KEY POINTS:
KIWIS V FRANCE
Sunday 5.55am
Live: Sky Sport 1
Replay: Maori TV, noon
Fresh from a two-game series win over Papua New Guinea, the French have watched New Zealand lose their series in England and feel they will compete well against the higher-ranked Kiwis.
France won 22-16 at the weekend
after an in-goal judge ruled out a PNG try because of a knock-on, a call the visitors hotly disputed. France won the first test 38-26 to raise questions over PNG's position in pool A at the 2008 World Cup along with New Zealand, Australia and England while France are in pool B with the minnows.
French captain Julian Rinaldi said afterwards that the Kiwis have not looked at their best in England, they looked vulnerable at times and that gave his team some hope.
The John Monie-coached side will likely include up to eight players from Perpignan-based Super League side Les Catalans Dragons, including former Warrior Justin Murphy on one wing, along with Rinaldi, hooker for Harlequins, and a couple of other Super League players, filled out with a handful from the French domestic competition.
Their halves Christophe Moly, aged 25 with 10 tests behind him, and Maxime Greseque, 26 and 11 tests, are comfortable together and a smart attacking unit. Greseque scoring in both games against PNG and against Great Britain when they lost 15-42 in July.
The majority of the others are experienced test players so the game in Paris on Sunday will be no walk-over for the Kiwis.
Still, they should win and win well. If they don't that will offer more petrol to those lighting a fire under the New Zealand Rugby League administration.
The 15 districts that vote in the NZRL officials are seeking financial details amid concern about over-spending and have asked those directors not with the tour to seek answers from chairman Andrew Chalmers.
While the annual accounts will not be finalised until March next year and figures from the tour to England and France will not be known much prior to that, the districts are worried about spending on lawyers and consultants fees which preceded the tests. The size of the tour party is being questioned, especially given the lack of success.
Epalahame Lauaki won't play again on tour because of the knee problem he suffered in England. His Warriors teammates resumed training this week, with centre Jerome Ropati and wing Manu Vatuvei both recovered from surgery for shoulder and leg injuries respectively.
