French national sporting newspaper L’Equipe have set an early tone for the Rugby World Cup opener.
Against the foreground of the All Blacks in full flow of a rendition of Kapa o Pango, current and former members of Les Blues can be seen linking arms in a cold-faced challenge to the haka.
The cover leaves nothing to the imagination as to the mood in France ahead of the World Cup.
The headline “Notre histoire” or “our history” alludes to the intense rivalry between the French rugby team and the All Blacks - particularly at World Cups.
Thierry Dusautoir, far left in the photo, captained the French in their 2011 World Cup campaign. One of the All Blacks’ great adversaries, his battles with Richie McCaw were particularly epic. The openside flanker was considered one of, if not, the best tackler in the world during his playing days, breaking the record for most tackles in a game in 2007 against New Zealand with 38. He was Man of the Match in the 2011 Final, scoring France’s only try.
Number eight Grégory Alldritt, who stands to Dusatoir’s right in the photo, won his first cap in 2019 and was 2023′s European Professional Club Rugby Player of the Year, so is a worthy inclusion in this prestigious list with the year he has had for La Rochelle.
Third from left comes Emile Ntamack, father of injured French first five-eighth Romain Ntamack. He was part of the Grand Slam-winning French side in 1997 and played in both 1991 and 1995 World Cups. He was also formerly France’s attack coach.
With a touch of class, on Ntamack’s left comes the man who is replacing his son as France’s first five - Matthieu Jalibert. The 24-year-old made his international debut at just 19, so is no stranger to being thrust into the big occasion. Earning 26 caps so far, he is far from inexperienced - but many French hopes will be riding on his shoulders come September 9 (Saturday morning, September 10 NZT).
Again, L’Equipe show class with their next inclusion. Christophe Dominici passed away in 2020 - New Zealand Rugby saying at the time: “Small in stature but a titan on the field, Christophe Dominici, we will never forget you.” In a career that spanned 17 years, the winger cemented himself as a giant of French rugby, scoring 25 tries in 67 caps for France.
It wouldn’t be a list of great current and former French players without Antoine Dupont - the halfback has been the main rival to Aaron Smith for title of best in the world for some time. Named 2021 World Player of the Year, and along with Brian O’Driscoll, Dupont is one of only two to win Six Nations Player of the Tournament three times. Dupont’s resume is as good as they come - as is his pass, for that matter.
Significance of the cover
L’Equipe choosing to show their former and current stars accepting the challenge of the haka is of significance. In the ill-fated 2007 World Cup quarter-final, France stood literally toe-to-toe with the All Blacks as they laid the challenge of Te Rauparaha’s Ka Mate. This electrified the atmosphere of the fixture and seemed to galvanise Les Bleus with French number eight Sebastien Chabal commenting: “We had not prepared to react to the haka in that way but just before going out on to the pitch they told us to act like it was a war, to show them that we were ready for a good fight.”
This quote from Chabal best typifies any response to a haka. The haka is a challenge, one that should be accepted and L’Equipe are letting the world know that the French team, past and present, are ready for a good fight. It may be a stretch to claim this cover foreshadows a similar French response to 2007 in the 2023 World Cup opener, but it would be naïve to assume they will accept the challenge with anything less than vitalité.
The All Blacks and France have played seven Rugby World Cup games, more than any other pair of nations, including six playoff matches. The scoreboard reads five wins for New Zealand and two for France. France knocked the All Blacks out of the 1997 and 2007 tournaments at the semifinal and quarter-final stages respectively. New Zealand fans need little reminding of either of these results and they remain two of the most famous French rugby wins.
Notre histoire is entwined even further still, as the All Blacks’ first two successful World Cups came at the expense of the French in 1987 and 2011 - both at Eden Park.
Overall, the All Blacks and France have played on 61 occasions - the All Blacks emerging victorious 48 times, the French 13. Despite the vastly-superior winning record for the All Blacks in this encounter, France has the most wins of any Northern Hemisphere opponent against Les All Blacks.
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