Following the World Cup debacle, and indeed the debacle of the past eight years, a Bernard Laporte-less France decided to buck the trend of international rugby and completely invest in youth.
That included the coaching line up of Lievremont, N’Tamack and Retiere; Jo Maso excepted.
Fabien Pelous, Christophe Dominici, Peter DeVilliers, Olivier Milloud, Raphael Ibanez are all gone, to be replaced by the young guns, Trinh-Dunc, Picamoles, Ouedrago, Szarewski and Jacquet.
Lievremont promised a free-flowing backline supplemented by a tough, grizzly pack.
Essentially, a France of yesteryear.
What the public actually witnessed in the Six Nations was test suicide.
France, in a position to win the tournament, basically gave up. Lievremont cited the need to develop experience and that he had to blood players for the coming Australian series.
Incidentally, the French scrum was at its lowest peak for years. The consistent selection of Georgians, Italians and South Africa has finally nobbled the French frontrow union.
The less said about the Australian series the better. It was surely the most conservative, dull and un-inventive French team in years.
That the squad was so depleted highlights their biggest problem: the French domestic calender.
Until this is remedied, France will struggle to be a force. Even England have arranged a beneficial agreement between clubs and the RFU.
France are currently ranked seventh in the world and potentially might not even be seeded come the 2011 World Cup draw this coming December.
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