Poux started four of the five matches at loosehead prop, but after initial wins against Italy and in Scotland, France could only draw at home to Ireland before slumping to defeats against England and Grand Slam champions Wales.

The result marked France’s worst finish in the tournament since 2001 when they finished fifth ahead of only Italy.

While Les Bleus did not perform at their best in the RBS 6 Nations, Poux was particularly prominent in the win at Murrayfield against Scotland, with the French pack gaining the ascendancy over their counterparts in the front row.

Poux will again face the Scottish trio when Toulouse take on Edinburgh in the European Cup but he insists Andy Robinson’s side are better than their Wooden Spoon finish suggests.

He said: “I was very disappointed to finish the Six Nations with such average results. So it is good to focus on something else moving forward and starting again with a new competition.

“When you are a professional rugby player it is your daily life, you must be able to turn the page and focus on your new goals.

“We could have lost the Six Nations match against Scotland and they are improving a lot. I watched several of Edinburgh's games during the Pool stages and against Racing Metro they showed a lot of power - and when the Racing players were exhausted they scored in the last minutes to win the game.”