It's a clash of two gargantuan packs, but will the Springboks or France come out on top tonight? Rob Peters and Tim Human go head-to-head.

Tim Human usually backs the Boks in a physical encounter, but this time he has a sinking feeling that John Smit and his team-mates just don?t have enough gas left in the tank.

The French have been building up the Springboks as a big, nasty bunch of thugs ahead of tonight?s clash. Well all that means, really, is that they want to take some of the attention off of the ?special? plans they have in place to counter South Africa?s forward strength.

They have chosen a monstrous eight men to do so, and the rugby-crazed town of Toulouse is expecting fireworks when these two gargantuan packs meet. It will be physical to say the least, which I would usually say works in the Boks? favour.

Tonight though, I?m not so sure. The obvious cliche of ?you never know which French team will turn up? is used every time the French play, but this time it could just as easily be used for the Boks?.but in a more literal sense.

But whether the latest ridiculous saga to hit SA Rugby forces cult-hero Tendai ?Beast? Mtawarira to miss the game or not, I have an uneasy feeling that France will have the beating of the Boks in the physical battle.

The latter part of the Currie Cup showed that our all-conquering heroes are tired and jaded, and as much as I would like to believe it, I just don?t think that John Smit, Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield have enough left in the tank to dominate a fired-up French side.

French rugby is undergoing a resurgence lately, and having got one over the All Blacks earlier in the year, they will be fiercely determined to claim another Southern Hemisphere scalp.

In a town where rugby is close to a religion, the arrival of the World-Champions is building up a fever that will have Les Bleus? giant?s salivating for Springbok blood. It has been the South Africa?s year, but this unfortunately, will be the French pack?s game.

The South African forwards may have been monstered by the Leicester Tigers last weekend, but it will be the real Springbok pack stepping forward in Toulouse on Friday night, says Rob Peters.

The French may be unpredictable, but we still are not exactly sure who is going to turn up for the Springboks this evening, what with the whole Beast Mtawarira affair still hanging over the South African team?s heads (yes, I know the Boks say he is playing...).

But one guarantee is that the Boks will be looking to put their B team?s loss well and truly in the past ? starting with a big performance over a large and confrontational French pack.

Yes, the Dirt Trackers got smashed by Leicester, but it needs to be remembered that it was a team playing together for the first time, it was largely inexperienced and the Tigers were on song. More importantly, however, the South African team were World Champions in name, not in personnel.

This evening will be different with John Smit, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira (we hope), Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brussow and Ryan Kankowski all packing down for South Africa. There are very few teams that can compete, let alone dominate, this unit, and that includes the French.

I don?t care how many brutes and bruisers Mark Lievremont has selected, it will take more than sheer size and physicality to overcome this Bok pack. Smit and his compatriots have proved time and again that along with their bulk, which is considerable, they also have plenty of heart, and more importantly, they have an unconquerable will to succeed.

In the end it will be the Boks? combination of skill, strength and mental resolve that will see them conquer the French in Toulouse.