By Pierre Serisier

CLAIREFONTAINE, France, Oct 4 (Reuters) France need to put their run to the World Cup final behind them and get ready for a tough Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland on Saturday, according to coach Raymond Domenech.

''The match against Scotland is the first true rendez-vous on the road to the European championship,'' Domenech told reporters.

''Before that, we were still in the aftermath of the World Cup.'' France began their Group B campaign with a 3-0 victory over Georgia and an impressive 3-1 win over world champions Italy last month. However, beating Italy was much more like a settling of World Cup final scores than a move towards Euro 2008.

''This game has all the ingredients of a great test,'' Domenech said. ''We are expecting a strong physical and technical challenge in front of a crowd of soccer-loving fans.'' Top spot will be at stake as the Scots lead France on goal difference after they demolished the Faroe Islands 6-0 and won 2-1 in Lithuania.

Domenech has warned his men against any over-confidence and said that competition for places would soon be stepped up.

''A priority has been given for a while to those who took part in the World Cup,'' he said. ''But this situation is not going to last.

''I wanted to make it clear that I was still counting on the guys who went to the World Cup. But we must now think about the future and prepare for it.'' Domenech, whose side take on the Faroe Islands today, has called up two uncapped players, Olympique Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan and Sevilla defender Julien Escude.

''We've developed a way of doing things and I'm not going to break it all up just for the fun of it,'' Domenech said. ''I'm going to use what works or what I think will work.'' Domenech is eager to avoid the mistake which cost former coach Roger Lemerre his job in 2002 after France suffered a humiliating exit from the World Cup.

Lemerre stuck by a team made up of members of the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000-winning squads and Les Bleus crashed out in the first round in South Korea.

REUTERS AB HT1800