Laporte will use the forthcoming RBS 6 Nations Championship to give his squad's fringe players a final chance to prove themselves ahead of the year's main event - the World Cup, which begins in September.

It has meant he has chosen an experimental starting line-up for the opening Six Nations match, an away clash against Latin rivals Italy in Rome on Saturday.

Many feel he should be finalising his best XV - not smoothing the rough edges of his squad - at this relatively late stage if Les Bleus are to mould a team ready to win the World Cup.

But Laporte believes he is following the correct course of action.

'We don't want to have any regrets,' he said.

'We want to be able to go to the players, look into the eyes of all those who want a place in the (World Cup) squad, and tell them they had a chance to prove themselves. Then the time will come to choose.'

'Of course we want to win these games - when a team like France enters a tournament, they aim to win it.

'But the important thing is to try out as many players as possible.

'We are using the Six Nations to put the finishing touches to our plans.'

Scrum-half Pierre Mignoni, fly-half David Skrela, number eight Sebastien Chabal and full-back Clement Poitrenaud all occupy vital positions, and they are the players under most scrutiny this weekend.

The quartet have all been brought back into the France fold at a late stage after spells in the international wilderness.

And they know a bad performance at the Stadio Flaminio could spell the end for their World Cup dreams.

Putting such pressure on players who will form the spine of the Les Bleus team this weekend is a dangerous game to play, but Laporte is happy with his selection.

'To have a back-bone means having several experienced players at hooker, number eight, scrum-half, fly-half and full-back.

'But it doesn't mean the same player has to play all the games.'