But the last time we played them there, we only lost the game 23-20 in the dying moments. It was a tight match which we should have won, so I think we have a good chance."Dominguez believes that even England are beatable. "At the Flaminio, I'm ready to take on any team," he said, knowing that another 125 points will make him the second most prolific kicker of all time, ahead of the great Michael Lynagh.Dominguez will retire from international rugby on 1 April - no joke - at the Stade de France. It is the ideal setting for his final bow, as he made his Italian debut against the Tricolores back in 1991 So, what if..."The French at home?" he interrupted "Forget it That is one dream too far.". There is something disarming, almost surreal, about talking to an international sportsman while he puffs away on a cigarette. But then again, little about little Christophe Dominici can be described as normal.
He is, by modern rugby standards, short at 5ft 7in and light at 12st 12lb, he dies his hair blond and he goes - incredibly fast - by the name of "Missile". Oh, and he demolished the All Blacks virtually single-handed in the semi-final of the World Cup. There is something disarming, almost surreal, about talking to an international sportsman while he puffs away on a cigarette. But then again, little about little Christophe Dominici can be described as normal. He is, by modern rugby standards, short at 5ft 7in and light at 12st 12lb, he dies his hair blond and he goes - incredibly fast - by the name of "Missile". Oh, and he demolished the All Blacks virtually single-handed in the semi-final of the World Cup. That day - and for strictly 80 minutes only - Twickenham became French.
The crowd were predominantly English but the Tricolores' performance was such that even the most fervent Euro-sceptics were singing their praises, not to mention the Marseillaise. Trailing 24-10 early in the second half, France famously never lost faith and went on to score 33 unanswered points. Their 43-30 victory was a spectacular triumph for the underdogs, and not least Dominici, who has had to scrap his way to the top."It's difficult to explain the inexplicable," Dominici said at the Stade Français club café last week as he relived the great game. "We were 15 guys who just came together on the day with the same desire and determination. When [Jonah] Lomu scored his second try and they went 24-10 ahead, we all thought: 'Right, either we lose this one by 50 points or we try to make a game of it.' What can I say, we made a game of it."France then carried their end-of-year form into the first match of this season's Six Nations' Championship, with a 36-3 destruction of Wales "We thought we'd have a good game," Dominici said "We never envisaged finishing 33 points ahead, though. But we were strong, composed and kicked well - all the right ingredients to win there."France's success - their first in four against Wales - was given particular significance because it seemed to confirm their return to form following a poor 1999 Five Nations and start to the World Cup "Maybe, but let's not get carried away," Dominici said. "It's the first game of the tournament and there's a long way to go.
What I found encouraging was that the team remained serene throughout Even when under pressure we didn't crack. We withstood the onslaught and got stronger as the match went on Also, the win gave the new manager the start he needed We think we took a huge step forward. The match against England on Saturday will tell us if we're right."Although France and England have been quickest out of the traps, Dominici insists the championship is not over. That said, those opening performances will have served as clear messages of intent from the "big two", and may be a precursor to the way Saturday's crunch match will unfold at the Stade de France. "Matches between us are always very competitive and exciting," Dominici said "They're exactly what international rugby is all about I actually think we should play each other more often. Rather than meet just once a year for the Six Nations, why not also play a home-and-away series every season too? It would bring more publicity and offer players the chance to better themselves."That's for the future, though. First comes Saturday's game, which could be decided by a moment of magic from either of two mercurial wingers - England's No 14 or France's No 11.
Austin Healey and Dominici have faced each other four times before - twice on international duty and twice in the Heineken Cup. It promises to be a meeting of versatile free spirits."He's an exceptional talent," Dominici explained. "But I don't think we should be looking at England's individualities. They have plenty of good players, but their strength is the team Even New Zealand aren't just about Lomu.