Steve Tandy believes Scotland will be inspired rather than intimidated by the prospect of trying to stop France clinching the Six Nations in front of 80,000 partisan fans.
A victory for Fabien Galthie’s side on Saturday evening will see them crowned champions regardless of what happens in the two games played earlier in the day.
Gregor Townsend’s side head to Paris as massive underdogs on the back of France’s dominant performance against Ireland in Dublin last weekend.
However, their defence coach Tandy says the sense of occasion will be nothing new for the majority of the Scotland players given their previous experiences.
And he believes the atmosphere around the Stade de France could actually motivate the visitors to produce their best rugby.
‘A lot of our boys have played in these big games before,’ said Tandy. ‘If you go to any game at Murrayfield, it’s a massive game, irrelevant of who the opposition may be.
‘The Six Nations, probably outside the World Cup, is the biggest tournament in the world. So, every game is unreal, whether it be Cardiff or Dublin or wherever.
Scotland visit the Stade de France on ‘Super Saturday’ in what will be a daunting clash
France were in truly stunning form last weekend as they defeated Ireland in Dublin
Scotland co-captain Rory Darge was at training this week but remains a doubt for the game
‘The occasions are spectacular. Obviously now with France potentially winning the championship, it makes it even bigger. The crowds in Paris are always unreal. But it’s brilliant to be there and the boys thrive in those environments.
‘I think they get excited by it. There will always be a feeling like the whole stadium is against you, but sometimes that can inspire you to do special things.’
Scotland’s main attacking strength lies in getting the ball wide through the backs and running at teams, and Welshman Tandy sees no reason to alter that strategy, even for a game of this magnitude and difficulty.
‘France probably could have blown England away and they’ve done an unbelievable job out in Ireland,’ he said.
‘So, we know exactly what firepower they bring. They’re a brilliant team. But we’ve got our own way of playing and how we’re going to go about it in France.
‘There are always those subtle tweaks around what you see in the opposition. But the best teams have a style in what they do.
‘For us, it’s about giving the boys confidence to do what they want to do. That creates certainty and then you can really back yourself to go and play the game.
‘If there’s lots of ambiguity around how you want to play, or you’re changing things week to week, then I think that creates a little bit of doubt.’
Rory Darge remains a doubt after going off during Saturday’s win over Wales with a hip injury. Tandy confirmed the co-captain is making steady progress but couldn’t say for certain if he’ll be fit for Paris
‘He’s a little bit sore but he’s progressing through the days. He says he’s feeling better as the week goes on. We’ll sit on it and the boss (Townsend) will speak to the medics and see how he’s progressing.’
