He will certainly be given encouragement by the French side who nearly threw away an unassailable 20-0 lead against Wales in the second half before holding on for a nailbiting 26-20 victory - the first time Marc Lievremont has recorded three consecutive victories as France coach.

But that that 40 minutes in the Millennium Stadium has been the exception rather than the rule as ruthless displays against Ireland, 33-10, and Scotland, 18-9, have brought France into the home straight.

All areas of the French team look formidable. Behind the scrum, their half-backs Francois Trinh-Duc and Morgan Parra have formed a stable partnership which has allowed their dangerous forwards to flourish.

In the forwards, their scrummaging power was too much for both Scotland and Ireland while their back-row led by the outstanding No.8 Imanol Harinordoquy has been close to unplayable.

The one area that has not functioned like a well-oiled machine has been at the lineout and Italy possess, in Marco Bortolami and Quintin Geldenhuy, two of the best operators in the business.

But Mallett believes it will be premature thoughts of glory against England and a first Grand Slam in six years in a week's time that may be their Achilles' heel.

He said: "France have been very impressive throughout the tournament apart from their second half against Wales.

"But we are not going there just to get crushed so they are nearer the Grand Slam.

"If they start thinking we are going to lie down for them then they will be mistaken. We are going there to compete and we fully intend to push them as hard as we can.

"On paper this was always going to be one of the hardest games for us to get anything from but that is not to say we are beaten already and if France think that then that will play into our hands.

"Realistically if we can match them in the set piece and lose by 10-15 points then that would represent a positive result."

Mallett keeps a winning formula after announcing the same starting XV that defeated Scotland 16-12 - their first Six Nations victory in two years.

Meanwhile France coach Lievremont, unlike in previous Six Nations, also resists the temptations to make wholesale changes.

Centre Mathieu Bastareaud drops to the bench having picked up a calf niggle - one of 14 injuries the French squad has suffered - and is replaced in the centres by David Marty while Castres winger Marc Andreu makes his first full start in the Championship on the wing.

Julien Malzieu joins Bastareaud among the replacements where Dimitri Yachvilli is in for the unfortunate Frederic Michalak - out for a year with torn knee ligaments.

Despite being billed as an aperitif by some sections of the French press ahead of a Grand Slam deciding Le Crunch, Lievremont says he will not be lulled into a false sense of security.

He said: "I have always said that this match is the one where we could fall into a trap.

"We are not taking anything for granted. We are extremely vigilant. We saw how hard they pushed the English," he said, referring to England's narrow 17-12 win in Rome.

"We remember also how two years ago we were snapped at all through the match at the Stade de France by the Italians."