All Blacks vs France - Bonjour, je m'appelle France. Tu as tué ma Coupe du Monde, prépare-toi à mourir.

[cashead]

France
1. Jefferson Poirot (Bordeaux Begles)
2. Guilhem Guirado (Captain, Toulon)
3. Rabah Slimani (Clermont Auvergne)
4. Sebastien Vahaamhina (Toulon)
5. Paul Gabrillagues (Stade Francais)
6. Judicael Cancoriet (Clermont Auvergne)
7. Kevin Gourdon (La Rochelle)
8. Louis Picamoles (Montpellier)
9. Antoine Dupont (Toulouse)
10. Anthony Bellau (Toulon)
11. Yoann Huget (Toulouse)
12. Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon)
13. Geoffry Doumayrou (La Rochelle)
14. Teddy Thomas (Racing 92)
15. Nan Ducuing (Bordeaux Begles)

16. Clement Maynadier (Bordeaux Begles)
17. Raphael Chaume (Clermont Auvergne)
18. Daniel Kotze (Castres Olympique)
19. Paul Jedrasiak (Clermont Auvergne)
20. Anthony Jelonch (Castres Olympique)
21. Baptiste Serin (Bordeaux Begles)
22. Francois Trinh-Duc (Toulon)
23. Damian Penaud (Clermont Auvergne)

The French starting line-up features 4 new caps - Gabrillagues in the second row, Cancoriet in the back row, Dupont at halfback and Doumayrou in the centres - along with Bellau earning his first start after 3 appearances off the bench.

On the bench, there are potential first test caps for Chaume and Jelonch.



All Blacks
1. Kane Hames (Chiefs/Tasman)
2. Dane Coles (Hurricanes/Wellington)
3. Nepo Laulala (Chiefs/Counties Manukau)
4. Luke Romano (Crusaders/Canterbury)
5. Sam Whitelock (Crusaders/Canterbury)
6. Vaea Fifita (Hurricanes/Wellington)
7. Sam Cane (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
8. Kieran Read (Captain, Crusaders/Counties Manukau)
9. Aaron Smith (Highlanders/Manawatu)
10. Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)
11. Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland)
12. Sonny Bill Williams (Blues/Counties Manukau)
13. Ryan Crotty (Crusaders/Canterbury)
14. Waisake Naholo (Highlanders/Taranaki)
15. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs/Waikato)

16. Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury)
17. Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders/Canterbury)
18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Blues/Auckland)
19. Scott Barrett (Crusaders/Taranaki)
20. Matt Todd (Crusaders/Canterbury)
21. TJ Perenara (Hurricanes/Wellington)
22. Lima Sopoaga (Highlanders/Southland)
23. Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs/Waikato)

[rowan]

Les grenouilles sautent a l'abattoir

Tout les noirs vont a gagner par 30!

[Puja]

You should be utterly slaughtering France the way things stand at present. They're overworked from the insane schedule of the Top 14, without key players, and without any real consistent selection policy. Frankly, I'm not sure if they'll have had much more preparation time or cohesion than the Barbarians did last week!

It is France, your perennial nemeses, and the youngsters are very talented (Penaud on the bench is one to look out for) so there is always a puncher's chance, but I wouldn't be taken aback if you hit 60 points in this one.

Puja

[rowan]

It is France, your perennial nemeses, and the youngsters are very talented (Penaud on the bench is one to look out for) so there is always a puncher's chance, but I wouldn't be taken aback if you hit 60 points in this one.

What century are you living in, dude? NZ is on a record 10-game winning streak against Les Bleus, dating back to the last decade, and in fact they've only lost to them 3 times from 21 encounters since the year 2000. NZ is stronger than ever; France weaker than it has been for about half a century. Nemesis no more, I'm afraid.

[Adder]

I like the look of this French team. Dupont at 9 has a huge head (litteraly) but is an amazing player.



Notice the return of Bastareaud in the Centers. He is now capitaining Toulon and has shown some appetite.

Overall, Noves has gone for young and Athletic.

[Puja]

I like the look of this French team. Dupont at 9 has a huge head (litteraly) but is an amazing player.



Notice the return of Bastareaud in the Centers. He is now capitaining Toulon and has shown some appetite.

I had never noticed Dupont's head before, but now you've pointed it out, I can't see anything else. He's worse than Worsley!

Bastereaud does look like a completely different player to the fat man of a few years ago and the backline is balanced, but I just don't know how much ball they'll see, barring another one of NZ's inexplicable panic attacks at the idea of playing France.

Puja

[rowan]

barring another one of NZ's inexplicable panic attacks at the idea of playing France.

Like during their last 10 encounters, you mean?

[cashead]

I like the look of this French team. Dupont at 9 has a huge head (litteraly) but is an amazing player.



Notice the return of Bastareaud in the Centers. He is now capitaining Toulon and has shown some appetite.

I had never noticed Dupont's head before, but now you've pointed it out, I can't see anything else. He's worse than Worsley!

Bastereaud does look like a completely different player to the fat man of a few years ago and the backline is balanced, but I just don't know how much ball they'll see, barring another one of NZ's inexplicable panic attacks at the idea of playing France.

Puja

Don't lend him any sweaters, he'll stretch out the neckhole.

[Adder]

barring another one of NZ's inexplicable panic attacks at the idea of playing France.

Like during their last 10 encounters, you mean?

the last 10 years of French Rugby have been pretty poor.
French National team currently has a slightly better preparation time than they did previously as well as some slightly more Skilled players than before. They seem to have realised that there is something more than just bullying another team into submission. Although I don't think they are where they want to be yet and expect NZ to win, I do expect a good game of Rugby.

[Adder]

I like the look of this French team. Dupont at 9 has a huge head (litteraly) but is an amazing player.



Notice the return of Bastareaud in the Centers. He is now capitaining Toulon and has shown some appetite.

I had never noticed Dupont's head before, but now you've pointed it out, I can't see anything else. He's worse than Worsley!

First thing I noticed

Bastereaud does look like a completely different player to the fat man of a few years ago and the backline is balanced, but I just don't know how much ball they'll see, barring another one of NZ's inexplicable panic attacks at the idea of playing France.

Puja

Bastareaud now seems to be able to pass the ball. Doumayrou, his center partner seems to be a very interesting fellow as well.

Main concern in the Back is Teddy Thomas

Don't know much about Nans Ducuing (15).


Also, Damien Penaud is a decent sub.

[rowan]

Yes, if anything the All Blacks are more likely to be over-confident at this point than suffering any panic attacks. But I still think the margin will be between 20 & 30. Hopefully they'll prove me wrong.

[Mikey Brown]

When was the last time France actually settled on a pair of half-backs for more than 3 games?

[cashead]

Bellau’s like the 5th or 6th 10 that the French have fielded in a couple of years.

[morepork]

France getting strangled a bit here. Two tries up the ABs.

[morepork]

Commentators can't pronouns "Ioane"

[morepork]

Pronounce FFS

[morepork]

Fark me Guirado bleats a lot.

[morepork]

Kane Hames doing the damage in the scrum.

[Spy]

I have to admit I snorted in disgust when Williams kicked that ball through. Good to see one come off.

[morepork]

I know. Mr. Chippy.

How mean do MacKenzie and Ioane look together?

[Spy]

HT 5-31, NZ dominant in pretty much all facets of the game.

Barrett's kicking remains a conundrum. He's either banging them over from everywhere or missing everything.

[Spy]

Real mean. Still not sold on the defensive aspects of Mackenzies game.

[morepork]

SBW you plank.

[Spy]

Jesus sbw.

[morepork]

Too much man. How would France gathered that and scored?