In the two years since he was appointed France coach, Marc Lièvremont has mastered the art of the rapid riposte. Asked about his side's lack of consistency – they have not won more than two matches in a row while he has been in charge – he smiles wickedly: "Don't you find it exciting?" Up to a point, yes, but for those who dream of a Gallic grand slam or World Cup victory, it must be somewhat disturbing.

With less than two years until the World Cup, the charge sheet against the France trainer is topped by two items: that his side veer from the sublime to the ridiculous, and that he is not a model of consistency in his selections, constantly tinkering, unable to settle on a regular XV, bringing in players from left field on a regular basis. (Hands up all those who remember Arnaud Méla, the lock who came from nowhere for the coach's first Six Nations?)

Lièvremont is willing to take the charge of inconsistency on the chin and says fixing that will be his priority in the next two months. "I accept full responsibility for the fact we aren't consistent. I can't deny it's a problem. We've been looking for it for two years, and we haven't managed it. It's easily illustrated by the fact that we have never managed to win three matches in a row in the last two years. We can win against anyone, but we can lose against anyone as well. It's something we will be hugely aware of during this Six Nations."

Having said that, he points out that in the 21st century few international teams stay at the same level for long. "In France, we think it's a very French problem, but I notice that it's similar for other nations. England are looking for it, and if you take Wales since 2007, they fell completely flat in that World Cup, they did the grand slam the next year, and then struggled again in 2009. The All Blacks weren't that good in the summer then finished last year at the top of their game. It was the other way round for South Africa."

Lièvremont is less comfortable with the tinkering charge. "I'm done with experimenting. People seem to feel that period is still going on, but as far as I'm concerned it ended a long time ago." His argument is that given a long retirement list after the 2007 World Cup he had no option but to bring in young players en masse. Now, he says: "We have a big pool of players who come into the team regularly. The idea now is to keep working with the same guys so they know each other, but at the same time to encourage players who are coming through. The squad is pretty stable now, but you have injury problems as with Fabien Barcella, suspensions like Julien Dupuy, and those who have lost form like Cédric Heymans and Maxime Médard."

Lièvremont feels that given the demands of modern rugby, it is unwise to rely too heavily on a small group of players, and rather than looking for a regular XV his job has been to create a group of about 40 players who are all in contention for team places. "I've always had to work within the constraints of the French calendar so it would be unwise to bet on a totally settled team. Our season lasts 11 months, there are injuries, there is a lack of continuity, guys come in and out of form. The further I go in this sport, the more I become aware of its complexity. My concept is for a squad not a team. In the short term the turnover of players might affect us, but it might prove very profitable in the medium and long term."

One development may tip the balance for Les Bleus this spring. In September, agreement was finally reached between the French Federation and the clubs over player release. Under the agreement, the France trainer will lose his players for just one club game between now and the end of the Championship – in the other Top 14 round scheduled, France players will not be released. Additionally, last week's Top 14 games were brought forward, to give the national squad an unprecedented nine days together before they open their Six Nations against Scotland.

This might just explain Lièvremont's response when asked to nominate the favourites for this Six Nations: "If I dared, I'd say France." He tempers that with: "Our biggest rival is the France team itself." But one thing is certain. With the club v country issue settled, and his squad "stable", there are no excuses left in the locker if he and his team fail to string some wins together.