"We were much more tense before we played against Munster [in the semi-final] and we played badly. This time, spirits are high, partly I think, because we are playing at the Parc de Princes, with all that means for French rugby."But we've been watching videos of Leicester and we know exactly what a well-oiled, frightening team they are."Despite the high jinks, Stade Fran?s also know how much is riding on Saturday's game. For a squad expensively assembled from some of the best French, and world ­ Italian, Canadian, New Zealand ­ talent, this is pay-back time. The reigning French champions have disappointed in the European Cup in recent seasons. They cannot afford to fall flat in the Parc, described by their president, Max Guazzini, as the "spiritual home of French rugby"."This will be the champions of England against the champions of France," said Guazzini, whose pop-radio-generated millions rescued the club from oblivion eight years ago. "That's the nearest you can get to France versus England." John Connolly, Stade's Australian, former Queensland coach, made a similar point "This will be international rugby," he said "Leicester play rugby at Test match level. To beat them, we have to play at Test match level."They have every reason to be confident.

They are strong in the pack and they are also, probably, faster than us. It is unusual to be able to say that about an English team, facing a French one."The only criticism of Leicester in Paris this week was of the English club's "lack of respect for French fans" in returning 3,500 surplus tickets only four days before the final "I don't want to start a polemic," Guazzini said. "But you don't demand 20,000 tickets, as Leicester did, and then return the surplus in a way which makes it hard for us to allocate them fairly."Stade Fran?s, despite the backbone given by foreign imports, despite the discipline imposed by Australian coaching techniques, believe that they can win ­ and maybe can only win ­ by exploiting their edge in Gallic style and flair. Much will depend on the form of the international winger and full-back, Christophe Dominici, the centre Franck Comba and the winger or centre Thomas Lombard.Lombard believes that, if Leicester have a weakness, it is their lack of fantasy and surprise. "We admire the rigour with which they approach every match," he said "They make few mistakes There is very little rubbish in their game They are very English. They are not astonishing; but they are very effective."Stade Fran?s have a glorious past but a short, recent history as a top team. Eight years ago, when Guazzini was persuaded to intervene by the former France captain Jean-Pierre Rives, Stade were in the Third Division and playing on a field, surrounded by forest.They were losing finalists in the first French cup final, French champions in 1893 (and seven times in the next 14 years).

From the late 1920s, they descended into near oblivion, unable to resist the concentration of French rugby power, and popular interest, in the south and especially in the south-west.Guazzini, 53, listed as the 27th richest man in France after creating a radio empire based on the pop station NRJ, comes from the south-east, rather than the south-west. But he was persuaded by his friend, Rives, to plough millions into the revival of Stade Fran?s."I must have been mad I was passionate about rugby but only as a fun thing It was a distraction," said Guazzini "The club had vegetated for 70 years. It was time to grow again."The frequent criticism of Stade Fran?s is that they are a bunch of rugby mercenaries, without team spirit. Judging by the clowning around (off the training ground) this week, that charge is no longer valid.Pool-Jones has been under pressure from the French press to declare himself an "honorary Frenchman for Saturday" He has refused "When I turn out on Saturday," he said. "I will be playing for myself, for my-team-mates, for Stade Fran?s and for every English club, except Leicester.". There is an election campaign on at the moment, in case you had not noticed, and, under normal circumstances, Mark Evans would be canvassing his New Labour socks off from one end of north London to the other. "I was knocking on doors in the dark days of 1983," said the Harlequins coach, a few days after his party leader had wrong-footed the Queen with the political equivalent of a Phil Bennett sidestep by divulging his polling day plans to a gaggle of schoolkids.