The All Blacks launch their World Cup build-up as overwhelming favorites against a below-par French side today but cautioning against expectations of a substantial scoreline.
New Zealand's skipper Richie McCaw set the ground rules yesterday when he underlined the significance of the first of seven Tests the All Blacks, ranked the No. 1 side in the world, will play before the World Cup in five months.
"The guys are pretty happy to be back in this environment and are looking forward to what's going to be a big year. They want to start it off pretty well," he said. "It's important to get the first week right ... so hopefully we can put a performance together that we're happy with tomorrow."
PHOTO: AFP
While club championship play-offs in France forced French coach Bernard Laporte to field a "best-of-the-rest" team against New Zealand, McCaw said the All Blacks would still have to be on top form if they wanted to win.
"I don't think it's too difficult [not knowing the opposition]. We have had a lot of things that we have had to worry about ourselves, so in that regard it's made sure we look at ourselves first," he said.
In two Tests at the end of last year the All Blacks piled on 70 points against France. But with less than a week together since then, and hints of rustiness, coach Graham Henry cautioned their immediate focus had to be on getting the basics right.
"We just want to make sure our set piece is sound, we use the ball well ... that we play a very constructive game and build on that constructive game," he said.
Unusually for an All Blacks home Test, it is unlikely to be a sell-out crowd at Eden Park.
Henry said this suggested the public had decided the side would not be good enough, but that he did not see it that way.
"It's easy to play the underdog tag, and they can do that obviously, but I don't think we should be sucked in," he said.
Although France are without most of their senior internationals -- only lock Pascal Pape survives from the starting line-up when they last played the All Blacks seven months ago -- there are areas of the All Blacks play that they can attempt to exploit.
Isaia Toeava is given another chance in midfield after failing to fire last year, an out-of-sorts Joe Rokocoko could not make the Blues Super 14 side this year, and Chris Masoe is being tested as a back rower in case he is required to cover later in the year for the regular Rodney So'oialo.
Rokocoko is one of many All Blacks held back from the first half of the Super 14 competition under Henry's World Cup fitness masterplan because he did not live up to expectations when he began playing.
McCaw and kingpin flyhalf Dan Carter, among others, also turned in mediocre performances and Carter said they could not be expected to produce their best immediately.
"I wasn't too happy with my form but I feel more comfortable with each game and I'll be looking to progress each week," he said. "A lot of the guys found it pretty tough getting back into their franchises but it's been enjoyable getting back into this camp -- I know I tend to lift another gear when I put on the black jersey."
But even a sub-par All Blacks side should produce too much quality play for a French unit starting with six Test novices and with another five on the bench.
"It will be difficult to win with this young side," said veteran back Thomas Castaignede.
But grizzled backrower Sebastien Chabal demanded they ignore the form book and at least play like winners.
"If you don't think you can win you might as well stay at home and watch a good movie," he said.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB