Rugby: 'Nobody believes in us'- France out to prove doubters wrong

TOKYO: With a tough draw and consistently patchy form, three-times runnersup France face the very real prospect of an early exit when they kick off their World Cup against Argentina in a potentially must-win game on Saturday.

"Nobody believes in us, that's what I think and we're going to try to prove them wrong," Damian Penaud, one of three backs aged 22 or under in the side, told a news conference on Thursday. While both sides have reached the last four in two of the last three World Cups, they come to Japan very much as works in progress.Having parachuted Brunel's named successor Fabien Galthie onto the coaching ticket and placed their trust in the young Toulouse halfback partnership of Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack, France appear to have half an eye on 2023 when they host the World Cup.

Mario Ledesma's men arrived in Tokyo a lowly 11th in world rankings following nine consecutive test defeats, albeit mostly against the three giants of the Rugby Championship, and they did beat Australia and South Africa just before that run.

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