RUGBY:IT IS a measure of both France's content and intent that the Tinkerman has resisted the temptation to tinker. Even the one change which Marc Lièvremont has made to the starting XV from the side which kicked off their 2011 RBS Six Nations with a 34-21 win over Scotland last Saturday was forced upon him.
Entering his fourth Six Nations campaign, Lièvremont has used 85 players in his time as French coach, and admitted to toying with the idea of changing his secondrow or backrow to accommodate the power of Jerome Thion or Sebastien Chabal, but after Les Bleus handsomely rediscovered traditional French virtues after their horror show last time out in November, when losing 59-16 to Australia in Paris, decided not to do so.
“Finally in the end, I chose stability,” he declared from the French squad’s base in Marcoussis outside Paris yesterday, which are not words the French rugby media have heard too often in the last three and a half years. Perhaps he was also mindful of his reputation and the Parisian crowd’s booing when he began emptying his bench early in the second half against Scotland at a time when the French pack were turning the screw.
Thus, the one change sees Damien Traille move from full-back to inside centre in the absence of the injured Maxime Mermoz who will miss the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery. Clément Poitrenaud, who appeared off the bench against Scotland in the reshuffle which followed the departure of Mermoz in the 44th minute, starts at fullback with Yannick Jauzion recalled to the bench.
The one other change to the bench sees veteran prop Sylvain Marconnet, who made his last appearance for France against Ireland last year, replace Luc Ducalcon. The move means the versatile Traille will be playing in his third positions in his last three Tests, having started at outhalf against Australia in November. The combination of Traille and Clermont’s Aurelie Rougerie in midfield is the 19th centre pairing since Lièvremont took over at the end of 2007.
“I think Damien is better physically and mentally than he was in November. I have always said he can play in many positions and I liked his performance at the back,” added Lièvremont, who hailed Traille’s counter-attacking as well as his kicking game. “We have taken the option of two athletic centres and a very dynamic back three,” said Lièvremont.
The brilliant Biarritz scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili had impressed when he came on against Scotland and is in superb form, with Lièvremont admitting: “Dimitri gave us serenity and fluidity. He is in very good form, but Morgan had a very good match against the Scots despite some errors.”
This also means Parra and François Trinh-Duc start their 13th Test together, in what has been an area of relative selectorial consistency.
Apparently true to his word, the reports emanating from Marcoussis in the build-up to the Scottish game were that Lièvremont had assumed more of a hands-on role while assistant coaches Emile Ntamack and Didier Retière spoke only through him so as to avoid the kind of tactical confusion which captain Thierry Dusautoir cited after the Aussie debacle.
As influential, perhaps, has been the return of the Montpellier outhalf Trinh-Duc, who missed the November internationals due to injury. Number 10 throughout last season’s Grand Slam, Trinh-Duc was sensational – following up his “hotdog” pass between his legs for Imanol Harinordoquy’s long-range try with a feint to kick and break from his own 22 off the restart. That, admittedly, was with his team on top and the Marseillaise playing in the Stade de France.
Explaining why “stability” also applied to the secondrow and backrow, Lièvremont also hailed the lock combination of Lionel Nallet and Julien Pierre for their belles performances last Saturday. “Then we had to consider Ireland’s style, for there will be more kicking and more lineouts. Ireland has a more direct game. It is necessary for us to have more (lineout) options,” he added, in reference to Julien Bonnaire and Harinordoquy.
He also expects a step up in quality at the Aviva Stadium. “Ireland is the team of the tournament who had the most difficulties coming to the heart of the matter, and one can expect an improvement on Sunday. One can also expect some of their senior players to return. I think missing some of those players penalised them in Italy. But their context is favourable for them. Even if they were inaccurate they have managed to create opportunities and to have beaten an improving team (Italy). It will be something else entirely this weekend.”
Scotland tighthead prop Euan Murray, who was substituted for Moray Low with 10 minutes of Saturday’s defeat against France remaining, will be eligible for selection against Wales this weekend but will then be absent for the games with Ireland and England due to his refusal to play on Sundays for religious reasons.
Such absences were a factor in his release from Northampton. He has since made two appearances for Newcastle since joining December.
