Hi °C | Lo °C Sebastien Chabal insists France are adopting a win-at-all-costs attitude heading into today’s RBS 6 Nations match against Ireland in Dublin.
The pressure is on Les Bleus to produce the goods now head coach Marc Lievremont has stopped experimenting and settled on what he perceives is his best team.
It was an up-and-down first year in charge for Lievremont and his new-look squad, in terms of both results and performances, but he has now demanded consistency as the long road to the 2011 World Cup begins.
Lievremont has selected an attacking back division that is full of ambition, and has urged his team to "liberate" themselves when they kick off the latest edition of the Six Nations.
Chabal, though, simply wants to chalk up a victory and has no qualms about winning ugly at Croke Park.
"We are lacking major victories that brings the squad confidence," said the Sale Sharks forward.
"So the most important thing on Saturday will be to start the tournament with a win. We are telling ourselves it is not about the manner but about the result.
"Even if we win by not being convincing with our play, it will give us some confidence and allow us to continue working in serenity. So we simply need to win and if we can discover our style of play, all the better."
Lievremont will be hard-pushed to find a more cohesive team than the Irish, who - especially in their Munster-orientated pack - know each other inside out and have proven combinations throughout their team.
And while France are still scratching around for a definitive gameplan to adopt, Chabal believes Ireland have settled tactics to fall back on, even though they are playing under a new coach in Declan Kidney.
"We know we can do a lot with the ball since we have a line of quite exceptional three-quarters who love to be on it," he said.
"But we still haven’t succeeded in confirming our style of play.
"Either we have tried to play too much or we have tried to play on the counter, like against Australia (in the summer tour and in November). We have to find a middle ground.
“They (Ireland) have the advantage of playing together every weekend and everything comes natural to them.
"It is always hard playing against the Irish. They don’t play a lot and rarely come out of themselves.
“They rely enormously on stealing ball and they are capable of holding onto it for a long time, which can hurt you."
When France beat Ireland at Croke Park two years ago, Chabal delivered a convincing performance at number eight.
But he has been transformed into a lock over the past year and will partner captain Lionel Nallet in the second row today.
