Les Bleus keep faith and change hymn sheet

RUGBY:The first year of a "World Cup cycle" is the time to implement change, introducing new players and approaches, as well as developing a squad and style of play. If not then, well, when?

In keeping with this approach, true to his word the new French coach Marc Lièvremont has promoted six of his replacements bench from last Sunday's 27-6 win in Scotland for Saturday's rendezvous with Ireland in Paris.

For the first of three home games in a row, right-winger Aurélien Rougerie, outhalf David Skréla, number eight Julien Bonnaire, lock Arnaud Méla, prop Nicolas Mas and hooker Dimitri Szarzewski are promoted in place of Julien Malzieu, François Trinh-Duc, Elvis Vermeulen, Loïc Jacquet, Julien Brugnaut and William Servat.

Rougerie was to have replaced Vincent Clerc, but Malzieu has been deemed hors de combat with a thigh strain and so Clerc - Ireland's bête noire in the last two games between the countries - has been reinstated on the left wing, while Bonnaire replaces Vermeulen, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. Joining the uncapped 21-year-old Montpellier number eight Lois Picamoles on the bench in place of Malzieu is his Clermont Auvergne team-mate the fullback Anthony Floch.

Lièvremont is taking the Six Nations in three blocks, and true to his word before the Scottish game, is rotating the 22 picked for the opening two matches, then possibly having a look at the likes of the fit-again Yannick Jauzion and Pascal Pape in round three at home to England before the final two rounds, at home to Italy and away to Wales.

Unveiling his hand in les Bleus' Marcoussis base yesterday morning, Lièvremont stressed the changes were not a reflection of Sunday's performances but to "reward the spirit of the replacements both before and during the match against Scotland".

Well though the recalled Toulouse hooker Servat played against Scotland, making a bundle of ball carries, this position will simply be a 50-30-minutes split with Szarzewski on Saturday. No less than the latter, Mas will assuredly improve a scrum that initially suffered in Murrayfield, and given the promotion of Rougerie, Skrela and Bonnaire, this is certainly a more experienced starting XV as well as having stronger setpieces.

Lionel Faure has switched to tighthead and the demoted Brugnaut might get a late run on the other side of the scrum.

"We have full confidence in Servat and Brugnaut; this is not punishment," said the forwards coach Didier Retière, the wise owl of this newly assembled coaching ticket alongside the comparatively inexperienced Lièvremont and Emile Ntamack.

"In general, we were encouraged by the reaction of certain players, who didn't like the criticism of our scrum in the game against Scotland," he added.

The 19-year-old Morgan Parra, who made his debut as a 65th-minute replacement for the injured Jean-Baptiste Elissalde in Murrayfield, is the only one of last Sunday's replacements to remain on the bench.

"Elissalde managed to control the game well," explained Lièvremont. "We would have liked to give Parra more game time against Scotland, but circumstances didn't allow it. In such an important position, it's too soon to send him in now."

Delighted though he was in the aftermath of their opening effort, Lièvremont has been striking a more cautious note in the days since, identifying clearance kicks, restarts and the breakdown as areas that need improving.

"We liked the courage, the solidarity, and the support the players gave each other in the Scotland game," said Lièvremont.

"But these attitudes are in stark contrast to the wasted opportunities and the badly used turnover ball."