France take Boks scalps

TOULOUSE – France coach Marc Lievremont has come under the usual fire since taking charge of the national team a year ago but there is now a strong feeling that he is working to a well-oiled masterplan.

Going into the Test against South Africa on Friday, Lievremont had an average record of nine wins for nine losses, having blooded a massive 68 players and continually tinkered with combinations in the process.But there is no doubt that given his team’s comprehensive 20-13 win over the world champion Springboks in front of a fervent Toulouse crowd and the surprise 27-22 defeat of the All Blacks in Dunedin in the summer that he has some real players of potential to go into the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.’Beyond the score, we’re very satisfied with how we played strategically and tactically,’ said Lievremont, who saw his forwards dominate the breakdown and scrum and half-back pairing Julien Dupuy and Francois Trihn-Duc perform admirably.Captain Thierry Dusautoir said an aggressive defence had been key to the French win.The Springboks repeatedly paid the price for ill-discipline during the game, Morné Steyn and Ryan Kankowski both sin-binned as referee Wayne Barnes cracked down on collapsing the rolling maul and rucks.Dupuy kicked four penalties from six, and Morgan Parra one, with winger Vincent Clerc bagging a try for the home side while Morné Steyn hit a penalty and drop-goal as well as converting Smit’s opportunist try from an overthrown home line-out. – Nampa-AFP