Laporte identifies Irish match as key

Rugby Digest: FRANCE France coach Bernard Laporte believes victory over Ireland in Dublin this season could ultimately see his…

Rugby Digest: FRANCEFrance coach Bernard Laporte believes victory over Ireland in Dublin this season could ultimately see his team retain the Six Nations championship crown.

After next week's opener against Italy in Rome, France will be Ireland's first Test opponents at their temporary Croke Park home.

France then host Wales, before tackling England at Twickenham then winding up against Scotland.

But Laporte has already identified the February 11th appointment with Ireland as critical to their campaign: "It is important to win the first game against Italy, and then if we can beat Ireland, I think it could mean we will win the tournament.

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Plans, meanwhile, to reduce his 40-man squad towards match-day proportions of 22 players have been delayed because of injury problems.

The party will now be named on Sunday following the latest round of French Championship action, with team manager Jo Maso declaring: "There are too many uncertainties. There is no point in naming a squad now, if we then have to change it in two days' time."

ENGLAND:Coach Brian Ashton has formally ruled wings Paul Sackey and Mark Cueto out of his selection plans for the Calcutta Cup.

Wasps' Sackey is battling to overcome a knee injury which also threatens to sideline him from Italy's Twickenham visit on February 10th. Sale Sharks' Cueto is laid low by a calf muscle problem.

Ashton has also released Bristol scrumhalf Shaun Perry and Gloucester lock Alex Brown, who both join the England Saxons squad.

PREMIERSHIP:Premier Rugby negotiators will resume talks with Twickenham next week about the management of elite players after being given unanimous backing by club owners over proposals to end the infighting that has dogged the professional game in England.

Premier Rugby's chairman Tom Walkinshaw yesterday addressed a meeting of club owners and chief executives at a Heathrow hotel and outlined plans drawn up with the Rugby Football Union which would see the wages of England's 32-strong elite squad paid by the governing body, with the clubs holding their contracts.

The players would make between 12 and 22 appearances each season for their clubs, who will be able to use the extra cash to increase the size of their squads with the salary cap rising to at least £3m. There will also be financial incentives for sides to field predominantly England-qualified players in their match-day 22 while players will spend the entire autumn international and Six Nations campaigns with the national side.