A year ago France coach Marc Lievremont was dubbed by a typically unrestrained English press 'The Professor of Madness' after a humiliating 34-10 defeat by England.
Here at the Stade de France on Saturday he looked more like the 'Professor of Genius' after delivering France's first Six Nations Grand Slam since 2004 as they ended years of misery against arch-foes England with a gutsy 12-10 success.
The 41-year-old was entitled to heap scorn on the English press, but the former France backrow forward - a Grand Slam winner in 1998 and a member of the side that lost to Australia in the 1999 World Cup final - is not prone to such outbursts, perhaps borne out of the disciplined upbringing he received as the son of a French army officer.
Instead the quietly spoken former France Under-21 coach - two of whose six brothers Thomas and Mathieu also played for France - contented himself with victory.
"It will be the first time in two years that I end a competition with a serene and pleasurable feeling," said Lievremont, who was born in Senegal where his father was stationed.
However, an ever modest Lievremont - who was also labelled 'The Tinkerman' - did not wish to dwell on what it meant to him personally in winning the Grand Slam.
"I am very happy and very proud of the behaviour of my players, of their courage and their unity during the 80 minutes of the match," said Lievremont, whose upbringing was so strict that televison was rarely allowed.
"I am not here, however, to write my personal history. I am above all happy for my players."
Lievremont, whose selection policy has been justified by his blooding of halfbacks Morgan Parra and Francois Trinh-Duc two years ago, does occasionally let slip a steelier side as when he was asked about his use of the replacements in the second-half.
"Don't you want to let us go?" he said visibly irritated.
"We have just won a Grand Slam, we really want to go and drink some beers and celebrate our victory, rather than answer the same old questions."
.jpg)
