The match nobody wanted to play has become the one France and Argentina desperately want to win.

Severe disappointment at losing their semi-finals in the Rugby World Cup last weekend has made way for a desire to farewell the tournament in suitable style in Friday's third-place playoff at Parc des Princes.

It's also a rematch of the tournament opener, when Argentina won 17-12 against a France struck by stage fright, and dealt the first blow in a World Cup that has defied convention.

It's the first time in World Cup history that teams will meet twice at the same tournament, and will be repeated in Saturday's final between England and South Africa.

"We know Argentina well. You've got to play with guts against a team with guts," France winger Christophe Dominici said.

"We have to produce some flair and it's vital that we finish on a good note. We need that."

The French call this match "la petite finale," the little final, and will make a record-tying third appearance in it, matching New Zealand.

France won it in 1995 against England, but lost with disinterest in 2003 to the All Blacks.

That 2003 result may go a long way to explaining why coach Bernard Laporte has made nine changes to the side which lost its semi-final to England.

"In 2003 it was when we sent on the losing semi-final starters that we started to take on water and we conceded 20 quick points. They'd lost interest," said Laporte.

As tournament hosts, France may also feel obligated to give their country something to cheer, and avenge that opening night disaster.

"This week has been tough mentally," Dominici said.

"We had imagined everything except playing in this playoff match.

"But to finish third or fourth is typically French. The World Cup is a very difficult competition and sometimes it is not the best teams that go all the way."

The Pumas thought it was business as usual by beating France for a fifth time in their last six matches.

They rode it all the way to a first appearance in the semi-finals, where they ignored the limited game that got them there and ran at South Africa, which ironically played the way Argentina had and waited for mistakes.

"It's the last match of the best team in the history of Argentina. They deserve the best send-off possible," Pumas flanker Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe said.

Captain Agustin Pichot, playing in his fourth and final World Cup, downplayed talk he was retiring.

"It could be my last game, but I would very much like to do that in Argentina."

It will also be the last match for Marcelo Loffreda, the Pumas coach since 2000, who will take over England's Leicester.

Laporte, in the job only a few months longer than Loffreda, will join the sports department in the French government.

The match was also expected to mark the end for France captain Raphael Ibanez, Dominici, record capholder Fabien Pelous, and flanker Serge Betsen.

Teams

France: Clement Poitrenaud, Aurelien Rougerie, David Skrela, David Marty, Christophe Dominici, Frederic Michalak, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde; Jean-Baptiste Poux, Raphael Ibanez (captain), Pieter de Villiers, Lionel Nallet, Jerome Thion, Yannick Nyanga, Thierry Dusautoir, Imanol Harinordoquy. Reserves: Sebastien Bruno, Nicolas Mas, Sebastien Chabal, Remy Martin, Pierre Mignoni, Lionel Beauxis, Vincent Clerc.

Argentina: Ignacio Corleto, Federico Aramburu, Gonzalo Tiesi, Felipe Contepomi, Horacio Agulla, Juan Martin Hernandez, Agustin Pichot (capt); Rodrigo Roncero, Alberto Vernet Basualdo, Omar Hasan, Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, Patricio Albacete, Martin Durand, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Gonzalo Longo. Reserves: Marcos Ayerza, Eusebio Guinazu, Esteban Lozada, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Federico Todeschini, Hernan Senillosa.

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