All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was asked about French rugby and the relationship between France and New Zealand. It is one which has seen many ups and downs on and off the pitch, while talking about flair and being unpredictable he mentions the low point of the fatal bombing of Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland in 1985 by two French agents.
Steve Deane scours global media for an offbeat look at rugby's biggest show.
"YOU COULD SEE IT IN THEIR EYES"
For some reason, much of the focus ahead of the All Blacks-France quarter-final is on a match that happened eight years ago involving just four of the players who will duke it out on Sunday. Pretty much everyone from the ballboys up has been dragged out to give their view of the 2007 Calamity in Cardiff - including France reserve prop Jean-Baptiste Poux.
The 52nd minute replacement that fateful day admitted to Reuters the French were "kind of scared of conceding 50 points". Poux helpfully offered a few thoughts on how to beat the ABs. "You cannot let them build a gap that is too big, you have to stay as close as possible for as long as you can or quickly come back," said Poux. "If you're close after 60 minutes, it's possible. They started doubting, you could see it in their eyes. We tried everything we could to unsettle them and disrupt their confidence."
As for Sunday, Poux reckons: "Either [the French] will win by a very small margin, or they will get thrashed."
According to some bean-counters at Macquarie Bank, the All Blacks are a solid bet to win the World Cup. Macquarie threw a bunch of variables into a kitchen Ninja - historical scores, changes in world rankings and betting odds - and came up with exactly the same thing the rest of the planet thinks is most likely - the All Blacks will meet Australia in the final. Having predicted Germany would win the Football World Cup and the correct results of 32 of 40 RWC pool matches, the company has a reasonable track record. But they sure didn't see Japan's upset of South Africa coming. And, pre-tournament, they had England down as second favourites. Ha.
SMELL OF DEATH
More on 2007, this time from deep-thinking ex All Blacks hooker (no, not Sean Fitzpatrick) Anton Oliver. "The feeling in the shed is like no-man's land," was Oliver's description of the ABs changing room after the loss. "There's a sort of desolate decay and - I don't want to dramatise it - the smell of death."
No, that doesn't dramatise it at all mate. Turns out Oliver and his mates had just been rolled by a French team inspired by a C-grade swords and sandals flick. "People think things like that are crazy but it did actually help," Dave Ellis, their defence coach, told the UK Telegraph of selecting 300 for team movie night. "The message was that there were 300 soldiers against thousands and we created this feeling that there was 30 of us against the world." Like the Spartans, the French were able to unsettle the opposition, the Tele points out. "They won the toss for which colour strip to wear."
And the daft Persians chose to fight in a hideous silver number and not attempt a drop goal until their front line had been completely overrun.
FLYING WINGER
Serial unco-sports participant Boris Johnson (AKA The Mayor of London) is at it again, this time flattening a 10-year-old Japanese boy during a game of street rugby in Tokyo.
The Mayor has form when it comes to flattening children. Last year he cleaned up a 9-year-old in a football match. And in 2006 he put in this horrendous tackle during a charity football match against some Germans.
UNITED IRELAND
Malaysia's Star Online is carrying a cool story about how rugby transcends Ireland's religious and political divide. While most sports divide into Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland camps, the Irish rugby team contains players from both countries. Two televisions were required in the team hotel when the Republic and Northern Ireland played European Championship football qualifiers at the same time. Ulster player Rory Best, one of five Northern Ireland-born players in Ireland's squad, said it was inspirational to watch both teams win. "As long as some part of Ireland goes through in tournaments I am happy."
The article recounts how Ireland's 'Troubles' impacted on the first World Cup in 1987. On the eve of the tournament, three Northern Irish-born players were on their way to training when a car next to them was blown up by the Irish Republican Army. One of the players, Nigel Carr, was force to retire because of the injuries he suffered. Thankfully this time around Ireland's issues are limited to on-field injuries and the suspension of a sucker-punching flanker.
