New France coach Marc Lievremont has made sweeping changes in his first squad selection ahead of the RBS 6 Nations Championship clash against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 3.

France flanker Serge Betsen has confirmed he will retire from rugby at the end of the season.

Lionel Nallet admitted it came as a “massive surprise” to be appointed the new captain of France.

THE task of finding a new South Africa rugby coach shifted up a gear yesterday when the first two candidates for the vacant position were interviewed by the country’s rugby bosses.

France winger Vincent Clerc is backing Christophe Dominici to end his rugby career on a high after hearing of his compatriot’s decision to quit the international stage.

Stade Francais 37 Harlequins 17

France 10 Argentina 34

France 64 Georgia 7

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 have a full-strength squad to select from for their last World Cup Pool D game, against Georgia, on Sunday in Marseille.

French coach Bernard Laporte has named his team to face Ireland this Friday in their crucial World Cup pool game.

FRANCE winger Cedric Heymans is confident he will be fit to face Namibia in their Pool D clash tomorrow (8pm).

France winger Christophe Dominici will be sidelined until at least the start of next week because of a thigh complaint.

EARLY DAYS and all that but if first impressions count for anything, then New Zealand have set an awesome standard. I was fortunate to be in the Velodrome in Marseille on Saturday where the men in black delivered as clinical a performance as one could expect against respected Six Nations opposition.

FRANCE have made wholesale changes to their starting line-up for today’s Test against England as they look to complete a cross-channel double over the world champions in the space of a week.

Frederic Michalak and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde will form the half-back partnership combination for France when they take on England in a World Cup warm-up match in Marseille tomorrow.

FRANCE team manager Jo Maso has put up a stout defence of his much criticised pack ahead of the return match against England this weekend.

France team manager Jo Maso has put up a stout defence of his under-fire pack ahead of the return match against England this weekend.

France have rung the changes in their 22-man squad for the World Cup warm-up match against England in Marseille on Saturday.

FRANCE are determined to learn from their mistakes of four years ago as they head into their series of warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup.

Leicester 21 Stade Francais 20

Another RBS 6 Nations Championship is done and dusted.

GARETH THOMAS will captain Wales in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with England after Stephen Jones was forced to pull out with a fractured bone in his wrist.

France have made three changes to the team that lost to England last weekend for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship clash with Scotland in Paris.

France prop Sylvain Marconnet has been ruled out of the rest of the RBS 6 Nations Championship after suffering a serious injury while on a skiing holiday.

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.

France 32 Wales 21

Shane Williams starts his first RBS 6 Nations Championship game of the season against France in Paris on Saturday night determined to help break Wales’ try drought.

GARETH JENKINS reacted to Wales’ 21-9 defeat to Scotland by making seven changes for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France, including four in a revamped pack.

France's rotation policy continues for this weekend's RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales - and team manager Jo Maso has vowed it will be in full force until the end of the tournament.

France have made five changes to the 22-man squad that beat Ireland in the RBS 6 Nations Championship last Sunday for next weekend’s match against Wales.

IMANOL HARINORDOQUY believes adopting a more “mature” approach to the game has helped him reclaim his place in the France team.

France have made five changes to their team for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship clash with Ireland at 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.

France head coach Bernard Laporte found it difficult to pick out a star performer in his side’s 39-3 win over Italy in the RBS 6 Nations Championship opener at the Stadio Flaminio today.

Italy 3 France 39

Clement Poitrenaud, Sebastien Chabal and David Skrela return to the France squad for next Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Italy in Rome.

Ospreys 22 Stade Francais 22

France winger Christophe Dominici could have played his last game this year after injuring his right knee in Stade Francais' Heineken Cup win over Sale at the weekend.

Stade Francais 27 Sale 16

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.

ANDY GOODE pulls no punches when it comes to assessing England’s RBS 6 Nations Championship demise this season, citing “ineptitude” as a fundamental reason.

Raphael Ibanez insists France will not allow their record-equalling victory over England to distract them from the real task at hand – beating Wales next Saturday to win the RBS Six Nations Championship.