France will not choke and miss out on the Grand Slam when they tackle England at the Stade de France on Saturday, says captain Thierry Dusautoir.
The 28-year-old Toulouse flanker - known as the 'Dark Destroyer' -conceded that the France side which lost to England in the 2007 World Cup semi-final had perhaps been suffering from the 'fear factor'.
But this time it would be a French side with a markedly different atittude.
"I don't think that we will be afraid," said Dusautoir, born in the Ivory Coast of a French father and an Ivorian mother.
"There will be this huge desire to win the Grand Slam. However, it is imperative pay close attention to how we prepare for the match.
"We mustn't fall into the trap of becoming over-excited and euphoric, we have to keep cool heads. But I do not think that there will be the fear present that there was in 2007," added Dusautoir, who will win his 33rd cap on Saturday.
Dusautoir, who really made his mark in the 2007 World Cup quarter-finals against the All Blacks when he scored a try and made more tackles than the whole of the opposition put together, said that it was not a case of seeking revenge against the English who have not lost a competititive match to their arch-foes dating back to a 31-6 win in the 2006 Six Nations.
"There will be above all a huge desire to finally beat the English in a major match," said Dusautoir, who is one win away from captaining the French to their first Grand Slam since 2004.
"In the 2003 and 2007 World Cup semi-finals or last year where we were overwhelmed by them, they were far more on the button and more pragmatic than we were.
"We just let it pass us by on each occasion. The target is there and that is the condition without debate to take the Grand Slam.
Therefore we have to be at the same level as the English, in both the practical sense and in terms of determination."
Dusautoir, who was keener at judo than rugby until he got introduced to the sport aged 16, said that there was no personal animosity between this English side and his team.
"Ah the traditional question about being in dispute with the English...." he smiled.
"In the French and English sides of 2010, I don't think there is something particular between the players. The rivalry is because we are French and they are English," said Dusautoir.
Dusautoir, who was chosen by coach Marc Lievremont to replace Lionel Nallet as captain, said that this tournament had seen France make stunning progress as they gear up to at last win the World Cup in New Zealand next year.
"These four matches have permitted us to gain a lot in confidence," said Dusautoir.
"We have gone through different stages: to know how to dominate in patches, to be on the back foot ourselves and then to get back into the match.
"All of that has seen us grow and to be primed and ready to go out and get this win.
"After that we cannot predict anything, there will be a lot of pressure because there is a Grand Slam on the line at home against the English.
"But it is better to be in this situation than to have lost four matches and trying to save face against the English."
.jpg)
