France v Australia: It may be only a year on from Sydney and nearly three years until the next World Cup, but France and Australia are itching to know how they stand in the race to Paris 2007.
Asked this week if tonight's floodlit game at Stade de France marked the start of his team's build-up, Bernard Laporte looked surprised. "That campaign started at the final whistle after we lost (40-13) to the All Blacks in the third-place World Cup match," said the France coach.
Across town Eddie Jones had a similar message: "It's a benchmark game," said Australia's coach.
Both Jones and Laporte escaped the sack after being beaten by England in Australia and both are taking an evolutionary route to 2007, with France on a seven-match winning streak - the Six Nations champions rewarded with a £25 million World Cup budget this week - and Jones having a slightly bumpier ride.
Australia took revenge for the World Cup final defeat by crushing England 51-15 in June, but then tossed away the Tri-Nations title two months later when they fell apart in the deciding game against South Africa. In 20 minutes of atrocious rugby at the start of the second half, a 7-0 lead was turned into a 20-7 deficit.
As after the Sydney final, Jones turned on his forwards. Whereas Andre Watson had whistled the England front row to distraction in Sydney, there was no one to help when the Springboks put on the pressure in Durban.
Australia are clearly worried the same might happen tonight.
Immediately after beating Scotland 31-14 last weekend, their loose-head prop Bill Young was quick to point to a steadier set-piece performance. He described it as "reasonable" before cautioning: "But against France it is a different story".
Then with Australia barely settled at their Paris hotel, George Gregan had his say. The set-piece was France's "bread and butter", warned the Wallaby captain. "They have got a good lineout and this is going to be a tough scrum contest." All week long, word from the Australia camp has suggested they expect to be living off scraps. "It's going to be a bloody hard game," says Jones.
FRANCE: Brusque; Rougerie, Marsh, Traille, Heymans; Michalak, Elissalde; Milloud, Servat, Marconnet, Thion, Pelous (capt), Betsen, Magne, Harinordoquy. Replacements: Bruno, Mas, Pape, Bonnaire, Peyrelongue, Jauzion, Dominici.
AUSTRALIA: Latham; Rathbone, Mortlock, Giteau, Tuqiri; Larkham, Gregan (capt); Young, Paul, Baxter, Harrison, Vickerman, Smith, Waugh. Roe. Replacements: Cannon, Dunning, Chisholm, Lyons, Flatley, Rogers, Sailor.
Referee: C White (England).
