Bernard Laporte may have been an unlikely source of much-needed discipline, but under his guidance France have been transformed. Gerry Thornley reports.

The temperature is in the 20s, the sun is splitting the stones on the Champs Elysées and tradition ordains that playing France in Paris in April is about the worst time to catch them. Barring a sudden change in this glorious Parisian springtime, come kick-off France will have the sun on their backs, so conditions are hardly set fair for an upset Ireland win.

At their base in Clairefontaine yesterday, about 50 km south of Paris amid the forest of Rambouillet, the sense that les Bleus are on the threshold of an historic Six Nations grand slam, and thus on the verge of greatness, is so pungent you can smell it.

Lack of self-confidence has never being a notable French trait. France have won seven games on the spin this season, and have a style of game they are comfortable with and with which they know they can win.

Coach Bernard Laporte began yesterday by identifying the team's discipline. As Keith Wood mentioned earlier in the week, France's Achilles' heel and source of hope for all opponents used to be the capacity to give away penalties or incur yellow cards with more frequency than any side bar Italy.

It's ironic that Laporte should be the one to instigate this seismic change in French mentality. He was the captain of the infamous Begles team with its front row of Serge Simon, Vincent Moscato and Philippe Gimbert which was notorious for its aggression even by French standards.

They won the French championship in 1991 and Laporte was then coach of the same front row which helped Stade Francais win the championship in 1998.

But Laporte was unflinching in curtailing traditionally abrasive or intemperate excesses from the France team. Players who stepped out of line, even at club level, were left out of France squads. To begin with, it definitely curtailed French flair as well, and raised many doubts as to whether he was on the right track.

Now, though, it has become the foundation of the current squad. "The most important thing for this team," ventured the studious-looking Laporte yesterday in what almost sounded like a pre-match address, "was going to South Africa last summer."

Forced to bring a remodelled and inexperienced squad due to a spate of injuries, France possibly surprised even themselves by recording a rare win in the southern hemisphere by a European team to share the series with the Springboks 1-1, before going on to lose a third Test in New Zealand.

"It all started there, with the degree of difficulty we faced and the fear we had of losing heavily," said Laporte. Autumn wins at home to South Africa and Australia, as well as a rout of Fiji, followed. England were also conquered, in this championship. Admittedly, expectation levels are now higher than ever and France will be hot favourites in the eyes of their own supporters.

Raphael Ibanez, a former captain and still one of the team's spiritual leaders, admitted that they were under huge pressure, but maintained "there is a bond between these players that I have felt in other teams which I have played in that have won something, like Begles and Stade Francais. I feel the same thing today. The big difference between the team that lost at home to Wales last year and this team now is the spirit".

However, Ibanez also conceded that in many ways tomorrow's game against Ireland is the most difficult they've faced since their resurgence began and also admitted: "We will see what this team has in its stomach in the way it reacts to losing but we hope it won't be on Saturday of course."

Despite some trimming down of the ultra-demanding French championship this season, Laporte has still been frustrated by his inability to field a settled side between last autumn and now, though assistant coach Jacques Brunel spoke of the seamlessness with which players have come into the squad.

"This team is open and willing to accept new ideas and new players. When new players come in there is no reaction, they do not reject them, there is no fear. Now the next step is to find stronger links, in terms of understanding, like the (France) soccer team."

Discussing the recall of Pieter de Villiers and the slightly surprising retention of Fabien Pelous ahead of the influential David Auradou, manager Joe Maso ventured that the phenomenal de Villiers would benefit from his enforced three-week idleness after a hectic season for club and country. Maso had initially suggested that the starting XV would remain unchanged from the line-up which beat Scotland.

As regards Pelous, whose tackling in Murrayfield was one of the highlights of the French performance, Maso said: "It would have been very difficult to tell him why he would not be playing with the other seven forwards." That said, Maso dropped a broad hint to Auradou, adding, "one forward will come on for the last 30 minutes and two or three more for the last 20 minutes."

The glorious weather is an ominous reminder of Ireland embarrassments in this city during the 1980s and '90s, though consecutively tight games between the countries over the last four years, shared two apiece, represents an unusually competitive era in the fixture and should temper any sense of French over-confidence.

"Ireland will be trying to beat us for the third time in-a-row and it will be very difficult," said de Villiers. "The Irish players will be very motivated."

The South African-born prop is very aware that this will be a final curtain call for one of the bêtes noir of French rugby, Peter Clohessy, and bucked prevailing French views of the Claw when commenting: "I have a lot of respect for him. It is an honour for me to play against him in his last game."