One of the more persistent arguments peddled in the Steffon Armitage selection saga is the one about ‘floodgates opening’. That should England coach Stuart Lancaster invoke the ‘exceptional circumstances’ clause…
Gavin Mortimer
Clermont giant Sebastien Vahaamahina ready to rumble
Sebastien Vahaamahina is a big man with a soft voice. And soft hands, too, as he’s shown this season for Clermont in combining set-piece solidity with ball-handling athleticism in the…
Top 14: Pau ready to enter the promised land
Rarely has one team dominated their rivals the way Pau have this season in ProD2. Crowned champions of France’s second division a month before the end of the regular season,…
Clermont’s Jamie Cudmore on wine and winning
Clermont lock Jamie Cudmore looks ahead to the European Champions Cup semi-final against Saracens and talks about his new wine label
Quel combat! The political battle that will determine the future of French rugby
The successor to Philippe Saint-André will be announced next month, but that decision will have only a limited bearing on the long-term fortunes of the national team. The crucial selection…
French great Julien Bonnaire has one final swansong
Few players in the world game today are as respected and as experienced as Clermont flanker Julien Bonnaire. Capped 75 times by France, the 36-year-old played in the 2011 World…
Six Nations: France review underway for World Cup
“The World Cup starts today!” declared Philippe Saint-Andre the day after France had suffered a 20-point stuffing by England. Never before had France shipped 50 points to the English, and…
Six Nations: Are the French fit for purpose?
The odds are in England’s favour on Saturday, not just because of this season’s Six Nations form but because of results in ‘Le Crunch’ over the last ten years. Bear…
France’s woes lead to Saint-Andre being compared to Lievremont
It’s all becoming wearily familiar for the French public, a distressing déjà vu if ever there was one. A squad allegedly at loggerheads with its coach, a media showing no…
France: Philippe Saint-Andre’s ten big mistakes
This Six Nations has highlighted the flaws of the France coach's regime