All Blacks: Hooker ready for wily foes

Andrew Hore says it would be nice to erase the fateful World Cup quarter-final defeat two years ago. Photo / Getty Images

The lengthy purple scar on Andrew Hore's left ankle is a reminder of the last time he wore the black jersey.

Two minutes into his tour Hore's involvement was over, his left ankle ligaments torn in last year's test at Hong Kong against the Wallabies.

His teammates went north, he headed south to an operation with several screws to repair the damage and lengthy rehabilitation which meant he did not start the Super 14 until the fourth round this season.

"That was a shocker. I got all the way there and didn't even have one of my suitcases open and I was on my way home. But that is all out of the way now and the body is not feeling too bad.

"I was behind the eight-ball for a long time with fitness and recovery but I hope to get through this game. I did at least get a few extra weeks off to get the injury well and truly sorted.

"But I am happy enough now. I have been given the starting role which I got last year so I want to get my game sorted here and push on.

"If we can get our scrum right and win our own lineouts, then we have gone a long way towards winning the game. That is what I am in the team for and if we do that and once I have got that done, then hopefully I can help Mils [Muliaina] and lead a bit and see what is going on."

The All Blacks would be concentrating on their set-piece. If they got their own ball and disrupted the French, that would go halfway towards achieving a victory to begin the season.

Hore has tangled with the French a few times but started against them only once, on the end-of-year tour in 2002, when both he and tonight's reserve hooker Keven Mealamu were chosen to make their All Black debuts.

"My second test was against France on that tour when they had a guy with a penalty kick to win the game but the ball fell over and he dropkicked it and missed and we had a draw."

Since then he has been used several times from the bench against France including the fateful World Cup quarter-final defeat two years ago.

"It would be nice to erase that," he said. "But I don't even think about it really. When I go into games I get a bit narrow-minded and want to make sure that what I need to do, I get right, and if I get that sorted then everything sorts itself out after that."

He and his front-row colleagues, Tony Woodcock and Neemia Tialata, fancied their chances against the French scrum.

The tourists had picked a hooker, William Servat, who did not have a great deal of experience but sounded pretty handy. The French were wily characters and coming out of their top club championship, where they prided themselves on scrum and forward dominance, and he expected they would offer a reasonably tough night.

"The clips we have seen have not had a lot of footage of the new hooker but we know the French like to come at you, they like to disrupt you and get dominance and that is a big part of their game," Hore said.

The unknown equation would be the work of referee George Clancy.

Hore said he did not like to confront match officials when they had just awarded penalties, he would leave any inquiries until a stoppage in play.

"There is no point arguing at the scrum because it is human nature that if the ref has made a call he does not want us to be telling him straightaway that he's got it wrong," Hore said.

The weather forecast was not too flash for the test though Hore hoped conditions did not rival those in Wellington last season when the All Blacks began their campaign with a victory against Ireland.

"I am sure this game will be won up front but I am also sure people don't want to come to Carisbrook to see scrums all night. The old man might be happy, though, if that is the case, because I will be in the middle of it all. As long as he can see what I am doing he will be content."

HEAD-TO-HEAD

All Blacks v France
Played 46. Won 34, lost 11, drawn 1.

In New Zealand
Played 21. Won 18, lost 3.

Biggest win
61-10 at Wellington, 2007

Biggest loss
22-8 at Christchurch, 1994

Last five meetings
2007: lost 18-20 at Cardiff (World Cup QF)
2007: won 61-10 at Wellington
2007: won 42-11 at Auckland
2006: won 23-11 at Paris
2006: won 47-3 at Lyon

Most tests
NZ: Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan 12
France: Serge Blanco 12