By Wynne Gray
WELLINGTON - French rugby captain Philippe Saint-Andre described it as the try from the end of the earth.
For most of us it was simply out of this world - the 1994 try, started by Saint-Andre near his own line and finished by fullback Jean Luc Sadourny after almost
the entire team handled, which finished off the All Blacks, 23-20, at Eden Park.
It was as sensational as other French deeds like the triumph on the same ground on Bastille Day in 1979 and the monster penalty goal current French coach Pierre Villepreux sent spinning over the crossbar at Athletic Park in 1968 after a journey reckoned to be the best part of 70m.
Five years ago the French stunned the All Blacks by winning both tests. Victory tomorrow for the French would be more staggering given the tourists' form of the last six months.
Emile N'tamack was a star of 1994, the long-striding, elegant wing who epitomised all the backline grace which can be brought to rugby. He returns for this test after several years out of the game for knee surgery and dreams of another miracle win.
"I remember that try at Eden Park all the time," he recalled. "I was involved early in the movement and then just ran up the middle of the ground and saw Sadourny go over.
"We were not favourites for that series so there is no reason why we cannot do it again this time.
"After our defeat by New Zealand A, logic says the All Blacks will beat us but French rugby is not always logical.
"We play different rugby and while I am sure this test will be very hard I hope we can win."
N'tamack's optimism is tempered by the lack of time the new-look French side have had to find and use the right mix of players. The forwards had been shuffled throughout their tour of the South Pacific and the backline regularly rearranged.
N'tamack has been named at second five-eighths for this test alongside Thomas Castaignede at centre after being with Eric Artiguste and Christophe Lamaison in other midfield pairings on tour. There was great individual skill but collectively there would be questions, he said.
"We probably need more time to find our combinations and we have been working on that but you need games to settle many things," he said. "When I look at the way Walter Little and Frank Bunce used to be for the All Blacks, they were so good because they played so much together."
That certainly helps, but when teams score tries from the end of the earth, it can be equally dangerous.
By Wynne Gray
WELLINGTON - French rugby captain Philippe Saint-Andre described it as the try from the end of the earth.
For most of us it was simply out of this world - the 1994 try, started by Saint-Andre near his own line and finished by fullback Jean Luc Sadourny after almost
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