Auckland: France are more concerned about erasing the memory of their loss to Tonga in a previous group encounter than taking revenge for successive World Cup semi-final defeats when they meet England tomorrow, winger Vincent Clerc said yesterday.
The French have been talking all week about the torment of losing their final pool match to the Pacific islanders and are determined to give a better account of themselves against their European rivals in the quarter-final clash at Eden Park.
"We have a great deal of revenge to get," the livewire winger told reporters at the team hotel.
"First, with regards to last week. Considering the work we've put in for three-and-a-half months, what we showed last week doesn't reflect what we are worth.
"Secondly, with regards to the England squad, it's not really revenge as such because the teams and the context are different."
Sticking to the basics
Clerc, 30, who has scored 30 tries in 54 Tests, said: "We won't necessarily achieve extraordinary things. We will have to focus on the basics and get them right."
Flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson was instrumental in England's victories over France at the 2003 and 2007 World Cups and loose forward Julien Bonnaire said he would be coming in for some close attention. "He, as well as the others, is not as good under pressure," he said.
Hooker William Servat was not expecting the match, which will decide which team goes on to play Ireland or Wales in the semi-finals, to be a classic. "I don't think it'll be an awesome game, but it will be a tough battle."
