France must do whatever it takes to beat Ireland in their Six Nations clash in Dublin this weekend and ease the pressure on them landing their first wooden spoon since 1957, captain Thierry Dusautoir has demanded.

The French have made their worst start to a Five/Six Nations since 1982 in losing their first three matches, and are the only side still to record a point.

But they travel to Dublin at least in the knowledge they have lost only once to their opponents in their last 13 tests, the Irish Grand Slam in 2009.

Dusautoir, though, said he couldn’t countenance the thought of defeat.

“I prefer not to even think about it, even if it is always a possible outcome in sport,” said the 31-year-old Toulouse flanker.

“It is something that one doesn’t want to envisage and we are going to do everything in our power to make sure it doesn’t happen.

“There is the fierce pride to show that we are a team of good rugby players.

“At the end of the day it is imperative we win. The French team was often criticised because it won ugly, but at the same time it won.

“We are painfully aware that the victory, whatever the manner of it, is really important. Today we are really hungry to win, whatever it costs.”

The Ivory Coast-born France skipper, son of a French father and an Ivorian mother, said the present squad was not lacking in guts and determination, contrary to what many of their critics and former players have said.

“I think this squad has character and is going to show it,” said Dusautoir, who has earned the sobriquet the ‘Dark Destroyer’ for his fierce tackling.