It will be tough to beat Irish - Laporte
France have recorded convincing victories in each of their last two meetings with Ireland but Les Bleus coach Bernard Laporte is not holding out hope for a repeat showing when they face Eddie O’Sullivan’s Grand Slam-chasing outfit in Dublin this weekend.
Laporte’s side saw off the Irish 43-21 in the quarter-finals of the 2003 World Cup and then followed that up with a 35-17 win in Paris on the way to winning the RBS 6 Nations last year.
However, the French now look set to surrender that title after suffering a 24-18 home defeat to Wales in their last outing.
That has left Ireland and the Welsh as the only teams with 100% winning records and their meeting at the Millennium Stadium in the final round of matches on March 19 seems certain to decide which of them finishes on top of the pile.
France, who are in a period of transition, can throw a spanner in the works with victory in Dublin this weekend, but Laporte knows his side have their work cut out to get anything against an experienced – and in-form – Ireland.
“Ireland are interesting for France, they play well and if they beat France on Saturday, they could do the Grand Slam,” Laporte said at Tuesday’s squad announcement at Marcoussis, near Paris.
“We go to Ireland to win but the fight will be hard. Eighteen months ago, we beat Ireland (in the World Cup) but I do not think France can do the same thing on Saturday.
“Eighty percent of the Ireland team has not changed since the last World Cup, for France, it is different. We need time, it is like a puzzle as I used to say.”
Laporte, whose long-term aim is to build a side capable of winning the 2007 World Cup which France are hosting, has made two changes to the team that started against Wales, bringing in Toulouse winger Cedric Heymans while Brive centre Ludovic Valbon is also included.
Heymans comes in for Aurelien Rougerie, who is struggling with a sternum injury, while Valbon replaces Damien Traille.
Valbon had initially been brought into Laporte’s squad in preference to Jean-Philippe Grandclaude and had been expected to start on the bench.
However, he has been handed a berth in the first XV after Traille aggravated an old ankle injury, forcing him to pull out of last Saturday’s tsunami aid match at Twickenham.
Laporte explained the thinking behind his selections.
“Valbon and Heymans come back to help us give the game more speed. Ireland are very consistent and it will be a good match,” he added.
France team manager Jo Maso has warned hisside they need to cut out the errors that blighted their match against Wales or risk suffering a second successive defeat.
Maso said: “With Bernard, I saw the (Wales) match on video and I honestly feel we gave the win to Wales. We should have won if you see our first half (performance).
“Now we are going to make a plan with the players to try and beat Ireland - being both attacking and defensive.
“We cannot make the mistakes we made against Wales. France have changed 50% of their squad. It was difficult to beat Ireland in the past and today it is very difficult,” added Maso.
“In my opinion Ireland are better than Wales. The fight on Saturday will be strong. The Irish play well, they have the fighting spirit and I hope France will have the same mentality,” he said.
Meanwhile, France captain Fabien Pelous is set to win his 100th cap for his country after being named in Laporte’s line-up.
