It’s the France-New Zealand match again. These words should elicit a shudder from any rugby connoisseur – and, by and large, they do. There are other, more intense rivalries – the All Blacks against South Africa or Australia, for example, or England against anyone – but for the promise of all that is sacred in union, brutality and artistry, nothing really excites the imagination. like the meeting on Saturday evening in Paris.
Especially since it’s been a quarter of a century since the greatest France-New Zealand episode of all – some say the greatest match, period. On Halloween 1999, a very auspicious date, these two met at Twickenham in the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup. What unfolded, there is no need for a student of the game to remember, was the kind of nightmare that only the French seem capable of inflicting on the All Blacks, who saw their lead 24-10 at the start of the second half turned into a barely believable 43-. 31 defeat.
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These days, such a comeback may seem completely normal, such are the wild and exciting dynamics of the modern game, but at the time, France’s victory defied everything we thought we knew about rugby – an omen of the things to come, indeed. There has been unbridled boasting about France’s victory, as if it were a perfectly natural course of events rather than a subversion of all rational thought. Eight years later, in that other legendary knockout match between the two men, the 2007 World Cup quarter-final in Cardiff, the French were arguably even bigger underdogs, but they played as if they were ‘were, before gradually realizing that the game was there for the taking.
In both cases, it was the All Blacks who came to town, clearly the best team in the world at the time, particularly in 2007. Each time, they ended the match in shock, unable to understand how the events had unfolded. against them, a fear from which the team often recognized as the best in history will emerge in the years following 2007.
But 1999 stands out because the All Blacks were simply dominated by an inspired team. The occasion oozed charisma, particularly in the form – the wildly different forms – of the two wings, Jonah Lomu and Christophe Dominici, who, tragically, are no longer with us.
Matches between France and New Zealand that have become legendary tend to be marked by French victory. Indeed, no one else can go from sublime to ridiculous and back again like them. Indeed, in 1999, France finished the last edition of the Five Nations with a wooden spoon, then lost 54-7 against these same All Blacks in June, in Wellington.
France has almost always been the underdog. This is borne out by the kind of humiliating blows they suffered at the hands of New Zealand, which, one must feel, tend to go unnoticed, otherwise the legend of the encounter might be less revered. At the 2015 World Cup, the All Blacks beat France 62-13 in the quarter-final, arguably the most humiliating defeat ever suffered by a credible rugby nation. But the scale of this New Zealand victory is far from being a failure. It’s not even the greatest (61-10 victory in 2007 – in Wellington, again; in June, again; in preparation for a World Cup, again).
However, what is new these days is that New Zealand are no longer consistently the favorites. The bookmakers can barely split the teams on Saturday. New Zealand’s northern tour so far has resulted in two out of two home wins for two teams in the world’s top five. Here they face a third team in this elite group, but the last time they faced France in Paris, just over a year ago, the home side won comfortably, in the opening match of the World Cup.
This event reached its peak during two quarter-finals in the same stadium, already legendary, as the rugby was exhilarating there, even if France and New Zealand were separated. The stage is now set for the latest clash between these two who, whatever the wild fluctuations in form, are capable of some of the most sublime rugby in their respective hemispheres. This is where the magic lies.
Incoming essays in Edinburgh
There should be no shortage of testing in Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon. The litmus test for World Rugby’s newly formed executive committee will be how many goals Portugal score. Os Lobos are the lowest ranked of the ‘tier two’ nations that the greats have deigned to grant access to this year’s autumn internationals, a privilege they earned thanks to their impressive World Cup campaign last year, beating Fiji and drawing against Georgia, while losing. with honor to Wales and Australia. A productive outing for visitors to Murrayfield would suggest rugby’s mission of spreading its gospel is drawing closer.
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As expected, after their strangely encouraging 32-15, four tries to zero defeat to South Africa last week, Scotland changed all but one of their squad members. They attribute that to a six-day turnaround, but they actually see it as an opportunity to test a few young guys and give others the playing time they need.
Tom Jordan is the only player retained from last weekend. He shone in the unknown full-back position, so this will be an opportunity for him to do it a little less. Stafford McDowall will captain the side from centre, and there are two new caps in the pack – Alex Samuel, the Glasgow lock, and Ben Muncaster, the Edinburgh flanker.
Portugal haven’t had such a good year since their World Cup exploits. They lost last weekend against the United States in Coimbra, but they arrive with many French rugby professionals, mainly in Pro D2, second division. The brightest star of their World Cup, Raffaele Storti, plays in the Top 14 with Stade Français and will play on the right wing of Portugal. His duel with Darcy Graham, back from a head injury and a good bet to move up to top spot in the Scottish try rankings, and Sale livewire Arron Reed should set the tone for an entertaining match . Needless to say, Scotland can barely afford to lose her.