Ansible Lineinfile - escaping single quote when using a back reference - regex

Question

I am trying using the following Ansible play to change the default weak password for a number of SQL scripts:
- name: amend SQL User Passwords
sudo: yes
lineinfile: dest=/path/to/script/{{ item.file }} state=present backup=yes
regexp="CREATE USER (.*) PASSWORD 'password';$" line='CREATE USER \1 PASSWORD ''strongpassword'';' backrefs=yes
with_items:
- { file: create_db1_users_tables.sql }
- { file: create_db2_users_tables.sql }
- ...
- { file: create_dbNN_users_tables.sql }
Though the YAML specification suggests that it should,
Inside single quotes, you can represent a single quote in your string by using two single quotes next to each other.
the double single-quote are not acting as an escape character; instead they are being completely removed from the output line:
CREATE USER user1 PASSWORD stR0ngP#55w0rD
instead of
CREATE USER user1 PASSWORD 'stR0ngP#55w0rD'
So far I have tried:
Using double quotes - this allows the single quote around the password, however the backref is no-longer parsed, and just prints out as \1. Attempting to escape this as \\1 appears to have no affect.
Various different ways of escaping the single quote - backslashes, ticks. Most produce syntax errors or just output nothing.
Surrounding all the lineinfile arguments in double quotes (and suitably escaping everything within)
I can't use the Ansible database modules
I can't use templates, the scripts create and populate a number of tables, and can change between versions of the product - keeping templates up to date would be too much overhead.
I've found a similar Ansible question, Quotes in ansible lineinfile, but the solutions did not help.
Does anyone have any further suggestions?

Answer 1

Not that I enjoy answering my own posts but having trawlled more of the internet I came across this post, where the suggestion was made to use the replace module instead of the lineinfile**. The play:
- name: amend SQL User Passwords
sudo: yes
replace: dest=/path/to/script/{{ item.file }}
backup=yes
regexp="^CREATE USER (.*) PASSWORD 'password';$"
replace="CREATE USER \\1 PASSWORD 'strongpassword';"
with_items:
- { file: create_db1_users_tables.sql }
- { file: create_db2_users_tables.sql }
- ...
- { file: create_dbNN_users_tables.sql }
Works as expected, generating the desired SQL.
** This also re-enforces the fact that I should spend more time reading the Ansible manuals.