Six Nations Preview - France

Following a look at England yesterday, its now the turn of their mortal rivals - Les Bleus.

Last year - Runners up

Fixtures:
Sat 4th Feb 14:30 France v Italy
Sat 11th Feb 20:00 France v Ireland
Sun 26th Feb 15:00 Scotland v France
Sun 11th Mar 15:00 France v England
Sat 17th Mar 14:45 Wales v France

In the run up to World War 2 Churchill described Russia as "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma". Perhaps this is as close to understanding France as any non-Frenchman will ever get. Brilliant and frustrating in equal measure for those for and against them, no nation plays rugby like the French - a country that won away in New Zealand, then lost away to Italy within 18 months.

So, what of the France of 2012, Marc Lievremont is gone, the man who effectively tried to get France to become England - much to the horror of both nations, but how will the new France emerge, who can even guess.

What we do know is that the fixtures have been relatively kind to France - 3 home ties interspersed with a trip to Murrayfield before a final trip to the Millenium stadium (it still doesn't feel "right" not to write the Arms Park). Progress in the Heineken Cup has been steady, if unspectacular, after a World Cup where they often failed to spark, yet came within a point of ultimate victory.

Philipp Saint-Andre has shown his management credentials at club level, and will have good will stockpiled after the Lievremont era, if he can get France to fire - especially against Ireland and England they will have a chance of sweeping all before them, but then again, as we all know "France are France" and I think even on the day, even at halftime, you never quite know whats coming.

Overall, I believe that they have the players, they have the goodwill and they have the fixtures to go all the way, and with others still in a growth phase this may be the "heure des bleus" - a grand slam awaits - probably, well possibly, well ......