After Michel Platini ended his international career in 1987, France struggled for nearly a decade. When Zinedine Zidane quit after last year’s World Cup final, many feared having to wait years before cheering on another truly competitive team.

In fact, maybe not.

To face Austria last week, coach Raymond Domenech tested his young guns and they looked good in a 1-0 win. Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri, both 19, won their first caps while Abou Diaby, 20, and Lassana Diarra, 22, played for their country only for the second time. Funny fact: Thuram alone had more caps alone than all the other France players in the starting line-up put together.

Okay, it was only a friendly against Austria, but the youngsters looked better than the usual suspects who had laboured in a 1-0 win over Lithuania in a Euro 2008 qualifier a few days before. And the fact that Benzema scored the winner from a Nasri free kick was both a symbol and a promise. That is, if you fancy the land of wine, cheese and flair.

While Diarra already looks good enough to take over Claude Makelele’s crucial role as a holding midfielder, Benzema, Nasri and Diaby might have to wait a few more years before becoming automatic choices. But maybe it will happen for them a bit sooner than many predict.

In 1997, Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet were both 19 and had never played for France. The following year, both were part of the squad who wrote the most glorious page in the history of French soccer.

Patrick Vignal is a Reuters sports correspondent based in Paris