Lievremont: France must improve or face Italy embarrassment

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.

The French yesterday reacted to Sunday’s humiliating 34-10 defeat to England at Twickenham by making four personnel changes and two positional alterations to their side for this weekend’s clash with the wooden-spoon favourites in Rome.

Damien Traille, Florian Fritz, Julien Bonnaire and Fabien Barcella all return to the team, with Julien Malzieu, Mathieu Bastareaud, Jerome Thion and Lionel Faure dropping out as Lievremont again rings the changes, this time understandably.