The French rugby coach Marc Lievremont was shocked with the suggestion that it would be better for them to finish second in pool A with the prospect of an easier route in the World Cup play-offs.
With Ireland's upset win over Australia, the favoured Tri-Nations teams are now on one side of the knockout draw and the Six Nations teams on the other.
That will be the case if the All Blacks beat France this weekend.
Lievremont says it would be against the spirit of the game to throw their match against New Zealand and they don't go into a game thinking they're going to lose.
