KEY POINTS:
PARIS - France want to sign off from the World Cup with victory over Argentina in Friday's third-place playoff at the Parc des Princes (8:00 p.m. British Time) to make up for not reaching the final of the tournament they have staged.
The French also want to avenge an upset defeat by the Pumas in the tournament's opening match six weeks ago that set them unexpectedly on a tougher course through the knockout stages that ended in a 14-9 semi-final loss to England.
"Of course this is not the match we had prepared ourselves for. We had hoped to follow another route but here we are. It's
difficult to accept for all of us but our motivation is still there. We want to sign off with our heads held high," said France captain Raphael Ibanez.
The world's most capped hooker with 97 international appearances is one of several France veterans likely to be playing their last match for their country, a similar situation for a number of Pumas at the end of their remarkable, best-ever ride through the tournament.
France have made 10 changes, one of them positional, for the match in which many players will be back where they started the tournament, lining up against Argentina again after losing their places in subsequent team reshuffles.
RUNNING GAME
Only six of the players who started Saturday's semi-final will take the field against Argentina while Damien Traille returns to the centre from fullback, an indication that France plan to run the ball.
First five-eighths Frederic Michalak, who will win his 50th cap, criticised Pumas centre Felipe Contepomi for telling reporters that France had not shown their champagne rugby in the tournament.
"He said that? Okay, it just shows that he has a straight right (punch) in the conference room, we'll see what happens on the pitch, we'll see if he can really teach us how to play champagne rugby," Michalak said.
Argentina, who have beaten the French in five of their last six meetings, also have to overcome the disappointment of not reaching the final although this was not expected against South Africa who crushed them 37-13 in Sunday's semi-final.
Coach Marcelo Loffreda was being realistic when he said: "To be world champions would have been something totally out of context. Indeed, to be fighting for third place is also something incredible.
"Of course we were aiming for the maximum and losing hurt us a lot but I think that what the Argentine team is doing is very good and is still very valid," he told the Buenos Aires daily La Nacion.
"We have the responsibility to put out our best team," he added.
Captain and halfback Agustin Pichot will lead Argentina for the last time in his 71st international and he will be partnered by first five-eighths Juan Martin Hernandez in the Pumas' strongest available line-up.
- REUTERS
