Wales scrum-half Richie Rees believes keeping France counterpart Morgan Parra quiet could be vital if his full Test debut is to end in a home Six Nations win at the Millennium Stadium on Friday.
The 21-year-old goalkicking Parra has been in fine form both in open play and with the boot during grand slam chasers France's victories over Scotland and Ireland.
Rees, five years Parra's senior, is well aware of his opposite number's quality and said on Tuesday: "He's had an excellent start to the Six Nations, to be fair to him.
"I've looked at his last couple of games and I think he controls a lot of what the French do - he is key for them.
"Maybe I have got to try and get in his face a little bit and see where that gets us."
Rees has already seen off impressive opposition just to earn his first Test start after Wales coach Warren Gatland selected him ahead of now fit-again British and Irish Lions scrum-halves Mike Phillips and Dwayne Peel.
Cardiff Blues No 9 Rees admitted he feared the worst when the experienced duo were recalled.
"I didn't know either of them were coming. When they both walked into the hotel, I thought, 'here we go!' "If I was selected, I was selected - if not, it wasn't to be. We will see how Friday goes and then take it from there."
Both Phillips and Peel have endured injury-plagued seasons and were not in New Zealander Gatland's original Six Nations squad.
However they are now fit again and training.
But Rees impressed when coming off the bench during Wales's opening two matches - this month's defeat by England and the astonishing come from behind win over Scotland - to the extent he has now displaced Gareth Cooper and kept the Lions pair at bay, although Phillips is set to be on the bench on Friday.
"I thought I did what I could (against England and Scotland)," Rees said. "I stuck to the gameplan and things worked out all right.
"The coaches were pretty pleased with what I offered and now I've got a start on Friday, which is obviously what you want."
Rees made his name at the Ospreys but quit the Welsh region when they signed New Zealand's Justin Marshall and joined English Premiership side London Irish.
At the Exiles he worked under Brian Smith, now England's backs coach, and Rees said the former Australia and Ireland international had played a major role in his development.
"I had a fantastic time at Irish, they were very good to me, and the only reason I came back was for Welsh selection. Now, a couple of years later, that has happened."
Rees added: "I worked with Brian Smith when I was with Irish and he is someone I have a lot of time for.
"The good thing with Irish was that they like to throw the ball around a bit. Brian encouraged you to go with your instinct, and my instinct is maybe to try to play a bit."
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