The French were promoted to the expanded Tri-Nations series despite a disastrous World Cup, in which they collected the wooden spoon, and new captain Olivier Elima admits there is pressure on his side to perform.

"The Four Nations is a big competition," he said. "We haven't been included since the start, so it's a great honour – and we will be doing our best to show we are worthy of our place.

"There have been a lot of critics saying, because we came last in the World Cup, we shouldn't be playing in the Four Nations - and that's why we definitely want to prove a point. It's really important for France to be playing at this level to get to the heights where Australia, New Zealand and England are."

France's post-World Cup campaign got off to the worst possible start with a 66-12 defeat by England in Bobbie Goulding's first match in charge, but there are just eight survivors from what their coach calls a "debacle" in Paris in June.

Goulding is able to call on Elima and his Catalans Dragons colleagues David Ferriol, Sebastien Raguin, Dimitri Pelo and Jamal Fakir – who all missed that 12-try rout – in addition to newcomer Clint Greenshields.

The 13-strong Catalans continent would have been even greater but for injury to second rower Cyril Gossard, who pulled out this week with a knee problem and joined club-mates Greg Mounis and Cyril Stacul on the sidelines. But Elima admits the French are hoping to profit from the Dragons' late-season surge in Super League, which took them to within 80 minutes of a maiden Grand Final.

"As a club with the Dragons, we travelled very well at the end of the season – so there's no reason why can't we continue with that," he said.

"Down the left it's the same side as the Dragons – because we have Thomas Bosc, Dimitri Pelo and probably Jean-Philippe Baile as well.

"It's definitely going to help, but everyone's going to have to step up to play against these big teams."