Victoria Haysom's partner Martin Relave is French, and both are mad for rugby. Facebook / French Native Lesson
As the All Blacks and France go head to head tonight, one Auckland couple will be having a rivalry of their own in the stands of Eden Park.
French-Kiwi couple Martin Relave and Victoria 'Tori' Haysom will dress up in their respective colours and head to the game with a French couple who live in New Zealand, another couple who are French and Australian and another French friend.
Haysom will be sorely outnumbered cheering the All Blacks on, being the only Kiwi in the group.
Relave runs a Facebook page called French Native Lesson, where he posts fun videos about French culture and the basics of the French language.
The couple put together a special video in anticipation of tonight's match, starting with some friendly banter.
"We're going to smash you little frogs," Haysom says before Relave retorts in kind about "petits Kiwis".
The pair then dress in their team kit and take the battle to their local field, stopping at halftime for appropriate national snacks - Marmite for Haysom while Relave cracks open a bottle of Bordeaux.
"The videos are just a bit of fun, but we watch a lot of international sport together and I am very competitive," Relave said.
He is convinced France will take the win, while Haysom has all her faith in the boys in black.
Frenchman Martin Relave with his partner Kiwi Victoria Haysom. Photo / Greg Bowker
The game will be screened at a number of bars and venues around Auckland, but The Cloud is looking like the place to be for French fans especially.
This weekend The Cloud and Shed 10 will be abuzz with French food, wine, fashion, language, pétanque, games and a kids' corner for Le Renault French Festival.
There will also be a French Fan Zone, with two giant screens broadcasting the test match, and a concert after the game.
It will be the perfect place to sidle up to patriotic French fans and engage in some healthy sporting rivalry.
Several French rugby fans living in New Zealand are taking the safety in numbers approach and have been scouring social media looking for fellow Frenchies to join them tonight.
Valentine Panaget, a tourist working at La Voie Francais on Dominion Rd, posted on the French in NZ Facebook page a month ago looking for fellow fans going to attend the game. She was thrilled when two French tourists answered her plea and the trio are heading along to the sold-out game tonight. It will be the first time in All Blacks' history that three brothers are in a starting lineup - Beauden, Scott and Jordie Barrett will start the test together at Eden Park.
Yesterday the All Blacks were the clear favourites to win the match, paying $1.03 on TAB, compared with France, who were paying $10.
What you need to know:
• It's the first time All Blacks have played France at Eden Park in five years. • The All Blacks are undefeated at Eden Park for 24 years. However the last time they lost it was against the French in 1994. • Gates open at 5pm - if you're going, make sure you arrive in plenty of time as the game is sold out so it will be busy with more than 46,000 expected. • To avoid delays with the bag search, only bring bags if they are absolutely necessary. • Buses and trains are free to and from the game with a match -day ticket. • Motorists are asked to avoid the area tonight if possible.
