In a European context, this meeting of the superpowers simply doesn't come any bigger. England v France would have a certain attraction if it were played with a sponge ball on a beach in front of two men and a dog.

With a place in the World Cup final at stake, its billing as le Crunch has never seemed more appropriate.

As we are constantly reminded hereabouts, no team from the Northern Hemisphere has won the William Webb Ellis trophy, and, after this game, only one can.

To give the game further resonance, as if it needed any, for a host of the greats of English forward play, and indeed for quite a few French legends, this is their last shot at the big one. One way or another, Test careers will end today.

Prior to the start of the World Cup, this probable clash always stood out as one of the tournament's best encounters. Now, as it approaches, it's perhaps the hardest match to call in the tournament so far, in part because of a slight reversal of roles.

France, it had seemed, would be the ones more in need of inspiration from the moment, of responding to the emotion of the occasion, which in part would upset the more clinical, calculating minds of les Rosbifs. Whereas England would more likely have been the ones to have cruised imperiously to the semi-finals, having swept all before them.

Instead it is France who enter this game as the form team of the tournament, and it is England who are hoping to raise their game. French captain Fabien Galthie talks of keeping a lid on emotions, Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio speak of playing with more emotion and passion.

Yet the old virtues will still apply. Rather than being just the Northern Hemisphere grand final, this first semi-final is more likely to be one for the aficionados as well.

Anticipating the full-on war up front, English forwards coach Andy Robinson forecast: "Every scrum, every lineout, is going to be a massive occasion in this game. There's going to be some huge collisions, not just in terms of defence. We've got total respect for the French scrum. They've shown they are the world's best scrummagers, and we're looking forward to that battle."

Phil Vickery has conceded that he regards the French scrum as the best in the world, and the French hooker, Raphael Ibanez, will no doubt be hopeful New Zealand referee Paddy O'Brien will allow a greater scrummaging duel than Paul Honiss permitted at Twickenham in the Six Nations, when the exasperated Ibanez shrieked to Honiss "but you will not let us scrummage".

"There will be enormous intensity," said the French captain of the last World Cup, almost with relish. "Technically, it will be very important to be physical. This is one of their (England's) best qualities, their physicality, but it's not so much that you can't match them. We know it will be a big event for both teams. The English have planned for this game for four years now and so have we. I have no doubt that they will be ready."

Hence, on talk that England's form has been poor, Ibanez retorted: "Do you think that? I'm not sure. Perhaps they have had their difficulties but they always win their games. They won in New Zealand, they won in Australia and they have won here (in the tournament)."

It would be surprising, nonetheless, if either pack did a number on the other. Both scrums and lineouts look strong, but where France have impressed more is in the variety and width of their game. Their much-improved lineout and defence look every bit as good, and they have been using their back row more potently as attacking weapons further from the point of recycle.

The trio of Serge Betsen, Olivier Magne and Imanol Harinordoquy also look considerably more dynamic than the old guard of Richard Hill, Dallaglio and Neil Back. And England haven't been playing with the same width, creativity or penetration. They've had to slug it out for field position and leave it to Jonny Wilkinson. They've been less capable of generating seven-pointers out of nothing.

France look like a team which has been prepared better with this tournament in mind. One cannot recall a French squad in such apparent harmony and so at ease with itself. They look fresher and more focused, with a nice mix of inspiring warhorses and brilliant young talents, epitomised by the half-back pairing of Galthie and Frederic Michalak. They are also more settled, unchanged and sure of what they are doing, whereas England have made four changes.

Yet however badly England might be playing by their inordinately high standards of the last couple of years, it would be no surprise if, weary and old though they are, they could dredge up one huge performance for a World Cup semi-final.

If there is going to be a convincing winner, you suspect it might well be France, and Clive Woodward has rightly expressed the concern that England can ill-afford to repeat the sluggish starts of previous games and so be obliged to play catch-up against Bernard Laporte's ultra-confident team.

And if, or more likely when, it does indeed come down to the crunch, which outhalf would you rather have addressing a potentially decisive drop goal or penalty with a few minutes to go, Wilkinson or Michalak? And if you wanted either pack to take control of a ball in protecting a narrow lead and run down the clock, which pack would it be?

Curiously, France might well have a better shot at ending the Southern Hemisphere hegemony over rugby's greatest prize next weekend than England, especially if the final is against an All Blacks side, which will ensure a fairly high-tempo, wide game. France look the better balanced, more all-round team, but this is not to say that it won't be England's day tomorrow. Semi-finals often work out that way.

France removed a bigger threat to Australia in the final four years ago by virtue of their semi-final ambushing of the All Blacks. It could work against them this time.

Part of the doubts over France centre around their passage to the semi-finals, with not a tight game in sight. They are sure to come under more pressure here. Their athletic back row will not spend the entire game on the front foot and Monsieur Michalak will be asked questions about his temperament which he hasn't been asked before.

Yet there's no escaping the evidence so far. It could all come down to whether France keep their nerve, and with Galthie, Ibanez and Fabien Pelous about, all the indications so far are that they will.

No rugby nation has had the concept of knock-out finales so ingrained into their psyche as French teams, due to the format of the French championship. It's no coincidence that they are an excellent semi-final team, perhaps the best in the history of the competition.