France eye Six Nations title, wary of England

With just one win standing between unbeaten France and its first Six Nations Grand Slam title since 2004, coach Marc Lievremont's team is wary ahead of Sunday's decisive encounter against England.

France demolished defending Grand Slam champion Ireland 33-10, won away at Scotland and survived a second-half onslaught in Wales, yet the French seem more preoccupied with talking up Martin Johnson's England team.

"We have more to lose than them," Lievremont said. "The English will be fighting for their pride."

France still carries the scars of major defeats to England, particularly World Cup semifinals losses in 2003 and 2007, and more recently a 34-10 thrashing at Twickenham in last year's Six Nations.

"In every important match the English have won by preying on our errors, waiting for our mistakes," France captain Thierry Dusautoir said.

In theory, France has little to worry about after heavily outscoring England 13-5 in tries and boasting the best forward pack in the Six Nations. The French front five totally dominated World Cup winner South Africa's forwards in a 20-13 win in November.

But Dusautoir admits nerves are jangling and that underneath the veneer of confidence gained from scoring around 30 points scored per game on average, the French still worry about England.

"I will try and control the team, to find the right words," Dusautoir said. "The mistake would be to start doubting everything we've done so far and to start freezing up. The English are waiting for one thing only: that we start asking ourselves too many questions."

Johnson's tactical changes - dropping flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson to the bench in favor of Toby Flood and recalling center Mike Tindall - have not changed Lievremont's way of thinking.

"England has always played the same rugby," Lievremont said. "We know that there will be a physical combat."

Even without Wilkinson, dropped for just the third time in his career, Lievremont thinks England pose the same threat.

"He wasn't there last year and that didn't stop us conceding more than 30 points," Lievremont said. "We know that if the match is closely fought and very tight, Jonny Wilkinson can be decisive coming late into the match."

Barring a surprise at Stade de France, there is nothing second-place Ireland can do against Scotland that will matter.

Only sufficiently big wins for both England and Ireland can rob France of a Six Nations title.

France center Mathieu Bastareaud, scorer of France's two tries in the 18-9 win against Scotland, returns to the French midfield in place of David Marty and that will help contain Tindall.

That was Lievremont's only change from the team which scored six tries in a 46-20 thrashing of Italy.

Despite a string of injuries to key players, France has maintained its consistency without sacrificing flair. The strength of the French Top 14 league is a big factor, according to Bastareaud.

"The French team has a good 40 players who can all challenge for a place," Bastareaud said. "We're permanently in competition with each other. Obviously that raises everyone's game."

Lievremont has instilled the discipline so lacking under previous coach Bernard Laporte, and Bastareaud says that has stopped France "playing our best rugby one week and being catastrophic the next."

The 21-year-old Bastareaud was in his early teens when England won the World Cup seven years ago, but played when England thrashed France last year.

"England are the eternal rival," Bastareaud said. "There are a lot of little old grudges from previous matches. We respect each other a lot, we fear each other a lot. It goes one way or another, but it's always a good match."

After resisting widespread calls for change after each uninspiring match, Johnson made six for Saturday's team.

Veteran lock Simon Shaw returns after recovering from a shoulder problem and Chris Ashton makes his debut on the wing in place of the concussed Ugo Monye.

Wilkinson made way for Flood, Tindall earns his 61st cap in place of Mathew Tait, Ben Foden replaces out-of-form fullback Delon Armitage and James Haskell drops to the bench to allow Lewis Moody to return at openside flanker.

Joe Worsley switches to blindside to replace Haskell.

The return of Tindall outside Riki Flutey and Flood means England starts with the same midfield that helped it take a 29-0 lead at halftime on the way to last season's mauling of the French.

"We were expecting Mike Tindall to return to strengthen the English midfield," Lievremont said.

"The thing I enjoy about it is that we have got a chance to really annoy the French, spoil their party and silence Stade de France," Tindall said.

- AP