KEY POINTS:
LYON - All Blacks coach Graham Henry raised the stakes on the eve of tomorrow's test against France by accusing international rugby referees of favouring home teams.
In an unprovoked attack on the standard of international refereeing, Henry said home teams tended to be penalised less than visiting sides and and that it was an area of the game in urgent need of review.
"That is a disappointing part of international rugby and something the guys that are officiating the game need to think very seriously about," Henry said.
"I don't think they probably do it consciously but there's a lot of pressure out there from the crowd and I just think as part of maturing as a sport in the professional period, that we need to look at that."
Henry said the All Blacks merely wanted "a fair crack of the whip" from match officials but suggested they didn't get it when they played offshore.
He wasn't targetting tomorrow's referee, Australian Stuart Dickinson, with his comments but merely making a general observation.
"In the game today, there's a lot more times that the home team gets more penalties than the visiting team," he said.
"...whether they're played in New Zealand or they're played in South Africa or played in France, that's the case.
"I think it's a weakness in our refereeing system and I hope that the referee referees the game as he sees it and not is subconsciously pushed off the straight and narrow."
Henry's comments may have been in response to those made hours earlier by French counterpart Bern ard Laporte, who said All Blacks captain Richie McCaw was prepared to be penalised a couple of times in games because he knew his infringements would be ignored countless other times.
"He (McCaw) understands everything," Laporte said.
"He accepts he will be penalised twice to make 18 more fouls. It's a shame but that's the way it is. We need referees to perform better."
McCaw has laughed off the French accusations, and those of England coach Andy Robinson, all week, saying he simply plays close to the edge of the laws without intentionally crossing it.
McCaw said there was only one sure-fire way to silence a crowd, and therefore the pressure on the referee, and that was to get on top on the scoreboard.
Hooker Anton Oliver remembered well the eery sensation when he was replaced late in the test two years ago as the All Blacks were romping away with their 45-6 win.
"I could hear our moves being called by the boys and I was a few rows back," he recalled.
"There were 80,000 people there so to hear that was quite astonishing."
Oliver, who is playing his 50th test, said Saturday's test against the Six Nations champions at a venue they have never seen was the sort of encounter to fire the juices of he and his teammates.
"There's so much footy these days that you need challenges," he said.
"It's not enough, I'm afraid - and this may be breaking some taboos here - just to be playing for your country.
"To get yourself up you need new teams, new places, new challenges because otherwise you're just regurgitating the same."
Because of a Ligue 1 soccer match tonight, the All Blacks weren't to step onto Stade de Gerland until 11.30 on the morning of the test, less than 10 hours from kickoff.
It will be France's first test since defeating the Springboks in June while the All Blacks are fresh off their defeat of England last weekend.
Henry didn't think that would be an advantage to his team "but if that was the case it would be good".
The French would be hardened from two months of top quality club play, both at domestic level and in Europe, he said.
Laporte was aware of the psychological importance of tomorrow's result, with tickets having gone on sale yesterday for next year's tournament.
"We have the heavy burden of trying to knock down these All Blacks," he said.
"If anything, just for the sake of the World Cup. Because if they stick 40 points on everyone until the World Cup, everyone will get bored."
- NZPA
