Australian winger Joe Roff admitted on Wednesday that he would not countenance defeat against France in Saturday's one-off Test in Marseille because of the welcome he would receive on returning to his French club Biarritz.

The 26-year-old World Cup winning star, who will win his 71st cap on Saturday, also admitted that he had been unable to furnish his compatriots with much inside information on the younger players in the French side, who performed respectably in the 20-10 defeat of the Springboks last Saturday.

"We cannot lose on Saturday because I will get a real ribbing when I return to Biarritz after the tour," said Roff, whose arrival at the surfing capital of Europe has coincided with them posing their strongest challenge in years to winning the French title, having won their first five matches this season.

Roff, who was a vital member of the Wallabies side that downed the British Lions 2-1 in their summer series, said he had only been able to provide the barest of details on his opponents.

"I don't know them well," he said. "I played against one or two of them when we beat Toulouse and I remember they were pretty solid but nothing more than that," he added.

Even his Biarritz teammate, Cameroon-born flanker Serge Betsen, who will win his 12th cap on Saturday, appeared to have escaped Roff's critical eye.

"We haven't played very much together as he has been injured, but I think he is a fantastic player," said Roff, who was also a member of the two-time winning Tri-Nations Wallaby team.

He admitted that the strength of the domestic game in France had surprised him. "It's a very different style of game played here than in Australia," he said. "In fact, the main surprise for me is the number of teams here that play really good rugby.

"The matches are really hard and very physical and the atmosphere is extremely passionate," he added.

Roff also claimed that his decision to come to France to sample another culture had been well rewarded. "I really like the French way of life. The players are relaxed and then there's the food and all the rest. I have only been here for four weeks and I already feel totally at home." - Sapa