Can anyone stop France's charge towards a Grand Slam?

Be afraid, be very afraid. French rugby is stirring and a giant awakes.

It was all very well for France's reinvigorated rugby team to hammer and humiliate the reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland, in Paris on Saturday. But to receive laudatory comments from that notoriously dissatisfied body of opinion known as the French media was another thing altogether.

Thus, we can imagine that French coach Marc Lièvremont (below) probably needed to sit down in a darkened room once he had digested the words of France's great newspapers following his team's 33-10 victory at Stade de France.

"Combat Kings" L'Equipe hailed them. The magisterial Le Monde opined that: "France replied in masterly fashion to the question of what level they are at."

And the rugby bible, Midi Olympique, added: "It was their aggression and breakdown work which were the most impressive aspects of the French performance."

As the Irish captain, Brian O'Driscoll, rightly pointed out: "It was an impressive display, not just from their forwards but an all-round performance."

Since 2004, when they last won a Grand Slam, France's national team has atrophied, stymied by the kind of straitjacket tactics that are currently bedevilling the England team. This has suited the national psyche and characteristics of the French about as well as a glove on a three-fingered man. They have looked ill at ease, out of sync.

But at Stade de France, we saw a different France. For a start, there was a cohesion and balance which had not been apparent before. Forward power is a mighty weapon if it is accompanied by pace, a requisite of the modern game, and a willingness by the pack to set up the backs. Crucially, France appear to have discovered for the first time in years a half-back combination of considerable potential.

Morgan Parra and François Trinh-Duc have brought a quality that has had an ageless appeal to French teams, namely, invention. They can vary their games, which is another crucial facet in modern rugby. This is another of the root causes of England's failings. More propitiously, Parra's goal-kicking was so effective against Ireland, even from long range.

Outside them, Mathieu Bastareaud, a centre who weighs an extraordinary 114kg, could be one of the biggest stars of the next World Cup.

But to counterbalance that, France have beaten the All Blacks and world champions South Africa in the course of the last eight months. Clearly, something is stirring in French rugby and the timing could hardly be better with a World Cup looming next year.

Nor has this transformation been achieved in a nonsensical, cavalier fashion. As the Australian Ewen McKenzie, a former coach of Paris-based club Stade Français and now in charge of the Queensland Reds, says: "Lièvremont has brought a lot of younger players to the fore but he had the skeleton there all the time. He has still got some hard heads – Nallet, Harinordoquy, Pape, Servat, Mas, Jauzion and Poitrenaud – through the key positions of the team.

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Six Nations 2010: France's Mathieu Bastareaud goes up against Brian O'Driscoll

At Murrayfield he confronted his demons and scored two tries, and now in Paris Mathieu Bastareaud will face the world's best centre – Brian O'Driscoll.

It will be a pivotal clash in probably the key game of the 2010 Six Nations. Bastareaud is beginning to make the headlines for the right reasons again, for which he and France are grateful.

That brace of tries against Scotland has got the French rugby public back onside – there were many who felt his recall was premature after the disgrace he brought on Les Bleus by his false accusations of an assault by a street gang in New Zealand. A command performance against the Irish would surely see all sins forgiven.

It should be a personal clash to savour at the Stade de France, the ground where 10 years ago a young O'Driscoll – 21, as Bastareaud is now – announced himself to the rugby world at large with a match-winning hat-trick of tries against for Ireland against the French.

O'Driscoll has reigned supreme for a decade since then, but you fancy Bastareaud is a worthy opponent and an individual capable of being the benchmark midfield player in the Six Nations well into this next decade. A changing of the guard possibly? O'Driscoll will resist, like all great

"Mark is a very young man and his actions in New Zealand were those of an immature young man not used to the responsibilities of representing his country abroad," France coach Marc Lièvremont said. "It was a difficult personal time for him and he paid a high price but now he has been reintegrated into the squad. He has been rehabilitated and we start again.

"Mathieu is a wiser man. He has apologised to everybody who needed apologising to many times over. He cannot apologise any more, the incident is over. He can only play good rugby and conduct himself in the appropriate fashion. His abilities have always been evident and now he is a hungry man with points to prove, which is always good in a player."

A cousin of the France and Arsenal centre-back, William Gallas, Bastareaud burst on to the scene at the 2007 Under-19 World Cup in Belfast and was always going to be fast-tracked into the senior team. A product of Créteil rugby club and humble SU Massy of the French third division, Bastareaud was eventually signed by Stade Français.

Built like a dump truck and weighing 17st 7lb with power to add, Bastareaud can claim to be the heaviest centre playing Test rugby. He has, however, surprising pace, which sometimes catches out opponents steeling themselves to tackle a straightforward battering ram, and he also possesses a better than average pair of hands, which gives him other options.

"We are going to polish up our report to Paddy O'Brien [head of the International Rugby Board's referee commission]. Refereeing is a factor of the game we can't control but we'll still try to solve the problem."

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RUGBY: Kidney gears up for Six Nations test

IRELAND coach, Declan Kidney, said having a competitive squad would be key to following on last year's success in the Six Nations Championships.

There was no talk, however, of Grand Slams, with Kidney preferring to focus only on the visit of Italy to Croke Park on Saturday and the opening game in a new campaign.

Kidney was basically saying the slate was clean again and the side had to build once more towards achieving what they did last year.

The Irish management made a few tough calls on Tuesday when announcing the team to start against Italy.

But Kidney said competitiveness in the squad would breed success.

"Having players all bidding for the same places is what you want.

"It is crucial and if you do not have it, then the team, the squad, do not grow."

He added: "Last year we tried to put ourselves in a position where there would have to be calls to be made when selecting the teams.

"You look at the players and see how they are going. You just have to be honest and make the calls on form, which players are going better.

"Some of the decisions are so marginal it is almost inexplicable, others are based around combinations and also the opposition we face."

Andrew Trimble was one of several close calls made by Kidney, but he said the Ulster winger had come through well after a difficult spell with injury.

"In Andrew's case, he had an injury situation where it was do you get it sorted, or do you play?

"Ulster, Andrew and ourselves decided the right option was not to take him on the summer tour to North America.

"He got what he needed done, had a big pre-season and when he started playing in September he showed great form. He has continued to do that on a consistent basis.

"Andrew was probably unlucky in November not to get a game, but Shane (Horgan) deserved his outing on that occasion.

"This time around he (Horgan) loses out and Andrew gets his chance."

Last year, Ulster skipper and hooker, Rory Best played a big part in the Grand Slam and he also captained the Ireland side which toured North America.

But he has not played since following a neck injury which required surgery. Remarkably, Best has returned to playing earlier than expected and with him fit and ready to go, Kidney had no problem naming him on the bench.

"It is a credit to Rory. It was a major injury, but the way he has got himself back and fit again. Indeed I think he is probably fitter than he has been for some time.

"I think the importance of the club system to us as well was reflected in that he was able to play for Banbridge just two weeks ago and then get an outing against Saxons last Sunday.

"The fact that he has presented himself as being fit and ready to go is a credit to himself as much as anyone else.

"He was a senior player for us last year and we are going to need all that experience coming into the game."

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