And Johnson, who opted to not recall captain Lewis Moody this week for the Twickenham encounter, has called on his players to take things one game at a time.

"France have made it pretty clear they think if they win this one they'll win the lot but we're not looking beyond this game,” said Johnson.

"But it is a big, big game and that's good. There are more people at these press conferences, there are comments in the media, it's got a bit of a tournament feel about it and that's good experience for the players.

"France's win in Dublin, coming from behind twice, was probably the performance of the championship so far.

"They are an all-round threat. Line-out drive, the scrum can squeeze you, good carriers, good speed. They can attack you in so many ways so we are looking for a big, big game."