The French, who scraped a 33-20 win over Canada last Saturday, go into tonight's match knowing that they are in a no-win situation and now, since his withdrawal from the squad through injury, without their inspirational out-half Thomas Castaignede.

If the French win by a landslide then it will be taken as normal against a team that is essentially made-up of a group of hard-tackling enthusiastic farmers. Anything less and the French will come under more criticism from their fickle fans.

Coach Jean-Claude Skrela has had enough.

"Why is it only when we play small countries that its called an easy game and that we must win?" the former French international complained.

"Did you hear the same thing when Ireland played the Americans or Australia played Romania? No, it's simply (that) people like to build up their expectations and then launch into us because we don't fulfil their own predictions," he added. A fascinating tussle should take place at scrum-half where the word minnows is even more appropriate as France's 5ft 6in Pierre Mignoni takes on the smallest man in the tournament the 5ft Riaan Jantjies. The 34-year-old scrum-half is one of three very impressive performers in the Namibian line-up - the others being full-back Leandre van Dyk and captain Quinn Hough.

Namibian coach Rudy Joubert is convinced his side are capable of keeping the score respectable.

"The Fijians played a sevens style of rugby against us in our opening match and we found that difficult to cope with," Joubert said.

"I hope that the French will pose us less problems, although we are not seriously thinking about winning."