A disastrous RBS 6 Nations saw France finish with the Wooden Spoon after only winning against Scotland and drawing against Ireland – heading into the final weekend of the tournament they were still winless.  

Chabal – an iconic figure for France over the last decade – believes Philippe Saint-Andre’s players looked tired before the tournament had even begun.

And the former Sale man believes an urgent overhaul of the domestic and international season is needed if France is to return to their former glories.

“The players are continuously involved in games,” said Chabal. “Fred Michalak played 46 games in a year and that’s too many.

“An international player now only gets a break from rugby if they’re injured and that’s not good enough.

“French rugby has a lot of questions that need answering if we’re to improve on our Six Nations. Nobody listens to the players and that needs to change.”