France’s new rugby coach Philippe Saint-Andre on Friday unveiled his backroom staff, naming fellow former players Yannick Bru and Patrice Lagisquet as his assistants.
“As we have very little time, I preferred to tighten up the staff in full knowledge that it could change over the coming four years,” said Saint-Andre in his first official press conference since being named as successor to Marc Lievremont.
Saint-Andre, who previously coached Toulon, Sale and Gloucester, starts his international coaching career against Italy at the Stade de France in a Six Nations clash on February 4.
As expected, ex-Toulouse hooker Bru takes the forwards coaching role with Lagisquet leaving Biarritz to oversee the backs.
Antoine Marin will replace Jo Maso as team manager, the latter taking over as head of the selection committee after 16 years in his previous role.
Saint-Andre said he could call up other specialist coaches, notably in the build-up to the next World Cup in England in 2015.
But the former France winger hinted that David Ellis’ services as a defence coach would not be called upon since both he and Lagisquet would fulfill that role.
Saint-Andre, capped 68 times, takes over the head coach’s role from Lievremont, who overcame an apparent split between staff and players to lead his team to the final of this year’s World Cup, which they lost 8-7 to hosts New Zealand.
And Saint-Andre insisted that he wanted his team to play more regularly against the southern hemisphere powers.
“I would love to have three or four Tests in November and play every year against New Zealand, South Africa and Australia,” he said.
“We are a great rugby nation. We’ve made the World Cup final three times (1987, 2003, 2011) but we’ve never got our hands on the trophy.
“To play three countries back to back in November helps prepare players to their best, their speed of execution and putting together a string of high-level matches.”
An initial 30-man squad will be named on January 5, with a three-day camp planned for January 23-25, before it is cut to 23 on January 26 ahead of the opening Six Nations game.
France will travel to Argentina for two Tests on June 16 and 23.
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