French expect tough game against Ireland
France team manager Jo Maso knows Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations showdown with Ireland will not be the easygoing fixture it used to be in the days when Ireland were seen as one of the tournament’s makeweights.
The two sides meet at Lansdowne Road with the hosts, who beat England last time out, still in contention for a possible grand slam.
A triumph for the Irish would set up a probable winner-takes-all match with Wales for the slam in the final fixture and Maso admits that such a scenario would have seemed an unlikely scenario when he first joined coach Bernard Laporte at the helm of Les Bleus.
“Just 18 months ago, we scored more than 40 points against the Irish but I don’t think that will happen again because Ireland have not changed their team all that much since the World Cup,” said Maso.
France’s build-up to the match in Dublin has been marred by injuries and Laporte once again has been forced to ring the changes.
Benoit Baby gets his full baptism in international rugby with the Toulouse centre a late call-up in place of the injured Ludovic Valbon who has a calf problem.
Valbon himself had been drafted in to replace Damien Traille who has also been ruled out with injury.
The match will be a notable occasion for France skipper Fabien Pelous who will join the select band of players who have won 100 caps.
Pelous now has the record of Philippe Sella in his sights – centre Sella’s tally of 111 caps was the world record until it was broken by England prop Jason Leonard during the World Cup in 2003.
With lock Pelous hoping to play in the 2007 World Cup on home soil, Leonard’s place in the record books could be shortlived.
There is also a doubt for replacement hooker William Servat, who is struggling with a bruised right knee.
Beziers hooker Dimitri Szarzewski has been drafted into the squad in case Servat is unfit.
Frederic Michalak is another with a question mark against his name and if he fails a fitness test, his place on the bench will be taken by Benjamin Boyet.
Whatever happens, Maso says this is one match that he and all of France look forward to each year.
“It’s always a pleasure to take on the Irish,” said Maso. “They are the people (in the Six Nations) we the French have the most in common with.”
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