In the Stade Velodrome tonight, much emphasis will be placed on one statistic, with the Australia captain George Gregan's 115th cap taking him past Jason Leonard's record. The Wallabies will have another, less reassuring figure in their minds: France have lost in this most intimidating of venues just once since regular Tests began here in 2000.

The Wallaby trainer, Eddie Jones, is under pressure, having lost his last five games, and he is without influential outhalf Stephen Larkham. Matt Giteau returns from a back injury to step in to partner Gregan at half-back, while Wendell Sailor is back on the wing following a knee problem.

Although in the frontrow Matt Dunning starts at prop for the first time this season, Jones's side includes 10 of the 15 who defeated France on July 2nd in Brisbane. To avoid a repetition of their dire defeat last year in Paris, this week the coach called for his side to emulate the physical approach of Argentina, who put France's autumn campaign off the rails last November in Marseille by grinding their hosts down up front.

"The French are going to be physical, play with the ball off the ground and we've prepared for that," said Jones. "France are strong at the set-piece and we've already seen that they like to maul the ball as much as possible. We've got to be physical, outmuscle them and then use our skill."

There is an added edge here: the release of World Cup tickets for sale last night marks the start of the build-up to 2007 for the France players. "We've all got 2007 in the back of our minds," said the France captain Fabien Pelous, who tonight extends his record of caps to 102. "Preparing ourselves to win every game, even if we struggle to win, is the only way to prepare for the World Cup. If we don't manage to win from now on, not only will we fail to win the World Cup, but none of us will be there."

With centre Florian Fritz recovered from a groin injury Bernard Laporte will field five Toulousains in his back line. He has opted to combat George Smith and Phil Waugh with backrow speed in the form of Jannick Nyanga and Remy Martin alongside Thomas Lievremont. Laporte has selected three England-based players on his bench, including the Sale number eight Sebastian Chabal.