Six Nations:
Lièvremont
calls up Michalak for the first time after Tillous-Borde
injury
17 March 2009
Frederic
Michalak has won a recall to the French squad for the first
time since the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
The
Stade Toulousain favourite has been called in as cover for
injured scrum-half Sebastien Tillous-Borde, after the
Castres player was forced to withdraw on Monday evening.
Michalak
has won most of his 50 international caps at fly-half, but
has been playing at scrum-half for his club in recent weeks
after both Byron Kelleher and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde were
sidelined with injuries.
It is
the first time he has been picked by France head coach Marc
Lièvremont, who said earlier this season that he saw
Michalak as a No 9 rather than 10. Now the Stade Toulousain
player has the chance to return to the position in which he
made his international debut.
The
26-year-old has had a mixed season since returning to his
hometown club following a season away in South Africa, where
he helped the Natal Sharks lift the Currie Cup.
After
his recall he admitted that waiting on the sidelines since
his return had been hard. “The coach made his choice and you
have to respect that,” he said.
“I
return because of an injury to a player. I’m sad for him
(Tillous-Borde) but happy for me. Now it’s up to me to seize
the opportunity and make the most of it,” he added.
His
Stade Toulousain team-mate William Servat, 31, has also been
called up by Lièvremont, after the coach had earlier said he
would keep faith with the same 23-man squad
which crumbled against England.
Injuries
again forced his hand, however, with Benjamin Kayser having
to step down due to a sprained neck.
Servat,
who has 20 caps, last played for France against Wales in the
2008 Six Nations. Both he and Michalak are expected to join
the French squad on Tuesday.
Lièvremont, meanwhile, had earlier laid into his players
following their Twickenham debacle – then promptly shocked
observers by naming the same squad (prior to the injury
withdrawals) to face Italy.
“The
team just fell apart when they got onto the field,” he
admitted after the 34-10 trouncing. “I think some of them
did not put enough effort into a match at this level. Some
of them seem to have got carried away, despite our warnings,
after the match against Wales.
“I think
some of them did not fully take into account what is needed
at this level of play in terms of physical effort and
technical skills, and some of them were mistaken in the way
they prepared themselves for this match,” he added.
Quite
how that reflects on his own management is open to
interpretation, but Lièvremont said he felt some loyalty to
his players despite their pathetic showing against England.
“It’s true that yesterday (Sunday) we spoke
about changes, but that won’t be the case,” he said. “We
thought this squad was good enough to play against England
so there is no reason why they cannot win in Italy.”
The
illogicality of that last statement goes completely against
Lièvremont's previous selection policy – which has involved
endless tinkering, even to winning teams – and once more the
French coach has opened himself up to potential media
criticism.
His view
that “we won’t be able to learn a lot from this game” will
hardly endear him to the Italians either, who won’t lack for
motivation as they seek to avoid the wooden spoon. The raft
of French-based players in their squad – including Sergio
Parisse and the Bergamasco brothers – need only point to
Lièvremont's dismissive comments to get the old Latin blood
pumping.
So, it
could be another testing weekend for the under-pressure
coach, who may yet surprise himself with what he does learn.
Maybe, not to be off-hand with the opposition before an
international match that could affect his own job prospects?
France
Forwards: Lionel Faure (Sale), Fabien Barcella
(Biarritz), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), William
Servat (Stade Toulousain), Thomas Domingo (Clermont),
Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais), Jerome Thion (Biarritz),
Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt), Louis Picamoles
(Montpellier), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Thierry
Dusautoir (Stade Toulousain), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont),
Sebastien Chabal (Sale).
Backs: Morgan Parra (Bourgoin), Frederic Michalak
(Stade Toulousain), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier),
Yannick Jauzion (Stade Toulousain), Florian Fritz (Stade
Toulousain), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais), Cedric
Heymans (Stade Toulousain), Maxime Medard (Stade
Toulousain), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Julien Malzieu
(Clermont).
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