France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made eight changes for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy at the Stadio Olimpico.

RBS Six Nations: France v Scotland: The start of a new Six Nations campaign is usually destined to throw Frenchmen of every age, shape and political persuasion into a tizzy. As former captain Fabien Pelous once said: "It is like the start of a new romance. You see a girl across the room, your eyes meet and you both know that everything is possible."

Leigh Halfpenny says Wales will carry their Twickenham "hurt" of last season into tomorrow night’s RBS 6 Nations opener against England.

AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL:

Toulon 24 Munster 16

Alan Good rates the Leinster men in their latest performance.

Clermont Auvergne 15 Toulon 16

Jonny Wilkinson hit the post with a penalty attempt with the final kick of the game as Top 14 leaders Toulon were held to a 26-26 draw at home by Munster’s Heineken Cup semi-final opponents, Clermont Auvergne.

Edinburgh 24 Castres 22

FRANCE head coach Marc Lievremont admits his team could be embarrassed by Italy on Saturday if they fail to improve on the “mediocrity” they have shown so far in the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

France have made four changes in personnel to their team for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations match against Italy in Rome.

France will go with an unchanged squad for their last match in the RBS 6 Nations Championship, against Italy in Rome on Saturday.

France head coach Marc Lievremont has taken a major gamble by selecting Benoit Baby at fly-half for Friday’s RBS 6 Nations match against Wales in Paris.

Scotland flanker Kelly Brown insists he was wrongly denied a try during his side’s RBS 6 Nations defeat in Paris.

FRANCE are taking inspiration from Wales’ attacking model as they attempt to settle on their own style for the RBS 6 Nations Championship, according to Les Bleus winger Cedric Heymans.

France head coach Marc Lievremont will go with an unchanged squad for next weekend’s RBS 6 Nations match against Scotland in Paris.

It should have been the perfect day. Croke Park, brimful with expectation, had opened its doors to rugby for the first time but, on a historic day of outward celebration for Irish sport, all was silenced by a piece of late Gallic magic.

Sebastien Tillous-Borde will be Lionel Beauxis’ half-back partner for France in their RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

FRANCE go into their opening RBS Six Nations match against Ireland on Saturday week with little experience at half-back after Jean-Baptiste Elissalde was surprisingly omitted from their trimmed-down 23-man squad.

Imanol Harinordoquy has been named in France’s 23-man squad for their opening two matches of the RBS 6 Nations Championship, against Ireland and Scotland.

France head coach Marc Lievremont has named just one recognised fly-half in his provisional 30-man squad for a three-day training camp ahead of the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

EDINBURGH coach Andy Robinson has opted to rest captain Mike Blair for tonight’s Heineken Cup clash with Castres.

Aussie centre Steven Kefu and full-back Cameron McIntyre and scrum-half Kevin Senio, both Kiwis, give Castres a southern hemisphere flavour for their Herineken Cup trip to Leinster tomorrow.

Sebastien Tillous-Borde and Sebastien Chabal have been drafted into France’s starting XV for Saturday’s Test against Australia in Paris.

France 26 Ireland 8

France 26 Ireland 8