Rugby: Skipper Mathieu Bastareaud an enigmatic inspiration for France

For many New Zealand rugby supporters, France captain Mathieu Bastareaud will be best known for his exploits in Wellington in 2009, when, as a 20-year-old, he lied about an after-hours street assault.

It was obviously big news at the time, bringing into international focus as it did the relative safety of New Zealand's capital and it got to the stage where Prime Minister John Key was involved. In reality Bastareaud's cut eye and bruised face came as a result of a drunken fall in his hotel room.

Bastareaud has long been a troubled soul. Recently he was accused of making homophobic slurs while playing for his club Toulon and in 2014, shortly before his autobiography Tete Haute (Head Held High) was published, he said following a defeat: "I'm a zombie. I think that now I've come to the end of the road."

He clearly hadn't and for that we can all be thankful. Now he is the captain of a team that few outside France will believe can beat the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday, the first of three tests. Perhaps it took time playing alongside former All Black midfielder Ma'a Nonu to bring out the best in Bastareaud, a similar player in many ways.

Because, as many Northern Hemisphere writers have suggested, that uncertainty and self-doubt is a world away from Bastareaud's rampaging style in the midfield where he charges around with little regard for his safety.

Weighing about 120kg, Bastareaud, who has played 45 tests, has the ability to put his team on the front foot one way or another. He has always been big, maybe too much so, but that also makes him the player he is.

Former England first-five Johnny Wilkinson described his former Toulon club-mate as a "superhuman force", and wrote the forward to Bastareaud's autobiography, including the line: "I remain convinced the best is yet to come for him despite everything he has already accomplished. This conviction is proof of my deep respect for him."

Englishman Dave Attwood, a Bath lock, spent a month on loan at Toulon and crossed paths with Bastareaud and told the Guardian: "He speaks with a lot of reverence here, that's very apparent.

"The fans are obsessed with him, he's a cult hero. It's a team of rock stars, but when he speaks, everyone listens and that says a lot about the man."

France play at their best when they play with emotion – witness their World Cup exploits against the All Blacks, including victories in 1999 and 2007. After losing their pool match to the All Blacks in 2011 they were a different team in the final which they turned into an excruciating grind that the home side were perhaps fortunate to win.

With the inspirational Bastareaud leading from the front they have the most perfectly French rugby leader.

France: Maxime Medard, Teddy Thomas, Mathieu Bastareaud (c), Geoffrey Doumayrou, Remy Grosso, Anthony Belleau, Morgan Parra, Kevin Gourdon, Fabien Sanconnie, Judicael Cancoriet, Yoann Maestri, Paul Gabrillagues, Uini Atonio, Camille Chat, Dany Priso.

Reserves: Adrien Pélissié, Cyril Baille, Rabah Slimani, Bernard Le Roux, Alexandre Lapandry, Baptiste Serin, Jules Plisson, Gael Fickou.