Six weeks ago France lost to England by a chastening 34 points. Out-powered and out-muscled, five of England's six tries came from the forwards, three of those from the famed rolling-maul.
But now, on the day the fixture fondly known as Le Crunch takes on epic proportions, former French superstar Jessy Tremouliere is not only adamant her compatriots can turn it around, she has a message for the French pack.
"I’d fire them up by telling them they’re going to eat them alive, that the players opposite them are just human," Tremouliere, named World Player of the Decade in 2020, said.
"I’d tell them to have fun bullying their opponent. To feed off it, to enjoy making them look silly. You need to show your character, who you are, not let anyone walk over you.
"Character will be key. It’s about winding them up and saying: 'What do you want? To be rolled over for 80 minutes or to stand up, show you’re here, and bare your teeth?’."
That 40-6 defeat in both teams' final Rugby World Cup 2025 warm-up match stretched England's uninterrupted run of victories over their oldest foe to 16 matches. But for Tremouliere "you can't hang everything" on what was an "off-day".
Instead, she is far more interested in the last time Le Crunch really meant something.
"The real reference point is the Six Nations match at Twickenham," Tremouliere said, referencing the late April clash, in which France recovered from being 31-7 down after 24 minutes, to losing by a single point.
"They showed the mental strength to come back from a big deficit. They need to build on that, because it showed they performed well and achieved things. Now they have to figure out why they fell short by one point. Why they only woke up late. That game should remind them that anything is possible. It proved they can push England all the way."
And crucially, Tremouliere - and indeed all of England - know the Red Roses have been here before.
“England are riding a great wave, but remember at the last World Cup in New Zealand, they were putting 40 points on everyone before losing in the final," the former full-back said, the smile almost visible in her voice.
"The same thing could happen."
The two teams had very different quarter-finals. England powering past Scotland 40-8, while France made a leg-tiring 252 tackles, as they pulled off another second-half comeback to edge Ireland 18-13.
But for the optimistic Tremouliere, that could be an advantage for Les Bleues.
"Against Ireland, they bent but didn’t break, they fought, and it paid off," she said of a France side that had just 35 per cent possession.
"I hope they use that. It’s fundamental, a solid positive base."
The now 33-year-old, who played in three RWCs, is even confident the loss of co-captain Manae Feleu and flanker Axelle Berthoumieu - both to suspension - can be absorbed. With the likes of Pauline Bourdon-Sansus and Madoussou Fall-Raclot backed to step up.
If they do, a first ever final could lie in wait.
"Of course (they can), because it’s a chance for them to make history and reach a milestone no one has reached before," she said, France having lost all eight previous RWC semi-finals - including their 2021 clash by a single point to New Zealand.
"That can be huge motivation because they could enter French rugby folklore by making the final.
"Everywhere you read that England are unbeatable. It depends how you look at it. Sure, they seem unbeatable, but that’s no reason to think they’ll never be beaten. Instead, the question should be: what tools do we need to beat them?
"It’s all about how you approach the challenge – finding the keys to turn it in your favour, not the opposite."
Tune in at 15:30 BST to find out if Tremouliere is right.
