Saint-Andre's side and Scotland will bring the curtain down on this year's competition with France seeking to avoid finishing bottom of the pile for the first time in RBS 6 Nations history.

They remain without a win in seven Championship matches but Louis Picamoles' opportunist try and Frederic Michalak's nerveless conversion sealed a 13-13 draw with Ireland last time out and a first point of the competition.

Scotland were the last team to succumb to France in the RBS 6 Nations, last February, and Saint-Andre can point to the fact that after poor showings against Italy and Wales, les Bleus have demonstrated improvements against England and Ireland.

But should they fail to beat Scotland at home this weekend and Italy get something at home to Ireland, they will collect the wooden spoon, something Saint-Andre is desperate to avoid.

"At least we will not be playing to avoid a whitewash," he said.

"It's important to see that the players showed a reaction. On Saturday we want to play the whole match with that intensity for the full 80 minutes.

"I will of course, as is my nature, assume total responsibility and take the blame for the campaign.

"The federation and the committee director gave us a target to prepare for 2015. We will continue to work towards that objective.

"I take the responsibility because I have always done that, I have never tried to shift it on to others in my career."

Saint-Andre has made three changes to the side that drew with Ireland - flanker Antoine Claassen and lock Sebastien Vahaamahina coming into the side after impressing off the bench in Dublin.

In the backs Mathieu Bastareaud comes is selected at outside centre instead of Florian Fritz. Fritz had been struggling with a foot problem and eventually uncapped centre Gael Fickou was called up to replace him on the bench.

If Scotland are to ensure France finish bottom, they will have to defeat les Bleus for the first time in seven RBS 6 Nations clashes and will have the carrot of the possibility of finishing the Championship in second, should they win - and England defeat Wales - with a healthy points swing.

To do so however, they will have to improve on their performance against Wales last time out when too many penalties conceded saw Leigh Halfpenny kick the Red Dragons to a 28-18 victory at Murrayfield.

Regardless, there have been plenty of beacons of light for the Scots and interim boss Scott Johnson, with impressive wins over Italy and Ireland already secured.

With Richie Gray out with a hamstring problem, Grant Gilchrist will make his senior Scotland debut while Alasdair Strokosch comes into the back row for Rob Harley - and Johnson is under no illusions as to how his side must react to their defeat to Wales.

"We showed great heart and great resolve but we have to look at ourselves rather than at anyone else," said Johnson.

"I don't want to coach a side that apportions blame to someone else, we will go back and have a look and if we have to make changes we will do so, but we will go to Paris to compete.

"The frustrating thing for us is that we think we have a world class scrum and we think we have a world class line-out but we can't get to show it.

"When we get it right, we've got a quality team.

"I keep saying it; we have the ability to put teams to bed but we have to get the first bit right and we're not.

"We don't want our mirror to lie. Our mirror is going to be clean."