France may be missing the cream from their top four rugby clubs but Wallabies lock Nathan Sharpe is certain the unpredictable tourists won't be missing their traditional fire up front.

The French squad begin arriving in Sydney on Thursday night for this month's two-Test series minus many of their stars who are still involved in their domestic competition's finals series.

Australian players admit they are largely in the dark about the visitors - apart from recalled forward "Caveman" Sebastien Chabal - and they will rely largely on former Europe-based assistant coach Jim Williams for inside information.

But asked if he was expecting a typically rough and tumble encounter with the passionate Les Bleus, Sharpe said: "Of course.

"That's the beauty about rugby, the teams that traditionally play a certain way tend to follow that tradition right through and the French are very renowned for their rough and tough rugby, so we're looking forward to that sort of clash."

No.8 Chabal is almost as renowned for his physical presence as his long beard and hair.

Bald-headed Sharpe, still sporting a shiner around his right eye out of last Saturday's win over Ireland, said the French backrower typified what Australia would run into in Sydney on June 28 and Brisbane on July 5.

"He's one of those guys you enjoy playing against because he's going to be a physical threat and I think that's the French team, they're a very athletic side, particularly in the lineouts," Sharpe told reporters.

Sharpe's second row partner James Horwill, who is yet to play against France but not shy of confrontation, is also preparing for a tough battle.

"They've always got a very brutal and strong forward pack ... so that's something I guess we're looking forward to as a forward pack, to try and test it against a top European forward pack," Horwill said.

"They're a very proud nation so the guys that come out are going to stick it to us."

As they did against Ireland last Saturday, the Wallabies will play France under rugby's old rules, without the new ELVs.

And while that allows more breathers, Sharpe said the rugby played in between is more fierce.

"There was definitely more down-time but what that does when the ball is in play, it's probably a little bit more intense because guys are getting a bigger rest in between efforts," he said.

"... Back to Test rugby with those rules it's all about power and going through the middle."

But Sharpe believes the ANZ and Suncorp Stadium Tests will provide the perfect bridge back into rugby's experimental laws, which will be used for the upcoming Tri Nations series because of another French tradition, their backline flair.

"They love to play up tempo so it is good for us," Sharpe said.

"Going into the Tri Nations it's going to be another change, it's going to be even more rules added that guys haven't played (under) so it's a pretty big learning curve for everyone.

"We'll probably start speaking about the ELVs or the law adaptions close to the second French Test and get ready for the Tri Nations then.

"I think if we start worrying about that too much we might get caught up in not playing well for the French."

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