A few years ago, not long after the game had gone professional, the Rugby Football Union, in cahoots with their French counterparts, suggested that the last game in the Six Nations should always be between England and France as they inevitably would be the two best teams and the match would be a championship decider. How arrogant can you get?
Well, they finally get their wish this season as their match is the last on the calendar on Saturday March 20 in Paris. But whether it will be a championship decider is another matter.
Certainly in the last 10 years, whilst Scotland haven't really set the heather on fire, Ireland and Wales have won three Grand Slams between them, the same number as France and England. So the "Big Two" haven't had it all their own way.
Scotland should go into their first game against France with a fair amount of confidence having blooded a few new players like Alex Grove and Alan McDonald in the Autumn Series and defeated Australia along the way. For us to beat a top three rated country in the world is very rare and the psychological boost it should give the players cannot be underestimated. If they've done it once, they can do it again.
France are rated fifth in the world mainly as a result of beating the All Blacks twice last summer in New Zealand and it seems that they tend to play better away from home than in Paris. So, we have been warned.
Andy Robinson has chosen the strongest pack available and I have no doubt that it will supply enough quality balls to give chances for the backs to attack. But I worry about the overall physical presence of some of our backs especially against the likes of Yannick Jauzion and Aurelien Rougerie.
Obviously, Scotland are hoping to attack France out wide through Chris Paterson and the Evans brothers. This places a huge responsibility on the Glasgow back row to get to the breakdown quickly and recycle the ball in order to counter a very quick French threesome, two of whom, Thierry Dusautoir and Fulgence Ouedraogo, are specialist number sevens.
To win, Scotland must attack from the start, be prepared to run quick penalties and go wide at every opportunity. Apart from Thomas Domingo, the Clermont prop, their front five are not very mobile so mismatches will appear and when they do, we have to be clinical and finish off the chances we create. This has been a failing of past Scottish teams so it is hoped that experience and familiarity, with nine Glasgow players in the side, will pay off.
Even with a few off, France are a formidable side and will not be fazed by a very noisy home support. However, the last time they played they were heavily beaten by an All Blacks side which attacked them from all corners of the pitch. Scotland will have to do the same if they are going to get their Six Nations campaign off to a winning start.
