Jonny Wilkinson was again England's hero as the defending champions reached the Rugby World Cup final with a hard-fought 14-9 victory over France in Paris on Saturday night.
France fought back from 13-0 down to pull off an astonishing 20-18 victory and send favorites New Zealand crashing out of the Rugby World Cup in Cardiff.
Cedric Heymans was named at full-back in the France team for the opening match of the rugby World Cup against Argentina at the Stade de France on Friday.
Captain Brian O'Driscoll will miss Ireland's opening match of the World Cup next month after suffering a fractured sinus during a warm-up match in France, the Irish Rugby Union said on Friday.
France have recalled number eight Elvis Vermeulen, three years after he won the last of his three caps, in their starting line-up for the first test against New Zealand.
France coach Bernard Laporte has given Thomas Castaignede his first start at fly-half for six years in the team to face Romania in Bucharest on Saturday.
Jonny Wilkinson was again England's hero as the defending champions reached the Rugby World Cup final with a hard-fought 14-9 victory over France in Paris on Saturday night.
France fought back from 13-0 down to pull off an astonishing 20-18 victory and send favorites New Zealand crashing out of the Rugby World Cup in Cardiff.
Cedric Heymans was named at full-back in the France team for the opening match of the rugby World Cup against Argentina at the Stade de France on Friday.
Captain Brian O'Driscoll will miss Ireland's opening match of the World Cup next month after suffering a fractured sinus during a warm-up match in France, the Irish Rugby Union said on Friday.
France have recalled number eight Elvis Vermeulen, three years after he won the last of his three caps, in their starting line-up for the first test against New Zealand.
France coach Bernard Laporte has given Thomas Castaignede his first start at fly-half for six years in the team to face Romania in Bucharest on Saturday.
France named Frederic Michalak at flyhalf on Tuesday for their Six Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday despite a painful groin injury.
New Zealand completed a memorable year and a Grand Slam of wins over the four unions of the British Isles with a 29-10 defeat of Scotland at Murrayfield.
France flyhalf Frederic Michalak could miss his country's rugby internationals in November after injuring his right ankle in a club match for Toulouse.
Frederic Michalak was the toast of Toulouse, as they won the Heineken Cup for an unprecedented third time by beating Stade Francais 18-12 after extra time.
Martyn Williams scored two tries early in the second-half as Wales staged a stunning comeback to beat France 24-18 at the Stade de France and remained on course for their first Six Nations grand slam since 1978
France fly-half Frederic Michalak is making a quicker-than-expected recovery from a badly sprained ankle and was optimistic about being fit for the start of the Six Nations in February.
France have dropped openside flanker Olivier Magne and recalled Thomas Lievremont in one of two changes to the team to play Wales in Cardiff in Sunday's Six Nations match.
France overcame weakened Ireland 35-17 in Paris in the Six Nations opener and began to erase the memory of their shattering World Cup defeat by England.
Toulouse scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde has been handed the job of replacing Fabien Galthie in France's Six Nations championship opener against Ireland on Saturday.
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