Rugby World Cup: Couple reveal true colours

Kiwi Genevieve Gibson and her French fiance Fabien Le Gall show support for both their home countries ahead of Sunday morning's quarter-final in Cardiff. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Tough test as Kiwi woman and her French fiance takes sides over Cup.

For Kiwi Genevieve Gibson and her French fiance Fabien Le Gall, this weekend's quarter-final clash between the All Blacks and France is a different kind of test.

It will be the first time the couple - who met at a cocktail reception on board a French Navy frigate in November 2013 - have watched their nations play against each other.

New Zealand and France will meet for the seventh time at a Rugby World Cup at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff at 8am on Sunday (NZ time). Ms Gibson, 27, works at the French Embassy in Wellington, where Mr Le Gall is head chef for the French Ambassador.

She said this weekend's match would produce an odd form of conflict between the pair.

"I'm a Kiwi who's in love with all things French and he's a French guy in love with all things New Zealand. So even though there's this rivalry between us ... we sort of support the other team a little bit as well."

However, any chance of neutrality should be dashed by Ms Gibson's father on Sunday morning.

The pair, who will be in Hawkes Bay this weekend looking at wedding venues, are watching the game at her family home.

"We've had to push back one of our wedding appointments so that we can stay at home and watch the rugby game with my dad," Ms Gibson said.

A dad who seems to be relishing the rivalry.

"[He] has already decorated our house with All Blacks flags and I think every time there's a new match here, it's another flag.

"My father did suggest that we might want to come back to Wellington on Saturday night rather than Sunday morning after the match."

Mr Le Gall is expecting these kinds of digs to only increase as the week progresses and said with a laugh that he might have to watch the game in his car. "Especially if France is winning."

The 33-year-old from Paris received similar types of messages from friends and family back in France yesterday, asking if he is going to be a "traitor" to his new home and support the French.

Mr Le Gall said he will be, but not without feeling some internal conflict of his own.

"That's my biggest worry about the game on Sunday - if France will win I'll be happy, but I'll be disappointed to see the All Blacks losing in the quarter-final," he said.

"On the other hand, if the All Blacks go through, I'll be disappointed for France. So it's a bit tricky."

He is "not at all" confident the French will win, however.

"Historically France has always been good against the All Blacks in World Cups ... usually they always manage to play a really, really great game against the All Blacks, but I don't think that will be the case this year because the gap between the two teams is way too big, in my opinion.

And when it comes to the "Nightmare in Cardiff" in 2007 - a game Kiwis will be thinking about a lot this week - Mr Le Gall has nothing but fond memories. "I watched that game. I remember where I was and who I was with."