Brunel unveils France assistants

Thu, Jan 4, 2018, 6:00 AM
AFP
by AFP
Sebastien Bruno is one of three new France assistants. Photo: Getty Images
Sebastien Bruno is one of three new France assistants. Photo: Getty Images

Former France players Julien Bonnaire, Sebastien Bruno and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde were on Wednesday unveiled as new coach Jacques Brunel's three assistants.

Bonnaire will take charge of the line-out, Bruno the scrum and Elissalde the backline, while consultants Philippe Doussy and Jean-Marc Bederede will help out with kicking and defence respectively.

The nomination of Bonnaire, Bruno and Elissalde is a strong statement from French federation head Bernard Laporte, under whom the trio all played internationally for Les Bleus when he was head coach between 2000-7 and Brunel was his assistant.

The trio all took part in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Laporte's last foray as France coach, when the team finished fourth.

Former scrum-half Elissalde and flanker Bonnaire were both also starters in the memorable 20-18 quarter-final victory over favoured New Zealand.

Bernard Laporte spoke at the announcement. Photo: AFPLaporte had sought to bolster Brunel's backroom staff with some of the cream of French coaches from the Top 14, but the refusal of leading names such as Patrice Collazo, Franck Azema, Fabien Galthie and Pierre Mignoni to quit their jobs meant the two men now running the national team had to cast their net a little further.

Ex-hooker Bruno, assistant to Mignoni at Lyon since 2015, remains a Lyon coach, made available just for the Six Nations, while Bonnaire and Elissalde were without a club, the former only having hung up his boots last year and the latter having been brought in to coach the France under-18 team.

"This innovative backroom staff mixes skills present at the hearts of our clubs and those coming from the federal set-up," the federation said.

"It will be kept in place and boosted through to the 2019 World Cup. It is the first step for French rugby to rally around the French team."

Brunel, 63, quit Bordeaux-Begles to take over from Guy Noves who last month became the first French coach to be sacked after a meagre seven wins from 22 matches alongside 14 defeats and a humiliating home draw with 2019 World Cup hosts Japan.

Under Noves, France lost six consecutive games between June and November this year, a string of results too bad for Laporte to accept.

The Brunel era kicks off when France open their Six Nations campaign on February 3 against Ireland, a match for which the squad will assemble on January 21.

FIXTURES

Six Nations 2018 

Round one 

Saturday February 3 

Wales vs Scotland, Millennium Stadium, 2:15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT

France vs Ireland, Stade de France, 4:45pm local, Sunday 2:45am AEDT

Sunday February 4 

Italy vs England, Stadio Olimpico, 3pm local, Monday 1am AEDT

Round two 

Saturday February 10

Ireland vs Italy, Aviva Stadium, 2:15om local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT 

England vs Wales, Twickenham, 4:45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT

Sunday February 11 

Scotland vs France, Murrayfield Stadium, 3pm local, Monday 2am AEDT

Round three 

Friday February 23

France vs Italy, Stade de France, 8pm local, Saturday 6am AEDT

Saturday February 24 

Ireland vs Wales, Aviva Stadium, 2:15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT

Scotland vs England, Murrayfield Stadium, 4:45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT

Round four 

Saturday March 10 

Ireland vs Scotland, Aviva Stadium, 2:15pm local, Sunday 1:15am AEDT

France vs England, Stade de France, 4:45pm local, Sunday 3:45am AEDT

Sunday March 11 

Wales vs Italy, Millennium Stadium, 3pm local, Monday 2am AEDT

Round five 

Saturday March 17 

Italy vs Scotland, Stadio Olimpico, 12:30pm local, 10:30pm AEDT

England vs Ireland, Twickenham, 2:45pm local, Sunday 1:45am AEDT

Wales vs France, Millennium Stadium, 5pm local, Sunday 4am AEDT

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