Six Nations 2013, Italy v France: we still cannot understand French despite Philippe Saint-André's results One observer described France's coach Marc Lièvremont as "a father in the morning and a mother in the afternoon," in terms of the way he bounced from dishing out public rebukes to his players one minute, to holding private love-ins with them the next. The reference was just as applicable, it seemed, to the way France approached, and played through, their World Cup schedule. Lievremont has now gone, replaced by Philippe Saint-André, who took over after the World Cup had ended, and there is hope that Saint-Andre, popular and, curiously, more obviously stereotypically French in terms of his gestures and mannerisms than Lievremont, might take a new line. Certainly, the difference between the French team that played and lost to Italy in 2011 and the one facing them this afternoon is considerable. Only Yoann Huget, amongst the backs, and Nicolas Mas and Thierry Dusautoir, from the forwards, have survived. The rest have either been culled, are injured, or, like Morgan Parra and François Trinh-Duc, wait to make their contributions from the bench. But Saint-André has taken a while to bed down. Injuries are a constant headache for any national coach, but they alone do not account for the time it has taken Saint-André to find his team. In his 10 matches in charge, only lock Pascal Papé, who will captain the side in Rome, has played in each of Saint-André"s teams. Yoann Maestri, Papé"s partner, has turned out in eight of those Tests, and Louis Picamoles, the powerful No 8, has managed seven. Elsewhere, Saint-André has struggled to settle on individuals and combinations. The most glaring area of inconsistency has been at half back, the decision-making hub of the team, where Saint-André has already used four scrum-halves and three outside-halves. Maxime Machenaud, at 9, and Frédéric Michalak, at 10, the pair chosen for this Rome encounter, have been in harness on just three occasions, coming together for the first time in the second Test against Argentina on France's summer tour. Their selection represents a significant gamble for Saint-André. Most of Michalak's rugby this season for Toulon has been at scrum-half, clearly a stick with which to beat Saint-Andre if Michalak fails to find his rhythm. And Saint-André has chosen to bench the experienced Morgan Parra who has had a splendid season with Clermont, one of the big beasts of this season's Heineken Cup. On such decisions do coaches' reputations rise or fall. The other issue for Saint-André is to discover how to get his men to want to play, a factor which seems incomprehensible to anyone outside the Test environment gagging to put on his or her country's shirt. But France, more than any other nation, can get affected by a collective malaise which robs them of energy and desire. Several theories have been trotted out in an attempt to explain France's turbulent run of results. The fact that they are poor travellers was one, the players" uneasy relationship with Lièvremont another. My favourite, though, was the charge that Bernard Laporte, Lièvremont's predecessor, a taciturn disciplinarian who guided France through two World Cups and 98 Tests from 2000 to 2007, securing two Grand Slams and an additional two Six Nations titles, was simply too un-French in his approach. Maybe that's the point. Maybe the expectations on France are unrealistically high in a professional age where margins are squeezed ever tighter, and where idiosyncrasies of national style are ever rarer, and that to demand consistency of excellence from any French side in that context is unfair. That could well be true, but it is difficult to hold to that view once you've witnessed France in full flow, seen them toss aside good New Zealand teams, seen them pulse with vitality and invention. It is in those moments, when France have found their muse, that international rugby shifts from the gladiatorial towards the ethereal. Not much to ask of Saint-André then as he starts his second Six Nations. Just the little matter of beating Italy, difficult enough nowadays in Rome, as Wales and Scotland and, er, France have discovered in recent seasons. And to do so with a panache that only they can truly claim. STAT ATTACK France have won 12 of the 13 matches between the sides since 2000, scoring 59 tries to Italy's 15. Prop Yannick Forestier and scrum-half Maxime Machenaud are making their Six Nations debuts for France. Italy have one Six Nations first-timer in lock Francesco Minto. Thierry Dusautoir is a true warrior, Wesley Fofana is a class act and Louis Picamoles is a tractor in disguise. Italy have Sergio Parisse, Sergio Parisse and Sergio Parisse. Italy's No 8 and captain has carried the team for most of his 91 caps. Most of the Italian side, particularly Luciano Orquera, who is on his 58th attempt to establish himself at outside-half. There are whispers, too, that Martin Castrogiovanni's best days are behind him. France are in decent nick but Florian Fritz can be pedestrian. MYTH BUSTER Andrea Masi, for proving Italian backs can get over the gain line. He made the most metres (459) in last season's championship. France for proving they are not an undisciplined shower. They conceded fewest penalties last season (41), at around eight per match. The when the tournament average was 11. Italy will beat France to post two successive Six Nations victories (they beat Scotland at the end of last season), matching their best run in 2007. Or France will win convincingly. My money's on the latter. HOW THEY LINE UP ITALY A Masi; G Venditti, T Benvenuti, A Sgarbi, L McLean; L Orquera, T Botes; A Lo Cicero, L Ghiraldini, M Castrogiovanni, Q Geldenhuys, F Minto, A Zanni, S Favaro, S Parisse (capt). Replacements D Giazzon, A de Marchi, L Cittadini, A Pavanello, P Derbyshire, E Gori, K Burton, G Canale. FRANCE Y Huget; W Fofana, F Fritz, M Mermoz, B Fall; F Michalak, M Machenaud; Y Forestier, D Szarzewski, N Mas, P Papé (capt), Y Maestri, T Dusautoir, F Ouedraogo, L Picamoles. Replacements B Kayser, V Debaty, L Ducalon, R Taofifenua, D Chouly, M Parra, F Trinh-Duc, M Bastareaud. Referee Nigel Owens (Wales).