France have gone back to zero, their coach said yesterday. By which Bernard Laporte means that the euphoria of a winning quarter-final against New Zealand has been put behind them, in the knowledge that the semi-final against England on Saturday will prove as hard an examination.

Jo Maso, the France team manager, emphasised the point with his comparison to 1999, when France pulled off the shock of the tournament by beating the All Blacks in the semi-finals at Twickenham. “We went into London, had some drinks and left a lot of energy and motivation behind after the match,” he said, conscious that, a week later in the final, France subsided against Australia.

“We changed hotels and found we were in a hotel where a lot of Australian fans sang all night long. Now we are much more at ease with our preparation. We are in the same state of mind as before last Saturday’s game.”

France, indeed, may be in a position to name an unchanged team today because Olivier Milloud’s neck problem is clearing up and he is expected to take his place at prop.

The management and Raphaël Ibañez, the captain, were at pains to brush aside the relevance of previous Anglo-French encounters or past World Cups. “Revenge? For what?” Laporte said to counter suggestions that victory on Saturday would make up for losing the 2003 semi-final to England in Sydney. “I don’t give a monkey’s about history.

“We take England very seriously. They prevented us from winning a grand slam this year in a match everyone thought we would win because they [England] were moribund. They have a very strong pack and we will base our preparations around that.

“England have made no tactical innovations. They’re strong up front and the strategy is there: in rucks, mauls, cleaning out balls. We saw against Australia that England are healthy again and Jonny Wilkinson is back. He is the motor of their team; he gives them confidence.”

France, although their preparations remain behind closed doors at the National Rugby Centre in Marcoussis, about 30km south of Paris, occupy their designated hotel in the southwest of Paris and have tried to make life as normal as possible. They accept the rising level of public expectation, exemplified by the number of tricolours flying from windows in the houses around Marcoussis.

“Against the All Blacks, we were proud of our colours, of what we are,” Ibañez said. “Hopefully, it will be the same against England.”

Laporte was reminded that, in Sydney, a wet night affected France’s aspirations. “It seems it will be fine on Saturday,” he said. “But if it is not, plan B will be to kick high balls into England’s half, but not straight down their full back’s throat, as we did last time.”