Bernard Laporte has earned something of a reputation for winning titles at the first attempt and France will hope their coach lives up to that tag in his first crack at the Rugby World Cup.
The 38 year old, who was appointed in November 1999, started this trait with his appointment as Stade Francais coach in 1996, taking them from bottom of the third division to top flight champions in just three years, winning the three titles en route.
Laporte won his first Test as national coach with a 36-3 defeat of Wales in the inaugural Six Nations campaign, a title he would not capture until the third attempt with a Grand Slam in 2002 – France having finished a lowly fifth the previous year.
Credited with adding a touch of discipline to the flair and unpredictability that has always been part and parcel of French rugby, Laporte took his first steps as a coach with an assistant role at the Stade Bordelais University club between 1993 and 1995.
A talented scrum half in his day, Laporte won the French Under-21 Championship with Galliac in 1983 and again in 1984, the second time as captain. Seven years later he captained Begles-Bordeaux to the French Championship.