Whether or not the legacy left by the France coach, Bernard Laporte, when he retires after the World Cup this autumn includes a fourth Six Nations title and the Webb Ellis Cup, one thing is certain. He will be remembered for certain phrases and terms which can only be called Bernard-isms.

Inevitably another memorable gem was coined last Sunday when France blew the grand slam. "Don't be nervous" was his last instruction to his side before they went out at Twickenham. Given the fumbles and missed tackles, either they were not listening or his words had the opposite effect to the one desired, in the style of his imprecation to France not to panic before the World Cup semi-final in 2003.

Legacies are not just about words, however, and tomorrow's visit by Scotland to the Stade de France may have considerable bearing on how Laporte is viewed in years to come. If France defeat Scotland and Ireland fail to overcome their deficit of four points against Italy in Rome, Laporte will have guided France to four Six Nations championships in his eight years at the helm, including two grand slam titles.

Given that France have taken only eight clean sweeps in the Five and Six Nations, Laporte's achievements in the championship are enviable. "It's a good record," says his former captain Fabien Galthié, now the director of rugby at Stade Français. "This remains a great competition, a big mix of modernity and tradition. All the teams are evolving, so it's as hard to win as it ever was."

Yesterday Laporte said that he had barely thought about the fact that this would be his last match in charge in the Six Nations. "I'm glad I've had the chance to do eight tournaments but there won't be any particular emotion. It doesn't matter that much to me. Afterwards we have to go to New Zealand and prepare for the World Cup."

If France slip up against Scotland, however, having already squandered the opportunity to go through this championship unbeaten, the pressure will mount again as the World Cup looms. Laporte and his side have only two summer tour matches before the squad is announced in July and the clubs involved in the shoot-out for the French championship will not be sending their internationals, which will mean that the bulk of the players who have taken part in this Six Nations campaign will not be available.

First to sound the alarm this week was the French federation president, Bernard Lapasset, well aware that the loss of the grand slam will do nothing for World Cup ticket sales. "I feel as if we have gone back to where we started after six weeks' preparation. It's the same scenario as in the 2003 World Cup where we were unable to keep on the pace for seven weeks. We don't even have the excuse that it was raining."

Time, says Lapasset, is not on France's side. "We have to be more efficient, and quickly. We have to find answers because the World Cup won't wait for us. We have to stabilise the team and not have the image of a team in formation. It reminds me of the World Cup in 2003, when the team was lethargic, merely playing for the sake of it. In the final quarter of an hour [at Twickenham], where we lost the match, we didn't seem to have in our minds that we had to win."

Galthié, however, feels that France are a better side than they were at this point in 2003, when they had a tough tournament after losing key players to injury. "What you can't say, however, is that Laporte has found his World Cup team. There are uncertainties in the back row, at half-back. Of the 15 places I'd say we are still looking for five or six."

The former coach Pierre Villepreux, though, is adamant that France should already have a settled first-choice XV for the World Cup. "We need to determine which players are going to the World Cup as fast as possible. You need to have a certain style of play which you can develop and improve during the World Cup. It can be done in the easy games but you need to be very strong to do it in the harder matches [and] France have the most difficult pool in the World Cup."

When Laporte took over in 2000 his aim, it seemed, was to instil consistency in the French game by bringing Anglo-Saxon rigour instead of French flair, but they host Scotland amid the old uncertainty about which France team will turn up.

Villepreux, whose sides were criticised for putting flair above consistency, makes the point: "They play well at times; they can be very good for 20 minutes. At other times it doesn't work any more and they become an ordinary team. But they aren't the first French [team] that doesn't know where they are."

Laporte's team, meanwhile, will be without their fly-half David Skrela in Paris tomorrow. Lionel Beauxis will step in for Skrela, who injured his leg last Sunday, and Damien Traille will provide cover from the bench.