And the 25-year-old has revealed that Saint-André’s tactics bear a striking resemblance to Fabien Galthié with whom Trinh-Duc works at club level.

He said: “The new system of play is quite straightforward and well-thought out. Philippe has an ambitious project, which is based on attacking with lots of support for the ball carrier. It’s a little like what we do at Montpellier at the moment, in particular with two waves of attack. Everyone is adapting to it. I’m blossoming.”

Trinh-Duc has regained the starting fly-half shirt during this year’s RBS 6 Nations having lost it to Clermont’s Morgan Parra during the World Cup.

And while he admits that the French are still getting used to Saint-André’s new style, he insists that it things are beginning to click.

He added: “We’re not starting from scratch because we already know each other a little. But it’s a new system. We had some habits from the previous system. We need to find some new reflexes. It’s not done yet.

“I’m delighted to be part of this new adventure. It was a bit like my reunion with the number ten jersey in the French team. Without putting myself under too much pressure, it was a real joy.”