Veteran prop Matt Dunning has warned his Wallabies teammates not to underestimate the second-string French tourists in Saturday night's rugby Test at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.

Bracing himself for a tougher night at the office than in the Wallabies' hard-earned 18-12 victory over Ireland nine days ago, Dunning has admitted he was not at all surprised to hear the visitors would target Australia's forwards.

"From the footage I have seen, the props they've picked are very good scrummagers. They're a very good scrummaging pack, so I think scrum and maul they're going to be very strong on and that's where they'll take us on," he said.

"They'll probably see that as their chance."

Irish flanker Denis Leamy caught Australia napping early on in the Melbourne Test when he scored a close-range try from a maul and Dunning said the Wallabies could ill-afford to be as careless this Saturday - even though most of France's established Test stars will be missing due to the completion of their domestic championship.

"Look, the individuals they've picked are very good scrummagers and they mauled Italy 40 metres in the Six Nations this year, so it's going to be a big Test for us," Dunning said.

"Obviously in the Test against Ireland we let a couple in and we got good after that. We just can't warm to it like we did in that game.

"The Irish are a good scrum but I think the French will be a step up."

French coach Marc Lievremont was due to name his line-up on Monday night but Dunning predicted the Wallabies would have their work cut out regardless.

"They're definitely unknown in a lot of aspects in the game, but I think the stuff we do know and we're concentrating on is that they're strong at the scrum and they're strong at the maul and, if we're not on our game there, we'll get punished," he said.

"They've got two guys who are playing their first Tests - or early Tests - and they're 28 or 29, so they're older blokes and they're going to be passionate and they're renowned for their scrummaging in the French comp and not as renowned for their round-the-paddock play.

"They're going to come at us at the maul and I imagine around the fringe of the rucks and they're going to make it a real contest."

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will name his side on Tuesday but is not expected to make any changes to the starting XV that beat Ireland.

The wily Deans was giving little away at training, running players out of position deliberately in sticking with his "play what's in front of you" approach and urging his troops not to be governed by the numbers on their jumpers.

Forwards at times ran with the backs in order to improve their basic passing skills, while reserve halfback Brett Sheehan spent most of the team run at inside centre.

"It is just refreshing to have a bit of a change," said star winger Lote Tuqiri.

"The style sort of caters to different ways to play and I enjoyed the Ireland Test, and I have enjoyed training. We're playing a lot of games ... it's been a lot of fun."

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