ROB ANDREW admitted England had “rewritten the rules” after reaching the World Cup final despite three years of upheaval and just 10 months of dedicated planning.

FRANCE flanker Serge Betsen has dubbed Jonny Wilkinson “an example of professionalism and perseverance” as he prepares to renew hostilities with his old England rival in tonight’s World Cup semi-final.

France are set to have a fully-fit squad available for their World Cup semi-final against England this weekend.

SERGE BETSEN has warned France they must possess “a war-like spirit” in tonight’s World Cup quarter-final with only their best good enough to topple New Zealand.

France 64 Georgia 7

FRANCE have made nine changes to their starting line-up to take on Georgia in their final World Cup Group D match at Marseille on Sunday.

FRANCE coach Bernard Laporte named his side yesterday to face Ireland in tomorrow’s crunch Rugby World Cup clash in the Stade de France, and there were a number of surprises.

France 12 Argentina 17

France 9 Argentina 17

France launched the 2007 Rugby World Cup tonight amid huge expectancy levels in coach Bernard Laporte’s final assignment before he takes up a French ministerial post.

GARETH JENKINS admitted Wales were taught a lesson in finishing by France as they signed off ahead of the World Cup with a 34-7 defeat at the Millennium Stadium.

Serge Betsen will captain France in their World Cup warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff on Sunday.

THE agonising waiting game for England’s World Cup hopefuls could be over sooner than expected.

RAPHAEL IBANEZ went through the whole range of emotions in the final heart-stopping minutes of France’s dramatic 46-19 success over Scotland, which clinched yet another RBS 6 Nations Championship title.

England face a France side gunning for the Grand Slam, after they followed up away victories over Italy and Ireland with a come-from-behind 32-21 win over Wales at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Wales were looking to upset the form book in their RBS 6 Nations Championship clash with France tonight.

A SPORTS-MAD youngster born in Cashel and brought up in Boherlan-Dualla wouldn’t be normal if he hadn’t dreamt of playing in Croke Park.

A LOT has been made of Bernard Laporte’s insistence on experimentation for this year’s RBS 6 Nations Championship, but it will be interesting to see if France’s head coach sticks to his word following the comprehensive opening day rout of beleaguered Italy.

BRAVE Borders went within a whisker of creating the biggest ever Heineken Cup shock as they salvaged pride in France.

France head coach Bernard Laporte has made seven changes for his side’s clash with New Zealand in Paris on Saturday.

NEW Zealand head coach Graham Henry believes the 47-3 mauling of France shows his side are in perfect shape for next year’s World Cup.

France have drafted flanker Serge Betsen and full-back Pepito Elhorga into their squad for next weekend’s second Test against New Zealand in Paris.

IN SPORT, individual moments of inspiration tend to define history. Consider the cauldron that was the Millennium Stadium. You could barely hear yourself think.

DENIS LEAMY has seen a lot of the French this season and on Saturday caps it off in the Heineken Cup final with another French examination against reigning domestic champions and current league leaders Biarritz.

FRANCE fly-half Julien Peyrelongue has warned Munster that Biarritz are primed to hit peak form in Saturday’s Heineken Cup final.

SERGE BETSEN has a scented candle in his hand.

Biarritz 11 Sale 6

EXPERIENCED duo Thomas Castaignede and Serge Betsen have been drafted back into the France squad as coach Bernard Laporte looks toward their RBS Six Nations Championship match against Italy.

Experienced duo Thomas Castaignede and Serge Betsen have been drafted back into the France squad as coach Bernard Laporte looks at his options ahead of their RBS 6 Nations Championship match against Italy.

AS if spurred on by the quality of recent Heineken Cup clashes, the opening weekend of this year’s Six Nations Championship provided high quality drama and even the long-awaited shock result.

FRANCE flanker Serge Betsen has been forced to postpone his return to competition by three weeks because of an injury to his left cheekbone.

BETSEN, called after the brilliant French rugby wing-forward, lived up to his name when making an impressive debut in the Mallow Maiden at Cork on Saturday.

FORMER Italy coach John Kirwan will have to wait for Ian McGeechan to turn down the job as Wasps’ director of rugby before finding out if he will succeed Warren Gatland.

AND so it came to pass. We had feared that the season could end despairingly for Irish rugby, that Leicester might prove too cute and Biarritz would be too hot to handle for Leinster and Munster respectively.

CHANCES are that a swirling wind will blow all over Lansdowne Road this afternoon. And they are just the conditions Ireland and France would gladly do without in a match that will play a major part in deciding the destination of the RBS 6 Nations Championship for 2005.

France flanker Serge Betsen could be on the verge of signing for English club Leicester after admitting holding talks with the Zurich Premiership leaders about a possible move in the summer.

FRANCE flanker Serge Betsen is contemplating a move to Leicester, while the Tigers have yet to agree a new deal with England counterpart Lewis Moody.

France 18 Wales 24

France 18 Wales 24

FRANCE COACH Bernard Laporte has made four changes to the starting line-up from the one that beat England 18-17 for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Wales in Paris.

France flanker Serge Betsen could take part in France’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales despite injury.

France flanker Serge Betsen could take part in France’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales despite injury.

France flanker Serge Betsen could miss the RBS 6 Nations match against Wales on February 26 because of a thigh injury.

Biarritz and France loose forward Serge Betsen emerged from his citing charge today for an alleged pre-meditated trip on London Wasps’ Stuart Abbott in the Heineken Cup without a suspension.