France last night reacted to Clive Woodward's contentious decision to retain the England captain Martin Johnson for Saturday's international in Paris. Despite a crackdown on violence in France, a number of players involved in recent acts of foul play will be named in the French squad.
France's coach Bernard Laporte will today name his 22 for the potential grand slam decider and included will be the flanker Olivier Magne, who yesterday completed a 23-day suspension imposed for stamping on an opponent's head against Italy this month, and the lock David Auradou, who was also dropped by Laporte against Wales 10 days ago for stamping.
Four other forwards will be named in what promises to be a no-holds-barred encounter; the back rower Remy Martin, who received a yellow card during Sunday's league match between Stade Francais and Dax, the Northampton lock Olivier Brouzet, who saw yellow at Leicester on Saturday for punching, Gloucester's hooker Olivier Azam, who was suspended for 35 days last month for fighting, and the lock Fabien Pelous, who was relegated to the bench in Cardiff for reckless footwork in a club match.
Expediency has triumphed over principle in both camps. The England manager Woodward had no hesitation in announcing yesterday that Johnson would play against France after Twickenham announced that the appeal hearing requested by the Leicester lock, who was last week suspended for three weeks for punching the Saracens hooker Robbie Russell, would not be held until after Saturday's game.
Johnson's ban is suspended until his appeal is heard and as his case is based on the argument that the English RFU had no power to take action against him because he had been punished for his indiscretion by the referee at Vicarage Road, the panel will have to be heavily weighted with legal expertise, which will take time.
Laporte had taken a hard line on players in his squad who commit acts of violence, but last night he refused to criticise Woodward for taking advantage of the system to ensure that England's talisman plays at the Stade de France.
"What Clive Woodward does is his business," he said. "I am not unhappy that Martin Johnson will be playing because we want to beat an England team at full strength. He is a fantastic player and I have a lot of admiration for him."
Woodward will announce his side today and, like Laporte, who yesterday lost the wing Xavier Garbajosa, the hooker Yannick Bru and the lock Thibault Privat through injury, he will be bringing in new faces with two replacements against Ireland, Charlie Hodgson and Lewis Moody, needing replacing after picking up knocks during Saturday's Premiership matches.
Meanwhile, Scotland expect to name a full strength squad for their match against Ireland in Dublin, despite the absence of three key players at the team practice in Edinburgh yesterday. Missing from the squad session were scrumhalf and captain Bryan Redpath, prop George Graham - both of whom collected neck injuries at the weekend - and winger Glenn Metcalfe, who has developed an infection in a cut thumb. "All three should be training tomorrow," said Scotland team manager Douglas Morgan. "I don't see any problems for Saturday."
