Scotland and France will take to the field at Telstra Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, 25 October for a match which should decide which team finishes top of Pool B.
Form guide
Both sides go into this clash of the Pool B heavyweights with an unbeaten record after two Rugby World Cup 2003 matches, although France have looked the most impressive of the two with a 61-18 defeat of Fiji and 51-29 win over Japan.
Scotland, who are ranked five places below their opponents at 10th in the Official IRB World Rankings, were given a scare by Japan before emerging 32-11 winners in their opening match. They then beat the USA Eagles 39-15.
Previous meetings
The two teams have met on 75 occasions dating back to January 1910, all bar two of them in the Five or Six Nations Championships, with France holding the advantage with 39 wins to Scotland’s 33. Three of the meetings have ended in draws.
Scotland are yet to defeat France this Millennium, the French having won the last four meetings between the two nations with a 38-3 success at the Stade de France in February 2003 their most recent encounter.
France and Scotland have met twice in the Rugby World Cup, their first meeting in May 1987 going down in Tournament history as the only draw to date, the sides ending the match at Lancaster Park in Christchurch locked at 20-20.
The 1995 Tournament saw France and Scotland again drawn together in the same Pool with Les Bleus emerging victorious 22-19 from another close match in Pretoria, South Africa.
Ins and outs
France have made seven changes to the team which beat a spirited Japanese side 51-29 in Townsville last weekend, including a new front row in Jean Jacques Crenca, Raphael Ibanez and Sylvain Marconnet.
Prop Marconnet will be making his Rugby World Cup debut after recovering from a thigh injury, while France have also strengthened their lineout by recalling lock Jerome Thion and number 8 Imanol Harinordoquy.
The other changes see Yannick Jauzion, a hat trick hero against Fiji, return at centre in place of Damien Traille and Nicolas Brusque return at full back with Clement Poitrenaud dropping out of the 22 man squad completely.
In a remarkable sequence of events Cameron Mather comes into the Scotland team at blind side flanker.
The 31 year old only arrived into the country five days ago as replacement for invalided Andrew Mower.
Jon Petrie's shoulder bruising and Martin Leslie's 12 week suspension has opened the path for him to play in the crucial decider.
Kenny Logan comes in for Simon Danielli, captain Bryan Redpath returns to scrum half, Scott Murray resumes his long standing second row partnership with Stuart Grimes and Jason White's power is restored to the back row.
Key Players
The return of Crenca, Ibanez, Marconnet, Thion and Harinordoquy will unquestionably strengthen the French pack and cause problems for Scotland, especially in the lineout where Scotland will be without the suspended Leslie.
However the French back line is just as dangerous with captain Fabien Galthié and Frédéric Michalak having been one of the best half back pairings in the Tournament, the latter is the top scorer with 50 points at the halfway stage of the Pool matches.
Likewise Jauzion and full back Brusque will be out to unlock the Scottish defence with the pace that has caused other nations problems, both before and during this Tournament.
For Scotland their fly half Gregor Townsend, his country’s most capped player with 79 caps, will once again be at the centre of their game and trying to orchestrate try scoring opportunities.
What it means
The winner of this match should go on to win Pool B and so avoid a likely quarter final with defending champions Australia at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 8 November, instead facing the runner up from Pool A.
If France emerge victorious then they will be all but assured a quarter final berth and make the Pool B finale, between Scotland and Fiji in Sydney next weekend, a showdown to decide the second qualifier. That is, of course, if Fiji beat Japan tonight.
What they said
Coach Bernard Laporte on playing Scotland:
“We are playing for first place in the Pool against the best team in the Pool.”
Manager Jo Maso on the changes to the French team:
“The changes from the team that played Japan take into account the opposition of Scotland. It is the best team, an in form team and if it is successful we will have four more matches to play. The adventure goes on...”
Match details
France play Scotland at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium. The match kicks off at: 20.30
Ireland’s David McHugh is the referee, fellow countrymen Alain Rolland and Alan Lewis will be running the touchlines.
The TV match official is Andy Turner from South Africa.