Les Bleus, who bounced back from a fourth-placed finish at the 2003 World Cup in Australia by winning the 2004 RBS 6 Nations in March, will also come up against a European team (Georgia, Romania, Spain, Portugal or Russia) and an African side (Namibia, Zimbabwe or Morocco) in the same pool in their bid to reach the last eight.

The competition will take place in France from September 7 to October 20.

"I don't know whether this is a good draw or not, but the most important is to be good for a month and a half and win the World Cup," declared Pelous, who was in Dublin for the draw on Wednesday.

"Our pool will certainly be more difficult than the one we got at the previous World Cup but it will not be a determining factor in the final outcome.

"The Irish's level will be high, as ever, and the Argentinians have an exceptional generation of players.

"We will also play against two other nations of a lower quality."

To qualify for the competition's quarter-finals, in which they could face Scotland, France will need to finish in the top two in their pool.

"By 2007 a lot of things might change," added national coach Bernard Laporte.

"My first worry is to select a high-level group of 50 to 55 players. And 99% of the Six Nations winners are among them."

France's next international competition is their summer tour to Canada and the United States in June.