Lievremont makes call for three fresh Rugby World Cup faces

Marc Lievremont, described as very much his own man, finishes up as French coach when the team exit the tournament. Photo / Sarah Ivey

If you have a mischievous bent, you might think Marc Lievremont is deliberately tweaking French tails at this Rugby World Cup.

One French writer described the coach as very much his own man. Clearly so.

He has upset his players, had blues with French reporters and irritated former internationals who don't get his strategies, but he marches relentlessly on to his own tune.

Lievremont's time as French coach is up when his team depart the tournament. Given the likely routes from now on that might yet be on October 24, the morning after the final.

In which case organisers could sell tickets to Lievremont's final press conference.

He has made three changes from the team beaten 37-17 by the All Blacks last weekend to face Tonga in Wellington this Saturday night.

No 1 hooker William Servat returns for Dimitri Szarzewski; Raphael Lakafia gets another chance at No 8 for Louis Picamoles; and Alexis Palisson comes on to the left wing, with Maxime Medard moving to fullback.

That means Morgan Parra, the transplanted halfback, gets another opportunity at first five-eighths. His run at No 10 wasn't a roaring success against the All Blacks, but Lievremont wants to give it another spin.

"Morgan impressed us in training all [last] week and with his performance against the All Blacks," Lievremont said yesterday.

"He's earned the right to play at No 10 again."

At the team announcement, manager Jo Maso sat alongside Lievremont, who has had a couple of blowups at press conferences during the Cup, including a bitter exchange with a French journalist after the All Black defeat.

The French translator quoted Lievremont as telling the scribe that he was "really angry" at a particular question. Other French observers say the coach's line was substantially blunter than that.

Not all Lievremont's detractors have been on the outside looking in, either. Damien Traille, replaced at fullback at halftime against the All Blacks, let fly yesterday.

"I'm wound up. When you're taken off at halftime and you get no explanation, it's tough. I take that as a punishment.

"It's not great for confidence either. There is a lack of bearings, a problem with individual confidence and understanding [between players]."

Lievremont told French radio that he knew some journalists "would be delighted to see us lose. The main thing is that this doesn't affect my relationship with the players".

That particular horse may have already bolted.

Former French international Thomas Lombard opined: "Lievremont has a form of paranoia with regards to certain players. It's getting worse and worse, we're edging toward the precipice."

There are hopes that senior prop Nicolas Mas, battling a hamstring strain, will be ready for the quarter-finals. "We've been living with a sword of Damocles [over our heads]," Lievremont said of the Mas situation.

Beat Tonga and France would have a quarter-final, probably against England, in Auckland next week.