As I sit at the Vieux Port in Marseille with a coffee, gazing out at the nearby island of Chateau D’If, I’m reminded of the words of Edmund Dantès “All human wisdom is contained in these two words, “wait and hope”.

Dantes, the vengeful hero of the novel “The Count of Monte Cristo” was imprisoned in the chateau d’if by the pen of Alexandre Dumas.

And on a warm summers evening by the Med, we are all waiting and hoping. France face Namibia just a short journey up the road at the Orange Vélodrome in just under twenty-four hours. The wait is acceptable in such pleasant surroundings, and the hope is for a display of French flair under the coastal twilight colours that enticed Van Gogh southwards from Paris.

Summer is slow to depart this city, which despite all the recent modernisation still has a wonderful Northern African vibe, it really does feel like the junction of two continents.

The temperatures here are a very pleasant twenty-three degrees and at tomorrow’s 9pm kick off they are likely to be a muggy, thundery twenty-one degrees.

France after victories over New Zealand and Uruguay are all but assured of qualification to the knock out stages

After the less than perfect performance of the largely second XV in Lille, Galthie has brought back all the big guns for this one.

Having played in Paris and Lille this is France’ most southerly World Cup match before they begin their journey northwards starting with a final pool game in Lyon against Italy on October 6.

For now as the sun slowly sets at the port it’s time for a glass of red and a little bit more waiting and hoping.