French rugby with its frequent brilliance, sporadic brutality and utter unpredictability has brought a romantic glow to the world game and complete misery to New Zealand at two World Cups.
On current form the All Blacks should romp home in tomorrow’s World Cup final against France at Eden Park. History since France upset the All Blacks 3-0 in their first post-World War II Test warns against undue optimism on behalf of the home side.
France defeated the All Blacks 43-31 after the most astonishing comeback in World Cup history in the 1999 semi-finals. Four years ago they prevailed 20-18 in the quarter-finals after they had been written off by most pundits before the match.
“They are just ruthless and punch above their weight,” former New Zealand No. 8 Zinzan Brooke said this week. “They have the flair and the ability to break defensive lines.”
Former England captain Will Carling said that Wales, who were beaten by a point by France in the quarter-finals despite playing for an hour with 14 men, had played “incredibly well” during the tournament.
“But if the All Blacks were playing Wales they would be more relaxed,” he said. “France are the one northern hemisphere side which has no issues playing against New Zealand and they can beat them.”
“They are the one side that can humiliate you, if they are in the mood and you let them play, they will rip you to pieces,” he added.
Ian Borthwick, a New Zealand journalist who reports on rugby for French sports newspaper L’Equipe, said New Zealanders and Anglo-Saxons in general did not understand the French.
“The French are something exotic, the All Blacks are rational,” he said. “The French have got something the All Blacks can’t control.”
After the 1999 loss at Twickenham the New Zealand stock market slumped, a university offered grief counseling to students and baggage handlers at Auckland airport wrote “Losers” across the team’s bags on their return.
New Zealand head coach Graham Henry, who was controversially reappointed along with his coaching team after the loss in Cardiff, said this week the 2007 match had been “bizarre.”
“That game caused some people a lot of pain,” he said. “It was the most bizarre game that I have ever been involved in. But we won’t define bizarre, not totally anyway, so there is a lot of history here.”
France were beaten by the All Blacks and Tonga in the pool stages, then rallied to eliminate England in the quarter-finals before struggling against Wales.
There were reports of disarray in the camp and some provocative criticisms from coach Marc Lievremont before he announced a rapprochement with his players on Wednesday.
None of this will matter for a team who can play like clowns one week then like rugby gods the next.
“They have been winning ugly, but winning ugly is OK,” Brooke said. “They have shown glimpses and I think they are going to show a lot more.”
“Can the French beat the All Blacks? Yeah, they can,” he added.
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