A combination of injuries and a change in the thinking of coach Bernard Laporte has led to wholesale introductions to the French team to meet Scotland on Saturday in Paris.

FRANCE’S hopes of defending their Six Nations Grand Slam got a boost on Sunday when it was revealed the Biarritz trio of Serge Betsen, Thomas Lievremont and Nicolas Brusque were to return to training today.

Patrick Tabacco has been called up by France to replace the injured Imanol Harinordoquy for next weekend’s RBS 6 Nations opener with Scotland.

MUNSTER coach Alan Gaffney remains a worried man despite the loss by Stade Francais of key-figure Augustin Pichot for tomorrow's Heineken Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park.

WHEN Peter Stringer scored against Scotland to guarantee a Triple Crown, Ireland’s rugby renaissance was confirmed.

IT’S rolling towards five years since Ulster became the first and only Irish side to win the European Cup. They haven’t been back since, in fact they haven’t even managed to negotiate the pool stage of the competition since David Humphreys lifted the trophy at Lansdowne Road in 1999.

Keith Wood and his team have their chance to secure a place in history as they face France in their eagerly anticipated World Cup quarter-final in Melbourne.

Ireland go into their toughest match of a tough World Cup with coach Eddie O’Sullivan convinced they are not feeling the strain of having already played two difficult matches in the last two weeks.

Jerome Thion will lead the French line-out charge against Ireland on Sunday with a clear rallying cry – no penalties.

RENOWNED Bondi Beach, a few miles outside of Sydney, was the spectacular setting yesterday for the utterly predictable French selection to face Ireland in the quarter-final of the World Cup in Melbourne on Sunday.

Bernard Laporte reckons the winner of Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final between France and Ireland will be outsiders to win the Webb Ellis Cup – but he does not believe there is much in it.

France will be at full strength for their mouth-watering World Cup quarter-final encounter with Ireland in Melbourne on Sunday.

HT France 26 USA 0

CHAMPIONS Australia plan to play their strongest team in every match at the World Cup, according to coach Eddie Jones.

France coach Bernard Laporte today recalled Saracens utility back Thomas Castaignede for the RBS 6 Nations match against Italy in Rome on Sunday.

ENGLAND coach Clive Woodward has insisted he would have no worries if he lost Jonny Wilkinson for the likely RBS Six Nations decider against Ireland in Dublin.

France have been dealt a double injury blow going into Sunday's RBS Six Nations match against Italy with the news that back-row Sébastien Chabal and scrum-half Mathieu Barrau have both sprained their ankles and will miss the game.

Last weekend Frédéric Michalak was playing for France Under-21. This week he has been included in the France A team to play Ireland A.