Inga Tuigamala: New season's mysterious journey

Opinion

What a journey into the unknown. I've been gazing into the crystal ball in the lead-up to tomorrow's test match in Dunedin, and about all I can see is ... a crystal ball.

I'm relishing the start of a new test season, contemplating all the drama and excitement which lies ahead.

But the media, the public, even the opposing coaches, will be feeling around in the dark a bit with this opening test.

We can make a few assumptions about the All Blacks, yet not as many as usual especially as they are fielding a new loose forward combination.

The French are a real mystery to me though. There was a time when a few of their famous clubs like Toulouse were dominant in Europe, but that isn't the case right now.

Looking through their squad, it is hard to know what to expect.

Back in the day, French teams were stacked with household names in the rugby world. Names like Blanco, Rives, Champ, Berbizier and Califano shone out from their lists.

I've been looking through the French squad this week and there are many names I've just never heard of. In the past, we have been unsure what to expect of French teams full of players who we did know, so it is a double mystery this time around.

Their coach, Marc Lievremont, was also a surprise choice as the head coach after the last World Cup, just another factor which makes this game so intriguing.

We do know, however, that France have often been the bogey team for the All Blacks because of this unpredictable nature.

One minute the French can be thrashed on the park, and the next they turn out a world-class performance which knocks the All Blacks off their pedestal. France blow hot and cold, and are not always the best when touring, yet when it matters, they are capable of anything.

The French are a confidence team though and if things go wrong, they can fold quickly. But the All Blacks will underestimate them at their peril.

Conditions, though, should suit the All Blacks. It is going to be cold, with dew on the ball and the ground. It will be a night for a wet-weather style of rugby.

The All Black squad are trialling the loose forwards who are all inexperienced at test level, even though they have played plenty of Super 14 rugby.

In the past, a new loose forward might have been able to cut his teeth among experienced test comrades, but this is not the case in Dunedin tomorrow.

Of the three, Liam Messam from the Chiefs is the one who really impressed me in the Super 14 this season. But the selection of this team has highlighted that we don't have true depth yet in the loose forward department.

It is very much a wait-and-see exercise. We've got to give this All Black team a chance. We'll have a much better idea of its calibre, and also of what the French are capable of, next week.

I'd like to congratulate All Blacks backs coach Wayne Smith on reaching the milestone of having coached in 100 test matches. It is a magnificent achievement.

It is one thing reaching these sorts of marks for your province - and something to be proud of in itself - but to do so at test level shows a great deal of perseverance. Wayne Smith has always conducted himself so well.