He’s a remarkable man, is Serge Blanco, a one-off, someone who has become part of the fabric of French life in his 56 years, and who today is charged with helping transform the national rugby team into credible World Cup contenders.

THEIRS is a name synonymous with French rugby. Formed as a sporting club of many different disciplines for the Parisian elite in 1882, Racing Club de France, alongside Stade Francais, dominated the early years of the French Championship before disappearing — like Stade — for the bones of a century until the emergence of the bow-tie wearing and champagne guzzling side of Franck Mesnel, Eric Blanc and Jean-Baptiste Lafond in the late ’80s.

Lionel Nallet talks to Ian Moriarty about Racing Metro’s ambitions in their first Heineken Cup.