France prop Sylvain Marconnet hopes to unsettle coach Bernard Laporte's prop hierarchy and show he also has the potential to become a first-team regular ahead of the World Cup as the defending RSB 6 Nations champions take on Scotland on Sunday.
Marconnet has been in constant competition with Jean-Jacques Crenca and Pieter De Villiers, who is out of the tournament after testing positive for cocaine and ecstasy. Last time Marconnet started an international was in a 31-25 defeat to Australia during their summer tour last June, and he hopes he will leave the Stade de France pitch with victory this time.
Marconnet replaces Christian Califano, who was disappointing in their 25-17 defeat to England. "I experienced great satisfaction when I found out I was in the starting line-up," said Marconnet.
"I will do all I can not to waste my return to the team. My international career has always been made of ups and downs. I was called back, sidelined, in the first team and then on the bench.
"I am now 26 and I think all this experience helped me mature and grow up. People always used to say about me that I had huge potential. And I think I have become more consistent now. Against Scotland I have to be a flexible prop ahead of the World Cup."
