him to stay at 10.
Speaking of that jammy bastard, he must be getting high up on the try count now
His strike rate per test is nothing short of ridiculous and his class and calmness under pressure is extraordinary
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@frugby said in All Blacks v France 2:
Why drop Barrett? Thought he went pretty bloody well - DMac on the other hand was rocks and diamonds.
I’d stick with the same team barring injuries (Lomax for Newell & Clarke for Reece). Proctor was poor, but one game is not a big enough sample size.
I'd like Beauden to draw tacklers more
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France 2:
French ref as opposed to Nick Berry
Christophe Ridley is English despite the name. This will be his biggest test to date. He will also be younger than some of the players.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v France 2:
I'm not suggesting they're not better players. I just don't think they would've made that much of difference in that game
That much of a difference would have been quite the difference indeed. If you're getting a lot more from your props around the field, don't you think that then slides onto what you're getting from your other players?
Even if you just consider their personal contributions, those extra metres you get from Williams in close or that extra dominant hit/turnover you get from Lomax could turn a tight 4 point win into a comfortable 11 point win (and it's highly likely France wouldn't have finished with as much vigour if they were already out of the game).
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@booboo said in All Blacks v France 2:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France 2:
French ref
Huh?
French first name. Christophe. Close enough....
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@canefan said in All Blacks v France 2:
Scooter reportedly in doubt with an Achilles issue. Vaai might go back to lock, making room for another loosie
World-class lock moves back to lock due to injury to captain?
Un embarrasement de riches
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@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v France 2:
I'm not suggesting they're not better players. I just don't think they would've made that much of difference in that game
That much of a difference would have been quite the difference indeed. If you're getting a lot more from your props around the field, don't you think that then slides onto what you're getting from your other players?
Even if you just consider their personal contributions, those extra metres you get from Williams in close or that extra dominant hit/turnover you get from Lomax could turn a tight 4 point win into a comfortable 11 point win (and it's highly likely France wouldn't have finished with as much vigour if they were already out of the game).
Would people have felt massively differently about an 11-point win rather than a 4-point win? I feel like exactly the same comments would be made.
But getting into semantics here - obviously semantics have absolutely no place on the Fern.
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I felt the props did ok but I did feel that Williams would have more impact around the field, at times EdG looked to me like he was willing himself to get up to speed between rucks.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v France 2:
Would people have felt massively differently about an 11-point win rather than a 4-point win
I can't speak for people, but I struggle to see how an 11 point win against a wilting side wouldn't be much better than a 4 point win against a team threatening to take the win themselves. Especially in the first test. So yeah, I would've felt much different, especially seeing a better functioning ABs.
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After the French moral victory in Dunedin, I can't see them making many changes. Rinse and repeat from them and they'll hope they get more out of a Northern Hemisphere ref, especially one with a French first name and who was born in Paris.
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@Bones there was a genuine chance we could have lost that. If so I'd be feeling as sick as a dog right now. I take the win and move on.
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@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks v France 2:
@Bones there was a genuine chance we could have lost that. If so I'd be feeling as sick as a dog right now. I take the win and move on.
Right? So wouldn't you have felt remarkably better about it being out of reach in the dying minutes? Something like Savea having to do less carries and therefore having more in the tank for a big defensive play. That's the margin.
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I'm not disagreeing with you. Thank goodness we won. We were a dropped pass away from losing
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@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks v France 2:
I'm not disagreeing with you. Thank goodness we won. We were a dropped pass away from losing
Lomax prolly woulda dropped it.
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@BerniesCorner did you think our defence was that bad? A dropped ball and we'd lose?
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More from Chat GTP on the man who will have le sifflet during Saturday's test.
Here’s a detailed look at Christophe Ridley, a rising star in rugby officiating:
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Background & Education
• Born: 16 April 1993 in Paris, France, but is an English-qualified rugby referee .
• Education: Studied Sports Coaching at the University of Gloucestershire (from 2013), benefiting from a unique officiating scholarship run by ex-World Cup ref Chris White . He now tutors on the programme and serves as a “referee in residence” for the RFU–University Officiating Hub .⸻
Refereeing Career
• 2016: Turned professional arena referee, debuting in Championship and quickly moving into Premiership Rugby .
• Premier Competitions: Regularly oversees Premiership Rugby, European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, and United Rugby Championship (since 2021–22) .
• International Stage:
• Debut as lead referee in Six Nations in 2024, officiating France v Italy .
• Assistant Referee at the 2023 Rugby World Cup .⸻
Key Milestones
• Premiership Final 2024: Assigned as the main referee for the Northampton Saints vs Bath game at Twickenham—a prestigious first for a post-Wayne Barnes official . His semi-final showing earned him broad praise:
“Been the best ref in the league this season imo…” 
“To be fair Ridley has been better and not many referees get domestic and European finals in the same year.” 
• European Champions Cup 2023: One of the Assistant Referees in the final ().⸻
Personality & Style
• Mentored by Wayne Barnes and influenced by Luke Pearce for his calm, flowing style .
• Performance-driven: Adopts a rigorous review routine—waking early post-match for analysis—with a pursuit of perfection, supported by his partner Katie Nelson .
• Mindset: Describes “quiet arrogance” and a constant quest for growth, regularly consulting experts across fields .
• Life off-field: Balances intense on-field demands with renovation projects, gym workouts, and time with his dogs and partner .⸻
Community Engagement
• Hosts local events like quiz & curry nights to share insights and support veteran programmes .
• Actively involved in mentoring upcoming referees through his role with the University and RFU Officiating Hub .⸻
SummaryChristophe Ridley is one of England’s most promising rugby referees: a former Leicester Tigers academy player turned professional official, with a strong academic foundation and a distinguished track record across domestic and international competitions. Known for his composed, performance-driven approach.
Christophe Ridley - Wikipedia
