View photos: All Blacks prepare for FranceKEY POINTS:
Exasperated All Black coach Graham Henry has slapped the International Rugby Board for their lack of leadership, a failing he warns puts the sport in jeopardy.
The under-strength French side which arrived yesterday in Auckland were the result of an "organisational chaos" which the IRB and the French Federation had allowed to fester.
How the two groups had not resolved the conflict which left the bulk of the top French players involved in club championship playoffs instead of touring with the national team, was beyond Henry. That outcome and tours by similarly depleted Welsh, Irish and English teams Downunder should never be repeated.
"We did not want to come, but we must come," French coach Bernard Laporte said yesterday, confirming the FFR wanted to pay the NZRU compensation in lieu of this two-test tour.
An IRB spokesman confirmed to the Herald that it could not force nations to select players for any tour unless the countries insisted. France were obviously happy to leave their top players at home.
That lack of guidance annoyed Henry, who yesterday named his 22 for the first test on Saturday.
"I think the IRB needs to lead and lead very strongly and work with the clubs in Europe and provincial sides in the Southern Hemisphere to make sure that we preserve this great game," he said.
"At the moment there are not a lot of signs of that, to be frank."
It was easy to speak about the problems but the facts were that diluted sides touring the Southern Hemisphere had a negative impact.
Henry thought the All Blacks had kept faith with putting international games ahead of club commitments.
"The All Blacks team that went to Europe last November was the best All Blacks team that we could put on the track," he said. "We are holding up our end of the bargain, we are showing a lot of integrity, we are putting the international game first. I think people need to think about that. They need to get their heads together and solve it because it's not a good situation."
The IRB has a staff of 40 and is based in Dublin. The full membership meets every two years while regional meetings are held regularly.
Meanwhile, Henry said the conflicts seen in France should not occur, the game had to be more mature than that. He did not think there would be a solution until the IRB, clubs and stakeholders were locked in a room until they reached some concrete decisions.
"If we don't solve it, it could get worse," he said.
One of the few experienced French players, captain Raphael Ibanez, admitted his 89th test loomed as one of the toughest of his career.
"It's going to be complicated to gel together with such a new group of players," he said.
Playing against the All Blacks with a makeshift side so soon after arriving in New Zealand would be a huge challenge but Ibanez hoped they would settle after a few training sessions.
The French name their side this morning.
