France coach Bernard Laporte says his team, which has recently beaten Australia and South Africa, must still improve to stand a chance of winning the 2007 World Cup.
France beat South Africa 26-20 on Saturday at Stade de France to give Laporte a fourth straight win following comfortable successes against Tonga and Canada and a 26-16 win over the Wallabies.
”We need more power and more intensity,” Laporte said on Sunday.
”Which is what the South Africans have, for example. Our objective is to be competitive when we don’t have the ball and be more dangerous when we do. That’s what the All Blacks do so well.”
Laporte is keen to continue experimenting with his squad and expects to involve up to 40 players in the upcoming Six Nations championship in a bid to develop his team further before France hosts the World Cup.
”It’s difficult to say whether the gap between us and the southern hemisphere sides has closed,” Laporte said.
”Especially when you look at New Zealand which won all its matches in Europe, stuck 40 points on Ireland and Wales and could have done so against England.”
New Zealand beat Scotland 29-10 on Saturday to secure a Grand Slam of the British Isles.
Laporte remains cautious about the level of France’s progress.
”We should not think that we’ve made it,” he said. ”If we played against South Africa in two days’ time, maybe we’d lose.”
However, Laporte said Les Tricolores had progressed.
”Against South Africa we were able to pick up points even when we were in trouble,” he said.
”This enabled us to get some points on the board and take a bit of pressure off us. We sense that the players are already working toward the World Cup.”
Laporte praised the form of fullback Thomas Castaignede, who returned to the national team following a lengthy absence.
”Thomas has got back to the top level,” Laporte said. – Sapa-AP