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PARIS - To win, grab a bonus point and rediscover the pleasure of playing rugby will be France's task against Namibia in their World Cup Pool D game on Sunday.
The hosts suffered a shock defeat by Argentina in the opening game of the competition last Friday and are now in danger of an early exit or a quarter-final clash with hot favourites New Zealand.
"We have played our only joker and we know what we have to do, win our next three games against Namibia, Ireland and Georgia," said coach Bernard Laporte.
After a night and two days of soul searching, the players emerged confident they could answer the challenge.
"I'm sure we will bounce back," said captain Raphael Ibanez on Tuesday.
The Wasps veteran, who on Friday became the most capped hooker in rugby history with 93 tests played, did not know he was to be relegated to the bench when Laporte announced a squad with 13 changes, one positional, on Wednesday.
Laporte, who had been castigated by French media for putting his players under too much pressure before the Pumas game, also dropped vice-captain Fabien Pelous, flanker Serge Betsen, the two halfbacks and centre Yannick Jauzion.
Prop Pieter de Villiers, centre Damien Traille and Cedric Heymans, moved from fullback to his favourite position on the wing, were the only players he retained.
In came an entirely new back row made up of Thierry Dusautoir, Julien Bonnaire and Yannick Nyanga. Sebastien Chabal was promoted from his role of impact player. First five-eighths Frederic Michalak's risky game was back in favour and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde was handed the captaincy.
"I want to be a tactical and technical captain not an emotional one. We had an overflow of emotion on Friday. I'll do everything to stop and we'll make a big step forward," said the halfback.
Surrounded by flankers, a halfback, wings and a fullback all familiar from his days as a Toulouse player, Michalak, who started his first international in 16 months after a series of knee injuries in a warm-up game against England last month, should be in a perfect position.
"To play in Toulouse will be a pleasure of course but the real pleasure comes when we play right, when we play with a smile," he said.
"We'll have to be patient, not to attempt impossible things and if we play true, if we play our game with composure and determination, we'll have no worries."
Namibia, however will aim to worry France after making Ireland work hard to snatch a scrappy 32-17 win last Sunday.
"The guys are ready for the France game. The confidence is there and we are hoping to improve," said coach Hakkies Husselman.
"The French want to win this game but we won't give it to them. We will do our best to win this game," added wing Ryan Witbooi.
- REUTERS
