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Preview: France v Georgia

Pierre Mignoni: Can he fire again?

After just over three weeks of eye-opening rugby, France and Georgia possess the honour of kicking-off the final day of the World Cup Pool stage on Sunday.

In the lone group where top spot remains up for grabs, the expected scenario is that Les Bleus will leapfrog Argentina, for a couple of hours at least, with a comfortable five-point cruise in Marseille.

But if the game's minnows have taught their heavyweight counterparts just one thing in 2007, then it is to underestimate at your peril.

The Lelos enter the cauldron that is the Stade Vélodrome for what will be their tournament farewell.

And, after coming within a whisker of the biggest RWC shock against Ireland in Bordeaux, progress is very much the upshot for the country ranked 16th in the world by the IRB.

Coach Malkhaz Cheishvili may also be forgiven for picturing his own bonus-point victory, which would shoot Georgia to a third place Pool D finish, ultimately meaning qualification for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

But far-fetched permutations aside, their unpredictable hosts - with one eye on the probable quarter-final clash against New Zealand - have made nine changes to the side that dispatched Ireland last week.

The prospect of avoiding the All Blacks at the Millennium Stadium has become extremely slim for Bernard Laporte's men. Poised a challenging four points on the tail of the Pumas, France know that even a losing bonus point for the South Americans would still be sufficient for them to top the pile.

Therefore, Laporte has opted to reward his golden quartet of Vincent Clerc, Sébastien Chabal, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and Frédéric Michalak with a well-earned breather.

Surely Les Bleus will accomplish the maximum at their happy home as they continue to construct imposing momentum for what is already a mouth-watering knockout on October 6.

Ones to watch:

For France: Since taking the brunt of Laporte's axe post France's miserable opening night in Paris, the re-emergence of Pierre Mignoni and Christophe Dominici for their long-awaited second chance should be interesting viewing. For whatever reason, the pair struggled against the Pumas, but The Lelos can expect immense performances from the free-running duo.

For Georgia: If Georgia can possibly recreate the nervy atmosphere that so nearly stunned the rugby world two weeks ago, the impact of the bench could be a valuable weapon to Cheishvili. Full-back Malkhaz Urjukashvili demonstrated flashes of showiness in attack against Namibia; whilst wing Irakli Machkhaneli's physical nature can upset even the best opposition.

Head-to-Head: France will be desperate for their set-piece to function seamlessly so as to create a perfect platform for Mignoni and Beauxis to orchestrate. Therefore, the battle between Sébastien Bruno and Akvsenti Giorgadze could be worth a look. The Georgian hooker will certainly still be buzzing following his try against Namibia, and will be set on ruffling a few feathers for his 2007 finale.

Previous result: None

Prediction: The schedule of playing just four days prior to a clash with France will surely take its toll on The Lelos. Therefore, we are predicting a stroll for the hosts at fortress Marseille. Les Bleus by 40 points!

The teams:

France: 15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Aurélien Rougerie, 13 David Marty, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Christophe Dominici, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Pierre Mignoni, 8 Julien Bonnaire, 7 Yannick Nyanga, 6 Serge Betsen (c), 5 Jérôme Thion, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 2 Sébastien Bruno, 1 Olivier Milloud.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Nicolas Mas, 18 Fabien Pelous, 19 Rémy Martin, 20 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 21 David Skréla.

Georgia: 15 Otar Barkalaia, 14 Besiki Khamashuridze, 13 Revaz Gigauri, 12 Irakli Giorgadze, 11 Otar Eloshvili, 10 Merab Kvirikashvili, 9 Irakli Abuseridze (c), 8 Giorgi Chkhaidze, 7 Grigol Labadze, 6 Ilia Maisuradze, 5 Mamuka Gorgodze, 4 Zurab Mtchedlishvili, 3 David Zirakashvili, 2 Akvsenti Giorgadze, 1 Mamuka Magrakvelidze.
Replacements: 16 Avtandil Kopaliani, 17 Goderdzi Shvelidze, 18 Victor Didebulidze, 19 Zviad Maisuradze, 20 Giorgi Elizbarashvili, 21 Irakli Machkhaneli, 22 Malkhaz Urjukashvili.

Date: Sunday, September 30
Venue: Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Kick-off: 15:00 (14:00 BST; 13:00 GMT)
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch judges: Nigel Owens (Wales), Dave Pearson (England)
Television match official: Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning

By Adam Kyriacou