There won’t be a French Revolution

John Goliath believes the All Blacks will be mentally ready for anything the French throw at them in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final. Photo by: Nigel Marple/Reuters

John Goliath believes the All Blacks will be mentally ready for anything the French throw at them in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final. Photo by: Nigel Marple/Reuters

Published Oct 13, 2015

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It’s the All Blacks versus France at the World Cup. Are we in for another shock?

Over the years this fixture has captured the imagination of the rugby world after that epic semi-final match between the two teams at the 1999 tournament. Then there was the All Blacks’ choke in their 2007 meeting in Cardiff, while France were unfortunate not to beat the All Blacks in the 2011 final, because Craig Joubert didn’t seem to want to make those big calls against the home side (I think he was looking out for his Wikipedia page).

This weekend the two teams meet again at the Millennium Stadium, the scene of New Zealand’s capitulation in 2007.

Everything that could possibly go wrong for the All Blacks on that night did go wrong. I will never forget the look on the faces of Dan Carter and Richie McCaw after the final whistle. It looked like they had seen a ghost.

A one-off game at a World Cup comes with different pressures that you don’t necessarily feel in a Rugby Championship match. And history has taught us that the mighty All Blacks can also fold when the going gets tough.

And somehow it always seems to be the unpredictable French that is the fly in their World Cup ointment. Probably because France are exactly that – unpredictable.

The All Blacks know what to expect when they play the Springboks. It’s going to physical. The tempo of the game is going to be high and their set-pieces will be under pressure. The same goes for teams like Australia and England.

Goodness knows, France may make about 12 or 13 changes for the Saturday’s match, cry their hearts out during the singing of “La Marseillaise” and then come out like berserkers. Or they can come out like a couple of juicy Upington lambs chops, ready for the braai.

But I think the All Blacks took a lot of lessons from that 2007 match. And they will be mentally ready for anything the French throw at them.

The All Blacks also haven’t played their best rugby yet, but it seems like they are playing within themselves before exploding down the home straight like a good 800m runner.

In past World Cups, All Blacks teams have looked like a million dollars heading into the knockout stages, before running into a cul-de-sac because they peaked too early. This year, they seem to be building up to something bigger than a quarter-final against France. They are building up to a semi-final date with the Springboks.

While France can shock any team on any given day, this current crop of players just doesn’t look good enough to cause another World Cup upset.

The Boks, at their best, are the only team who can beat the All Blacks. So their semi-final showdown next weekend is actually going to be the “real” World Cup final.

Both New Zealand and South Africa will cruise into the semi-finals this weekend to set up that blockbuster clash. It’s going to be another clash for the ages, and one that the rugby world has been craving for.

There’s not going to be any French revolution in Wales on Saturday. The only heads that will roll are going to be those of a few Frenchman. The All Blacks are going to roll on to face their ultimate rivals.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

@WillGreenwood: Passages of play for @AllBlacks tonight - total masterclass of brutal simplicity. Shoulders square, ball in two hands, run straight, pass.

@eatsleeprugby: Richie McCaw & Dan Carter are the only remaining members of the #RWC2007 match day team that lost to France.

WHO TO FOLLOW

@rugbyworldcup: This account has all the World Cup action.

* Follow John Goliath on Twitter: @JohnGoliath82

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