Question: which country denied England and France Grand Slams at the final hurdle in the same season? Answer, Ireland? It would be a good one alright if it came to pass, though even allowing for the quirk of history which makes it possible, it still has an unreal air to it.Gerry Thornley reports from Paris

Stopping a rusty England in their tracks last autumn in Dublin was one thing - and a brilliant achievement it was too - but also denying France a Grand Slam in their Parisian back yard quite another.

This is all the more true with les Bleus clearly on a roll, confidence high, the majority of the 80,000 in Stade de France whipping up a fair old patriotic fervour and, of course, the sun on their backs.

The forecast is for the temperatures to ease a few degrees from their highs of 70 this past few days, news which brought a relieved wiping of brows in the Irish camp amid the woods of Chantilly yesterday. (Note: In a remarkably misleading act, a week before was he removed, Warren Gatland was sent to France by the IRFU to choose this week's base.) Even so, gallons of water will have been guzzled by the Irish players in the 24 hours before the game and, figuratively speaking, the temperature is unlikely to dip.

For the record, mathematically Ireland can still win the championship if they beat France and Italy beat England tomorrow. The odds on such a double are in excess of 200 to 1 according to Paddy Power, so enough said on that one.

Dealing purely with events here, a hat-trick of wins, including back-to-back success in the Stade de France, also heightens the unlikelihood of an upset. France won't take Ireland lightly and there'll be a strong whiff of vengeance in the Parisian air today. Furthermore, of course, they have the all-powerful spur of a Grand Chelem, the first since the championship was expanded to six nations.

Even the day before the match L'Equipe devoted its first four pages to the "Chelem", though coach Bernard Laporte has pointedly refused to discuss it in public, saying that it is only being spoken of in the team room.

"The most important thing is not the Grand Slam but to beat Ireland. We haven't done that for three years. The Grand Slam would be a nice present for the players but it's not our first objective. We don't play the game against the Grand Slam, we play the game against Ireland."

Perhaps the French coach is striving to deflect the pressure from his players mentally, and there is a fear within French circles that this French side might now lack fear, certainly the kind of fear which England generated a month ago.France now expects, a worrying state of affairs psychologically for the Gallic temperament.

Like virtually every game of rugby, the degree to which one pack can get on top of the other will decide the outcome. Asked what in particular was required of the French performance against Ireland, Laporte said: "We know that against Ireland we have to play intelligently and with intensity.

"But there is no secret to rugby. First, in order to win, we have to win the battle for the ball. Secondly, we have to win the battle, and thirdly we have to win the battle. In rugby that is the priority, but most of all we must be ourselves."

The Ireland coach, Eddie O'Sullivan, though he phrased it differently, put it in the same nutshell. But the worrying thing for him must be that the Irish forward play has not been exceptional in their last three outings, and the the degree to which opposing teams have analysed and then attacked the Irish lineout was only compounded by the apparent ease with which the Italian scrum wheeled Ireland last time out.

Of course Keith Wood is back, praise be the Lord, and he will assuredly command an improved performance from those around him. Even then, while identifying the need to secure primary possession and hold onto it, O'Sullivan has also admitted that "the frustrating thing about the Italian match was the amount of ball we put on the ground. We would like to be a lot more clinical with the ball than we have up to now and we'd like to think that if we create opportunities we will execute them."

In Paris, England were unceremoniously reminded of their sins in Dublin last autumn when they attempted to play the beautiful game from their half in the first period. Thus, rather than running at the French from everywhere with every chance they get, Ireland will seek to intensify the pressure on France by playing for territory, maybe even mauling them off lineouts, set more close-in targets and retain the ball, and then push up on the French and force them into mistakes.

It's a tall order for sure. In the last four outings Ireland have had an edge in midfield, which was magnified last season with David Wallace operating as an auxiliary attacking centre. But it's hard to see that being repeated. To be honest, it's hard not to see France winning, so, in many ways, from an Irish perspective, this one is about the performance.

O'Sullivan has likened France to Ireland in the way their game is "very expansive, very structured and very organised". As with England's playmakers, the halfbacks, Fabien Galthie and Gerald Merceron, can swap roles with the French seamlessly strung out across the pitch as they move through the phases. They are now playing with the same attacking breadth with which England seriously unhinged Ireland in Twickenham, and this is bound to be another searching examination of the evolving defensive system.

The Irish coach may not share the notion in public, but, whatever about the three home wins, such is the memory of the Twickenham thumping that to a large degree this afternoon will indeed define Ireland's campaign. At the very least, a good performance has to be the benchmark.

Odds (Paddy Power): 1 to 4 France, 18 to 1 Draw, 3 to 1 Ireland. Handicap odds: Ireland (+12pts) evens France, 16 to 1 draw, 4 to 5 Ireland.