Harinordoquy targets English

FRANCE No.8 Imanol Harinordoquy hopes Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final with England will mark the start of the tournament for Les Bleus.

Discontent has raged through the French camp, particularly in the aftermath of last Sunday’s 19-14 loss to Tonga, following which head coach Marc Lievremont said his squad had “never got off the bus”. He was referring to the revolt by the France football team at the World Cup in South Africa.

But now France, having scraped into the knockout stages as Pool A runners-up to New Zealand, will take on perennial rivals England, Pool B winners with four wins from four matches, with a semi-final place at stake.