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Posted 100 days ago
PHILIPPE SAINT-ANDRE has kept faith with his fumbling French side for the visit of Wales to the Stade de France on Saturday evening. Instead of bringing down the guillotine on the heads of players following their stunning defeat to Italy on Sunday the French coach has made just unenforced change. Mathieu Bastareaud replaces Florian Fritz in the centre, the big man’s first start for France since he played against England in the 2010 Six Nations.
Posted 439 days ago
THE Sunday Times ran a piece last weekend in which Rugby World’s very own Stephen Jones interviewed Philippe Saint-André. The coach of France was his normal affable self, buttering up the English ahead of Sunday’s encounter byacknowledging his “debt to England rugby” on account of the formative years he spent coaching at Gloucester and Sale.
Posted 440 days ago
France clawed their way back from an 11-point deficit to draw with Ireland in the rearranged RBS 6 Nations fixture at the Stade de France. The men in green started well, and Tommy Bowe scored two tries in the first half, silencing the French crowd. But Wesley Fofana scored his third Championship try in the 51st minute, and the swing in momentum saw France even the scores thanks to Morgan Parra’s boot. Ireland couldn’t convert a surge of pressure into points in the final quarter of the match, as France’s defence proved to be water tight.
Posted 572 days ago
France captain Thierry Dusautoir has been named the IRB Player of the Year at the 2011 IRB Awards in association with Emirates Airline, during a star-studded ceremony at Vector Arena in Auckland on Monday.
Dusautoir is the second Frenchman to win the Award, following in the footsteps of former national team captain, Fabien Galthié, who claimed the accolade in 2002.
New Zealand…
