France - Les Bleus

Team Preview

Coach:
Bernard Laporte

Previous World Cups:
1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003

Best Performance:
Finalist 1987, 1999

Played:
29 - 22 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses

World Ranking:
No.3

Fixtures:
v Argentina, Saint-Denis, September 7
v Namibia, Toulouse, September 16
v Ireland, Saint-Denis, September 21
v Georgia, Marseille, September 30
Squad:

Facts:
1. France's 35-12 defeat by Australia in 1999 is the largest losing margin in a final to date.
2. France is the sixth country to host the World Cup.
3. The side won a national record 10 games in a row while banned from the Five Nations between 1931-36.
4. Bernard Laporte's side is the highest-ranked side never to have won the World Cup.
5. Phillipe Sella is its caps record-holder, with 111 to his name.

Key Players:

CLEMENT POITRENAUD
Clement Poitrenaud, in his second stint as the national team's first-choice fullback, is a devastating runner from deep and can hit the line at speed.

He seems to have lost the inconsistency that tarnished his image as the darling of French rugby after making his international debut at the tender age of 19.

And with fullbacks of genuine quality thin on the ground in France at the moment, the Toulouse star's importance cannot be underestimated.

VINCENT CLERC
Of the four wingers - Christophe Dominici, Aurelien Rougerie, Cedric Heymans and Vincent Clerc - expected to be at head coach Bernard Laporte's disposal this autumn, Clerc could well be the most vital.

Poitrenaud's colleague at Toulouse has established himself in Les Bleus' starting XV, and endeared himself to his country's fans by grabbing a last-gasp, match-winning try against Ireland in the Six Nations clash at Croke Park in February.

The try was all about timing, power and destructive finishing ability - and Clerc has all of those qualities in spades.

He may appear diminutive, even lightweight, from a distance, but he is surprisingly strong and rarely misses a tackle.

Clerc should take over from Dominici as France's No.1 winger when the latter quits the international scene after the World Cup.

YANNICK JAUZION
Among the centres, there is one that stands out - Yannick Jauzion.

Another member of Toulouse's stellar backline, Jauzion has been one of the world's premier midfielders for a number of years now.

At 6ft 4in and 95kg, he is a big unit, but has dexterity most people can only dream of, and his offload in the tackle is the envy of all his centre rivals.

The 29-year-old seems to have a different midfield partner every year, be it Damien Traille, Florian Fritz or more recently David Marty, but he is always there at No.13 and is seen as the organiser of the Les Bleus backline.

DAVID SKRELA
The impish Pierre Mignoni appears to have made the halfback berth his own thanks to a strong Six Nations tournament, but arguably more important was the emergence of five-eighth David Skrela alongside him.

Laporte has always had a soft spot for Frederic Michalak but the Toulouse playmaker is both mercurial and injury-prone, and therefore unreliable.

Skrela brings a cooler head and an assuredness at No.10, and is a safer bet if France is to find the consistency to go all the way in the competition.

They say kicks win matches and Skrela is also better with the boot, on the floor and out of the hand. It all depends on whether Laporte has the guts to drop one of his favourite players.

PIETER DE VILLIERS
With Sylvain Marconnet in the squad but on his way back from a broken leg, fellow Stade Francais man Pieter de Villiers will take on added responsibility among the props.

The South African-born hard man is a veteran of the international circuit with more than 60 caps, and will be 35 when the tournament kicks off.

RAPHAEL IBANEZ
Raphael Ibanez is set to captain the team, and it is a role he knows all too well - he captained France in the 1999 World Cup.

The Wasps hooker added another Heineken Cup to his glittering 'palmares' this year, and has matured into a leader both by example and by words.

JEROME THION
Jerome Thion has emerged as the mainstay of the second row, with Pelous constantly hindered by injury problems.

The Biarritz tyro is tipped to take the captain's armband for good after the World Cup, and it would be a just reward for his endeavours on the international stage since making his debut in 2003.

SERGE BETSEN
And in the back row, the tigerish Serge Betsen, who also plays for Biarritz, will be the man to look out for.

The Cameroon-born flanker is enjoying a terrific end to his career, and was arguably the player of the recent Six Nations thanks to his tireless workrate and his efforts at the breakdown and in the loose.

He, like many of his team-mates, will be looking for one last hurrah in the Les Bleus jersey.