Jubilant France savour the Slam

IF Martin Johnson needed any reassurance the anguish of developing a new England team can ultimately be worth it, he need only listen to Marc Lievremont.

The France coach kept his post-match duties to a minimum on Saturday because, after two painful years of rebuilding Les Bleus, he had a Grand Slam to celebrate.

Lievremont started from scratch when he took charge after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, using over 70 players in two years and suffering some heavy defeats along the way.