Clerc this week spoke with feeling as the flak piled up on the French doorstep over their performance at this tournament.
Mission impossible tomorrow night? Don't believe a word of it, says the 30-year-old from Grenoble.
"I don't think I'm in the skin of a future loser," he said. "Someone who is really not very good. That's not something I feel at all.
"It doesn't matter what's gone before; it's what happens now that counts."
Clerc has a theory on why France have a good record against the All Blacks, yet sometimes struggle to do justice to themselves against lesser opposition.
"I think we are drawn to difficulty. We like difficulty.
"It allows us to bring out the best in ourselves, allows us to believe in the impossible and often it's against the All Blacks. It is these circumstances where people always see them as winners.
"[It seems] a logical thing when you lose to them. It is a French default, but in some ways, thanks to that, we have been able to upset them."
Clerc has played all 480 minutes of France's cup campaign. Yet his most dramatic moment came nowhere near an opposing tryline.
He was the player upended by Wales captain Sam Warburton, which cost the Welsh skipper a red card in last weekend's semifinal. The tackle could have had awful consequences, but Clerc appears none the worse.
His debut came against South Africa in 2002; his second test was against the All Blacks at Stade de France, a 20-all draw. Imanol Harinordoquy and one of their reserves, Damien Traille, were also there that night.
Clerc plays his eighth test against the All Blacks tomorrow night - he's enjoyed two wins and a draw alongside four defeats - and still awaits his first try against them.
Clerc was there for the cup quarter-final in Cardiff four years ago; and at Dunedin two years ago when the All Blacks were toppled 27-22.
He started against Jonah Lomu; tonight it will be Richard Kahui facing him, but he admits to a high regard for the player on the diagonally opposite side of the field from him.
"I think it was his best performance in the World Cup," Clerc said of Cory Jane's display against Australia in the semifinal. "He had a great match but I'm not surprised in any way. He may not be the most spectacular New Zealand winger but for me he's one of the most spectacular players."
Clerc has been with Toulouse for nine years, helping them win the Heineken Cup three times and been part of three Six Nations Championship-winning squads.
Now his mind is set on helping France write their page in cup history.
"Little by little we are realising there is a unique opportunity for each of us."
Clerc insisted he'd kept in a cocoon this week. TV? Outside world? Forget it.
However he did hear the criticism of France after their desperately dour effort against Wales, stones being thrown at them by Welsh and English players.
"That hurts, but it helps bring us closer together."
Clerc knows his history. The last team to beat the All Blacks at Eden Park? France, 1994 and Jean-Luc Sadourny's try from the end of the world.
Twickenham, 1999. Cardiff 2007. Dunedin 2009. Put them all into the pot, give it a stir and see how it tastes.
The All Blacks are favourites, but just hang on a minute, is the gist of Clerc's thinking.
"We'll have a stadium jam-packed full of New Zealanders, but we haven't played the match yet.
"They're not world champions yet. We're hearing a lot of messages from people who believe in us. We don't need any other kind of motivation."
His recipe for victory?
"We're going to have to be committed and fight. We have to be extremely lucid, make sure the link men manage the match and remember they've got weaknesses as well.
"We have to put the heat on them."
Clerc, and France, are approaching "the summit". "It's the absolute best thing you can achieve as a rugby player."
So will France be up for the fight? From an unpromising start to finals week, you rather suspect they will.
Winning, however, may be a different matter.
