Preview: New Zealand v France

Mad science or inspired genius? An injection of flair or malicious mischief on the biggest stage? What exactly are the French up to?

A sold-out Eden Park awaits New Zealand and France for the most anticipated match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup Pool stages.

You couldn't ask for a bigger occasion: The world's number one side, hosts and tournament favourites meet their bogey team, looking to bury the ghosts of past disappointments on the day their skipper becomes the first player to reach 100 All Blacks caps.

We don't use the term 'bogey team' lightly but Les Bleus fit the bill perfectly. New Zealand's World Cup record against France has been widely documented (no need to rehash that infamous Cardiff quarter-final here) but the Cockerels' knack for upsetting the men in black goes further than just the RWC.

Apart from South Africa, Les Bleus are the only team to have won in New Zealand in the last eight years – claiming victory in Dunedin two years ago. They are also the last Test side to beat New Zealand at Eden Park, back in 1994.

But France have shown nothing over the last year to suggest that they will spoil King Richie's big day. That's not the kind of bold statement you want to make about a team with a habit of upsetting the odds, but one cannot hide from the truth that this a disjointed French outfit.

The New Zealand press were up in arms after France coach Marc Lièvremont did what he does best by surprising everyone with his selections. We were as surprised as anyone to see Morgan Parra named at fly-half, but to claim that the French have named a 'second-string' or a 'B' side with the intention of losing is simply not accurate.

Was this team picked to lose? The answer is emphatically 'no.' Would Lièvremont have undertaken yet another bold experiment had the consequences of losing been different? Perhaps not.

By contrast, the French press – while not necessarily any happier with their coach's choices – were shrugging their shoulders with the 'here we go again' resignation that has become part and parcel of French team announcements over the last four years.

The only major surprise is in the 10 jersey. That Lièvremont dropped regular fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc is understandable. Trinh-Duc has scored an interception try and a dropped goal so far, but has not looked anything like the lively player that first convinced Lièvremont to back him as France's playmaker. There were other options as his replacement however. Unlike Parra, Fabrice Estebanez regularly plays in the pivot role for his club and Damien Traille has done so for France during the Lièvremont era.

So why the outrageous move to pair lightweight Parra and with an equally lightweight Dimitri Yachvili? It's all about adding some spark to an all-too-often dour French attack. The featherweight duo (they tip the scales at 80 and 82 kg respectively) joined forces in the latter stages of France's games against Canada and Japan and on both occasions the French flair that we all love (and miss) suddenly reappeared. Hmmm…

But is this the right time to be testing out new combinations? Against Dan Carter? Against 110kgs of rampaging Ma'a Nonu? Is it mad science or just plain mad? We'll find out soon enough, but I suspect the latter.

Either way, we've all learnt that underestimating the French is the worst thing possible to do – especially if you're at a World Cup and wearing black.

The reaction inside the French camp to the Kiwi press's wailing and moaning has been interesting to observe. Some have laughed it off as typical media hype ahead of a big game but others – like veteran lock Pascale Papé – have taken the 'B team' label as a personal insult, a “lack or respect,” and have vowed to prove the doubters wrong.

If ever there was a way to motivate the French, the Kiwi media have found it! “I hope the context of the match, the fact that we've got nothing to lose, will liberate the players,” said Lièvremont.

Whatever their mindset, the visitors will certainly run out faced with very different expectations compared to those weighing heavy on the shoulders of the tournament hosts. To say the All Blacks are under massive pressure would be an understatement of immense proportions. Just how they cope with that pressure – especially the survivors of the disastrous 2007 campaign – will be interesting to observe.

First and foremost, New Zealand must front up to a very strong pack. Granted, injuries and a lack of game time have deprived France of their best front row, but the French scrum is still incredibly good. Victory in Dunedin in 2009, and over the Springboks in Toulouse a few months later, was based on dominance in the tight exchanges.

After all the talk about the history between these sides, let's not forget that the past is the past.This All Black side is a more settled unit than the one that came apart at the seams at the Millennium Stadium. They have all the experience and the personnel to make sure a repeat does not happen. And on current form, it would be ill-advised to bet against them.

Players to watch:

For New Zealand: Mils Muliaina is on of the most consistent and dependable full-backs in the history of the game, so only a very special player could possibly keep him out of the starting XV. Israel Dagg is that man, and special he is. Injury almost ruled Dagg out of contention for World Cup selection, but the Hawke's Bay full-back was putting in sterling performances as soon as he was fit to play. He needed just a single Test to convince Graham Henry he was good enough and repaid the coach's faith with two tries against Tonga. The 23-year-old is no longer considered a star of the future – his time to shine is now!

For France: Like Dagg, Louis Picamoles has been selected ahead of a stalwart. Imanol Harinordoquy has been at the forefront of France's plans over the last few years but Picamoles's storming performance against Canada, where he was named Man of the Match, has earned him the number eight jersey. The Toulouse loose forward is a ball carrier par excellence. Not necessarily one to look to gallop into space, Picamoles prefers to take route one: straight ahead. Look out for big hand-offs and powerful charges around the fringes.

Head-to-head: Having already scored four times each at the tournament, wings Vincent Clerc and Richard Kahui are clearly in great form. Clerc has been the highlight of France's disappointing opening games and needs one more Test try to reach 30 and pull level with French legend Philippe Sella. Clerc is a specialist wing in the purest form, unlike Kahui, who, for all his talent is still a centre. If the All Black is caught out of position, Clerc has the experience to know how to exploit the situation.
The most epic battle however will surly be between opposing captains and flanks Richie McCaw and Thierry Dusautoir , arguably the best players in their position in their respective hemispheres. There's not much more to say about McCaw than