Laporte lifts France

Outgoing France head coach Bernard Laporte insists there is plenty to play for in tonight’s World Cup bronze-medal match against Argentina.

A play-off for third and fourth place may be the last thing Les Bleus want to contemplate following their heartbreaking 14-9 defeat to England in the semi-finals last weekend.

But there are a few reasons why the French will be intent on finishing their home tournament with a bang.

Revenge will be on their minds, with Argentina having beaten Laporte’s men 17-12 in the competition’s opening game on September 7.

It is also set to be the last international match for a number of France’s senior players, such as captain Raphael Ibanez.

And Laporte claims there is another reason why his men need to focus on tonight’s clash.

“Many of them will be eager to put on a good show as their career is continuing. In three months’ time, there’s the Six Nations,” said Laporte, who will take up a role as junior minister for sport in Nicolas Sarkozy’s French government after the World Cup.

“This third-place match is another step in their career. The players have their pride and a will to win.

“We’ve got a heavy heart but we owe it to ourselves to finish well. We played a great quarter-final against New Zealand and narrowly lost the semi-final.

“Now we must secure this third place.”

The mood in the France camp will have been downbeat all week, considering the manner of their defeat to England at the Stade de France.

“We’re kind of in between at the moment,” said hooker Ibanez, who will skipper the team in his last World Cup match.

“We’re halfway between the loss in the semi-final and the bronze-medal match. But that’s normal – it takes time to deal with that kind of thing.

“Any match for the French team should be treated with due respect.

“I’ll be happy to be involved. I’m not the sort to run away, even after a loss in a World Cup semi-final on French soil.”

Both coaches have made a raft of changes for the game, which is viewed by many as a non-event.

Argentina boss Marcelo Loffreda, who will move to Leicester after the World Cup, admits he is approaching the match with a heavy heart.

“It is not only my end, it is the end of a long cycle and all these years have been a part of me,” he said.

“The fact that I have been able to share so many hours with the players means I will leave all this with huge pain and nostalgia.”