SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP/England v France: Clive Woodward and Bernard Laporte have, in their own ways, rejuvenated their sides to such an extent that both harbour World Cup ambitions, writes Donald McCrae
Five years ago, in February 1998, on the last occasion England and France faced each other on the opening day of world rugby's oldest and grandest tournament, you could hear the creaking and groaning of a game in the grip of a terrible malaise. Even the reams of Five Nations handbooks and colour supplements, containing bright previews and misty memories of the cliched Les Crunchs, struggled to curb the doubt that besieged rugby on this side of the globe. Almost paralysed by bitter political wrangles and a moribund style of play, it was hard to believe that even England or France could rise above the chaos and despair.
The previous autumn, the Northern Hemisphere had hosted 12 Tests against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - and failed to win a single match. France and England, under their new coach Clive Woodward, had endured record home defeats against South Africa. The Springboks, coached by Nick Mallett, would eventually equal a world best of 17 consecutive Test wins. Yet Mallett rarely missed an opportunity to stress the limitations of his European opposition. The gulf between the north and south had never been so wide.
And so, five years on, it seems strangely fitting that today's epic encounter between England and France should be anticipated with such fervour by Mallett himself. England, still led by Woodward, head the game's international rankings. Woodward's closest coaching rival, the intense and inspirational Bernard Laporte, brings his rejuvenated Les Bleus to Twickenham as the reigning Six Nations and grand slam-winning champions who harbour even greater ambitions for the World Cup later this year.
Mallett now coaches Laporte's former team, Stade Français. In another curious parallel, his celebration of French and English rugby follows the record defeats both teams doled out to South Africa last November - with scores of 30-10 in Marseille and 53-3 at Twickenham. Having also beaten New Zealand and Australia on the previous two weekends, England in particular had tilted the axis of world rugby.
Mallett is even more emphatic that last year's corresponding Six Nations fixture, when France beat England 20-15 in Paris, remains the most outstanding game of recent times.
"In terms of sheer quality," he says, "that match absorbed me more than any other. France looked like they could become a truly great side. They've always had the ability to dazzle but, under Laporte, they've added discipline and structure. England, although they were often outplayed by France, have been even more impressive since then."
An unremitting professionalism has transformed French and English rugby. The change is made even more invigorating by the fact that the old stereotypes have been turned inside out. England, for so long the definition of dour rugby, are playing a fast and expansive game with a team selected primarily on sheer talent and current form. Yet Woodward has also learned from his past mistakes. His debut as an international coach was characterised by the selection of Will Green and Andy Long, two raw young players, in the front row against Australia. This afternoon, his team will gleam with the steel instilled by Martin Johnson, Neil Back, Richard Hill and Jason Leonard, who wins his 100th cap.
France, meanwhile, have rebuilt on a disciplined foundation - to such an extent that Laporte, who took charge three years ago, dropped his former captain Fabien Pelous and David Auradou for incurring yellow cards.
But the verve of French rugby continues, encouraged by Laporte's selection of scintillating young stars like Vincent Clerc and Clement Poitrenaud - the 20-year-old Toulouse full back whom Laporte once described, in his purest form of compliment, as "very quick and very collective. And very rugby!"
Laporte's mad-cap persona as a rugby zealot is more engaging than Woodward's studied business allusions. Woodward may be able to boast of having a CD packed with a computerised breakdown of information on every possible French variation from the back of their scrum, but Laporte still relies most on the scrawl in his little red book. He was plunged into a blind panic last week when his car was towed away in Paris. Unable to hail a taxi he ran wildly around the city until he at last cadged a lift to the police pound where he rescued not so much his car as the little red book containing notes on how France could beat England today.
Yet Laporte and Woodward share a penchant for outrageous ideas. It was Woodward, after all, who proposed that England and France should share two training camps in the autumn of 2000. Laporte declared that "Clive's approach is very enriching because it's by exchanging ideas that you mature".
For all their mutual admiration, the records of Woodward and Laporte uncover a more tangled series of doubts which have yet to be definitively answered. Woodward has won 40 out of 58 Tests, compared to Laporte's more patchy 18 wins and 12 defeats.
England need to overcome their devastating tendency to lose the matches which matter most. They are still haunted by their catastrophic defeat to South Africa in the 1999 World Cup, and by three successive defeats in grand slam matches. Another failure this year will reopen the old wounds.
A similar sense of frailty circles the French. For all the virtues of a rigorous defence and disciplined temperament, they need, as Laporte stresses, "far more consistency. We want to become more England. Just like, I suspect, they want to become a little more like us when it comes to winning a grand slam game or a World Cup semi-final. We will keep trying to learn from each other. It amuses and interests me a great deal. Who knows, maybe one of us will become the first team from this hemisphere to call ourselves world champions. It is no longer impossible."
• Guardian Service
