Ali Williams on Rugby World Cup 2015: A replay of 2007? Bring it on

So I don't see that the All Blacks will feel any particular or extra trepidation because they are playing France, says Ali Williams. Photo / Richard Robinson

Inevitably, a lot of people will be thinking the All Blacks won't want to play France in the quarter-final. The popular thinking appears to be that if given a choice, they would rather play Ireland.

I can understand why people may think like that, given the history. France have caused the All Blacks a few problems at previous World Cups and it's not like anyone could forget that they played New Zealand in a quarter-final ... in Cardiff ... and won.

So no doubt if it's France they play, in Cardiff, in the quarter-final, there will be lots of questions asked about 2007 and lots of looking back and dredging through the history.

But for the All Black players, it doesn't really work like that. There is no hoodoo or curse or anything like that. Looking back to that day eight years ago, it wasn't really different to any other test I played.

We scored fewer points than them, of course, and that wasn't what we were there to do. But I have heard all the conspiracy theories about that game and dismissed them all.

We thought we were going to get the result because what we had learned in the games leading into the tournament was that if we kept doing what we were doing, we'd eventually get the result we needed. Not that night, though.

So I don't see that the All Blacks will feel any particular or extra trepidation because they are playing France. They will go through the same routines as always, know they have to win the game and know that the French will come at them hard.

What I have learned about France through living and playing there for the last few years, is that playing the All Blacks means a lot to them.

They have this almost peculiar ability to motivate themselves to new heights when they play the All Blacks. It does something to them, and I know they will be quite happy to play New Zealand in the quarter-finals. Or at any stage. Most other teams, I suspect, would rather avoid playing the All Blacks. Not France. They will relish the challenge should it come.

On a separate note, I was in France during the week to play for the classic All Blacks against Toulon in a "testimonial" for Jerry Collins. It was a neat way to pay our respects to Jerry, and to also catch up with old friends and teammates.

One of the best parts of the day for me was that former French international Franck Tournaire was able to play in the game.

Franck, who played in the 1999 World Cup, was close to Jerry and was instrumental in getting him to Narbonne. I wouldn't imagine Franck had played for some time, but he came along and gave it everything.

Afterwards we all sat and talked and talked about Jerry and what he had meant to us all. For some of the players the emotion is still a bit raw, but it was good to be able to catch up like that and to also raise money for his baby daughter.