JOHN O'SULLIVANlooks at the French coach's approach to trying to marry consistency of selection to consistency of performance as he acknowledges his side, 'can win against anyone, but we can lose against anyone as well'
MARC LIÈVREMONT regards the label “Tinker Man” as he would a hair shirt. It’s been foisted on the French coach by the media in recognition of what it believes to be a whimsical selection policy that champions quantity rather than continuity.
Since taking over the affairs of Les Bleus following the 2007 World Cup, the 41-year-old, Senegal-born, former French international flanker has started 67 players in 22 Test matches. It is a statistic that could support an allegation of unbridled tinkering but in delving behind the figures a slightly different tale emerges.
Several players retired after the 2007 World Cup explaining a certain turnover in personnel and it also marked the beginning of a four-year process towards the next global showcase in New Zealand where others would immediately be omitted or gradually phased out because of age profile.
It’s instructive to note six players who started in his first game in charge, the opening game of the 2008 Six Nations Championship against Scotland in Murrayfield, which France won 27-6, will play against Ireland at the Stade de France today.
Vincent Clerc, Francois Trinh-Duc, William Servat, Lionel Nallet, Thierry Dusautoir and Fulgence Quedraogo are the sextet while Julien Malzieu, who played on the left wing against the Scots, is named among the replacements in Paris today.
Lièvremont could also seek mitigation in the fact he is without several players because of injury who have regularly featured during his tenure. Biarritz Olympique duo Damien Traille and Fabien Barcella have each played 11 of the 22 matches and would most probably be starting against Ireland but for injury.
Traille began seven matches in the centre and four at fullback, while Barcella basically succeeded Lionel Faure as first-choice loosehead prop. Sebastien Chabal (10 matches), Romain Millo-Chluski (8), Jean Baptiste Elissalde (5), Maxime Mermoz (4) and Dimitri Yachvili (3) have been joined by the most recent casualties, wings Aurelien Rougerie (4) and Benjamin Fall (2) on what has become an increasingly cluttered treatment table. Scrumhalf Julien Dupuy (4) is suspended.
A further three “regulars” during the current regime, the Toulouse triumvirate of Cedric Heymans (14), Maxime Medard (13) and Louis Picamoles (7) have been overlooked on the basis of form: of the three only Picamoles was included in the French 2010 Six Nations squad.
What the French coach might find a tad more embarrassing to dismiss is the 14 players who have managed just a single appearance during his reign. It’s almost possible to field an entire pack of one-cappers in that period: Pierre Correia (loosehead), Munster’s Julien Brugnaut (tighthead), locks Arnaud Mela and Lionel Jacquet, flankers Ibrahim Diarra and the coach’s brother, Mathieu Lièvremont and Julien Puricelli at number eight. Hooker Sebastien Bruno (two appearances) is narrowly ineligible.
In a recent interview Lièvremont asserted accusations about undue tinkering were long obsolete. “I’m done with experimenting. People seem to feel that period is still going on, but as far as I’m concerned it ended a long time ago. We have a big pool of players who come into the team regularly. The idea now is to keep working with the same guys so they know each other, but at the same time to encourage players who are coming through.
“The squad is pretty stable now, but you have injury problems as with Fabien Barcella, suspensions like Julien Dupuy, and those who have lost form like Cédric Heymans and Maxime Médard.
“I’ve always had to work within the constraints of the French calendar so it would be unwise to bet on a totally settled team. Our season lasts 11 months, there are injuries, there is a lack of continuity; guys come in and out of form. The further I go in this sport, the more I become aware of its complexity. My concept is for a squad not a team. In the short term the turnover of players might affect us, but it might prove very profitable in the medium and long term.”
An agreement between the French Federation (FFR) and the Top 14 clubs, hammered out last September means Lièvremont will only lose his players once during the entire Six Nations tournament. His preparations were further supported by a decision to bring forward club matches so as to allow the national side nine days together ahead of the opening game against Scotland.
While it might be overstating matters slightly to say the French coach is bullish about his charge’s chances of winning a tournament in which they have finished third for the last seasons, an air of confidence is unmistakable.
“Somehow all lights are green. My squad has progressed for two years, we had a good autumn, four clubs have qualified and the level of Top 14 is better than it was before. There is ambition and self-confidence, although the same thing drives all of our opponents as well.
“We must be demanding, although not necessarily me. These players must have this ambition and not let go. And if you want to talk of Grand Slams, then you need to be mature to win the Six Nations. You have to win five games and you will pay dearly for the slightest error.”
France has yet to win three matches in succession under Lièvremont. It’s a team capable of broaching the dizzy heights of near perfect rugby that allowed them to beat New Zealand in Dunedin last summer and the world champions South Africa during the November Test series.
Paradoxically there is also a facility to be brittle of spirit as evidenced in their thumping 34-10 loss to England at Twickenham last season.
Lièvremont knows the key to success is consistency, something the squad have yet to stumble upon.
“I accept full responsibility for the fact we aren’t consistent. I can’t deny it’s a problem. We’ve been looking for it for two years, and we haven’t managed it.
“It’s easily illustrated by the fact that we have never managed to win three matches in a row in the last two years. We can win against anyone, but we can lose against anyone as well. It’s something we will be hugely aware of during this Six Nations.”
What represents the path forward for French rugby, consistency of selection or consistency of performance?
The two may be related but for Lièvremont only one remains an issue.
