KEY POINTS:
The France-All Blacks test here tomorrow night will be little more than an entree for the majority of French rugby supporters this weekend.
The marathon French club season reaches its climax when Stade Francais play Clermont in the Top 14 final at a sold-out Stade de France in Paris on Sunday morning (NZ time).
French sports newspapers and websites this week have devoted more prominence to the final than the second test at Westpac Stadium, which will feature a French national team severely weakened by players who were forced to make club duty their priority.
There is a New Zealand interest in the final, with Clermont coached by Vern Cotter, the former Bay of Plenty mentor and assistant to Robbie Deans at the Crusaders.
In his side is New Zealand centre Tony Marsh, who will be playing his last game for the club he joined in 1998 before retiring.
Clermont are sentimental favourites because they have lost all seven previous appearances in the final.
An indication of the length of the French season is that Clermont's Australian first five-eighth Brock James has amassed 350 points this year.
The traditionally-strong Stade Francais have grown into arguably the world's richest club.
They hosted the All Blacks at a Paris training run last November, memorably presenting each of the tourists with a pink jersey
- NZPA
