Rugby World Cup: Driverless French bus about to reach last stop

In the space of about a minute yesterday, Imanol Harinordoquy may have got to the nub of the discontent within the French World Cup effort.

Call it trust. It may not be the whole story, but bank on it being part of the problem.

The big No 8, recalled for the quarter-final against England, will be an influential figure in their bid to advance to the last four.

The French campaign has been blighted by a series of apparent blues between coach Marc Lievremont and his players.

Essentially, Lievremont believes the players are capable of far better than they've shown and hasn't been slow to give them verbal clouts. This hasn't gone down the way the coach may have envisaged.

According to Harinordoquy's version of the situation, too much talk outside the teepee is a key element in the grumbling which has threatened to derail France's cup hopes.

Asked yesterday whether, as Lievremont has said, he agreed that the French team had not "got off the bus" at the tournament, the 31-year-old Biarritz loose forward replied: "It is not a problem that he says that to us.

"The problem is everybody knows. You understand what I mean? All media know he says that.

"I think there are things that have to stay in the room when you speak between a coach and the players."

Pressed on whether the French players were still "on the bus" or had disembarked, Harinordoquy said succinctly: "We will see on Saturday."

The message was clear: the players would prefer the coach kept his own counsel within the walls of the team room. Certainly Lievremont has not spared the rod in public, if he has felt the players deserve a rocket.

After losing to Italy in the Six Nations championship last March, Lievremont, 42, accused his players of cowardice and "lacking courage".

"When I speak with them, nothing happens. Some of the players maybe wore the France jersey for the last time," Lievremont added.

When France's place in the last eight was confirmed, despite the loss to Tonga last Saturday night, Lievremont said that "never has qualification tasted as bitter as this".

For a radical solution to France's dilemma, look no further than Wales assistant coach, and former British league international, Shaun Edwards. He advocates Lievremont standing aside, and letting the squad unify itself.

"I can see no other way because the chemistry within the group is clearly very wrong, even if you just take what is being said by management and players at face value," he wrote in his Guardian column.