Rugby League: Bruised French lose two players

By PETER JESSUP

The French squad went to the Waiwera hot pools yesterday to soak out the bruises from the second encounter of their whistlestop tour.

But the loss of two likely test starters was hurting more.

World Cup prop Rachid Hechiche and second rower/centre Jean-Christophe Borlin were seeing a surgeon while their team-mates were swimming.

Hechiche has a left knee ligament tear and Borlin a neck/spinal strain after their win over Central Districts on Wednesday night.

The team liaison officer, former Canterbury Bulldog Tas Batieri, said it appeared likely both would be sent home early because they would not be able to take further part in the two games to come in New Zealand and the Papua New Guinea tour to follow.

The French won their second tour match 28-26 over a committed CD side, finishing with 12 men on the field and two on the bench after Hechiche and Borlin went off injured and hooker David Berthezene was sinbinned for the last nine minutes for holding down in the tackle.

They were also upset at a penalty count that went 2-10 against them in the first 40 minutes and ended 4-17.

"They [Central Districts] had 60 per cent of the possession - we did plenty of tackling practice," Batieri said.

The French will run at the Richmond Rovers ground in Grey Lynn at 10 am today, and Penrith's assistant coach, Peter Mulholland, is flying in to assist with their game plan.

Mulholland had already helped with some video analysis and will refresh the team on that and in the light runs they will have before Sunday's test at Ericsson Stadium.

Batieri was sure they would give a good account of themselves.

"Obviously it's a lightweight fighting uphill against a heavyweight," he said, "but with the ball in hand they are very skilful. If they get an equal share of the ball, well, anything can happen."

The tourists were well aware of the history involved in marking the 50th anniversary of tests between the two countries.

"Plenty of the 1951 side came to the airport to see us off," Batieri said. "The young guys are very motivated. There is lots of interest in France because of the history and we're getting plenty of messages of support."

The test side would be markedly different from that who lost the World Cup quarter-final 6-54 to the Kiwis last year.

Retirement, injury and switches to the better-paid code of rugby have taken 11 players from the cup side.

"But we all learned a lot from the World Cup and we are looking to build a team for the next one," Batieri said.

Central Districts forward Mark Graham predicted the French would struggle up front against the power of the Kiwis.