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BEGLES, France - France are preparing to end New Zealand's woeful centenary rugby league tour of Europe on a miserable note on Sunday (NZT) after they completed a cleansweep of tests against Papua New Guinea.
A contentious no-try call by an in-goal judge against Kumuls lock Charlie Wabo helped the French to a gripping 22-16 win over Adrian Lam's side at Stade Andre Mosa in Begles yesterday.
The French Minister for Sport will be a special guest at Paris' Stade Jean Bouin on Sunday as coach John Monie's side attempt to inflict the Kiwis' fifth consecutive test loss, including the 0-58 flogging by Australia in Wellington on October 14.
That result preceded a 0-3 series loss to Great Britain, including a humiliating 0-44 loss in the second test.
"We've put together a pretty good side in the last couple of years," former Auckland Warriors, Wigan and Parramatta boss Monie said.
"The shape of the side's changed. They're big, they're strong and most of them are pretty fit at the moment. We're happy with how we're going.
"Any time you can get big scalp like Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain is a feather in anyone's cap but at this stage I think they're probably a step ahead of us."
French captain Julien Rinaldi said his players were looking forward to playing one of the giants of world rugby league but felt coach Gary Kemble's Kiwis side might be vulnerable.
"Definitely we will have to improve, it's another level up from today," he said.
"But we're not at 100 per cent of how we can play.
"It will be big for all the players to play some of the best players in the world but we saw with the Kiwis against Great Britain that they're not playing really well.
"That will give us hope that we can do something next weekend."
- AAP
