Rugby: All Blacks to wear white for France clash

Sam Whitelock in an All Blacks alternate strip in 2016. Photo / Photosport

The All Blacks have once again been forced into defying their own name by wearing white jerseys against France on Sunday morning.

France, whose home strip comes in varying shades of blue, have chosen to exercise their right to wear that colour and force the change on the All Blacks due to the potential on-field colour clash.

It's a move that brings back tough memories for All Blacks fans after the same situation occurred in the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal in Cardiff, in which the All Blacks lost while wearing an outfit generally described as a horrible grey.

However, All Blacks fans - while undoubtedly fuming at the enforced fashion change - can feel at ease with the winning record of their team in alternate strips against France: they haven't lost since that infamous match in 2007.

Captain Sam Whitelock said that, while every New Zealand rugby player growing up wanted to wear the All Black jersey, the novelty of playing in white was something the players appreciated for its uniqueness.

Sam Whitelock in an All Blacks alternate strip in 2016. Photo / Photosport

There were no qualms in not wearing the black as long as the silver fern was there, that was all that mattered, he said.

The white jersey will also feature a commemorative poppy in honour of the Dave Gallaher Trophy. Gallaher was one of 13 All Blacks killed in World War I.

"It is one of those things we do talk around every time we play for it because, even though he lived so long ago, a lot of the standards that the All Blacks live by now he set up as the leader he was," Whitelock said.

"We understand the history of it, and it is something we don't take lightly."