Nothing betrays France’s inconsistency in the Philippe Saint-André era more than the position of outside-half. The head coach has used four players at No10 in the last four Tests and, by means probably no more scientific than the roll of a dice, Frédéric Michalak, whose Test obituary has been written more than once, will play the lead role there in the World Cup.
Michalak, who made his international debut in 2001 and will turn 33 during the tournament, was preferred in Saint-André’s 31 for the World Cup to François Trinh-Duc, the player who went to the 2011 World Cup as his side’s leading fly-half only to be edged out by a scrum-half, Morgan Parra.
Trinh-Duc started against England at Twickenham earlier this month and was praised by Saint-André but Michalak scored 17 points during his side’s victory in the return match in Paris on Saturday and goal-kicking was a decisive factor in the selection. Neither player has been used much by France recently.
While it will be Michalak’s third World Cup – he played in the 2003 semi-final defeat against England in Sydney when he missed four penalties and was a replacement in the 2007 semi-final against the same opponents in Paris – he is not one of the eight survivors from the 2011 campaign.
Parra is the only back who was in New Zealand while three of the front-rows were – the hookers Guilhem Guirado and Dimitri Szarzewski and the prop Nicolas Mas. The second-row Pascal Papé also remains, as do the back-rows Thierry Dusautoir, Louis Picamoles and Fulgence Ouedraogo.
“We wanted to include three top goal-kickers and they were Michalak, Parra and Rory Kockott,” said Saint-André. The coach has opted for a 17-14 split between forwards and backs. He has gone with five props and three hookers but only three second-rows where the flanker Bernard La Roux will cover. “We had to leave five players out after the victory over England and it was an emotional time because they have contributed so much during our time together,” the coach said.
France’s group includes Ireland and Italy. They meet the Irish in the penultimate match of the pool stage at the Millennium Stadium where the prize for the losers is likely to be a quarter-final against New Zealand at the same venue, the ground where France faced the All Blacks in the last eight in 2007 and, thanks in no small measure to Michalak, surprised the rugby world and won.
France squad for World Cup Forwards Atonio, Ben Arous, Debaty, Mas, Slimani, Guirado, Kayser, Szarzewski, Flanquart, Maestri, Papé, Dusautoir, Le Roux, Nyanga, Ouedraogo, Chouly, Picamoles.
Backs Kockott, Parra, Tillous-Borde, Michalak, Talès, Bastareaud, Dumoulin, Fickou, Fofana, Guitoune, Huget, Nakaitaci, Dulin, Spedding.
