France C! It's better than option B

Chris Moller

A weak France is better than no France at all.

The New Zealand Rugby Union will tackle their Gallic counterparts over reports French coach Bernard Laporte is planning to give his leading 30 players a break to coincide with next June's two-test tour to New Zealand.

But NZRFU chief executive Chris Moller insisted last night that should France turn out to be more "sacre bleu!" than "joie de vivre", that is still the better of the two options.

Moller pointed out that a year ago, Northern Hemisphere unions were proposing to bail out of any trips to the big three Southern Hemisphere unions - Australia, South Africa and New Zealand - in order to tailor their preparation on next year's World Cup.

"There was a very real prospect of no tests at all," Moller told the Herald last night. "So it has to be seen in that context. If it is a weaker side from France, that still remains better than no tests at all. It's still important from an All Black preparation point of view to have those games."

While Moller didn't dispute the veracity of the reports out of France, he wanted to hear it first-hand and will discuss the situation with French federation officials when the International Rugby Board meets next month.

Reports say a deal has been struck between the French federation and the French players' union, headed by former French star Serge Blanco.

It lets Laporte have a clear run with his leading players throughout the Six Nations Championship from late January until March 17, then again when the players have had a four-week rest after the club final on June 9.

That would rule the top players out for the New Zealand tour, but Laporte would have his players together from July until the end of the World Cup on October 20. If France C arrive next year, it won't be the first time New Zealand have been served up poor fare from Northern Hemisphere visitors.

In 1998, a virtual England C toured and were tonked in two tests; the following year an uninterested French team leaked 50 points at Athletic Park, yet when the teams met again a few months later in the World Cup semifinal at Twickenham France won in stunning fashion, 43-31.

But New Zealand sent a weakened All Black squad to Britain at the end of 2002, when caps were handed out to players such as Regan King, Paul Steinmetz, Sam Broomhall and Joe McDonnell, so it can cut both ways.

Moller said the four-year World Cup cycle had changed the emphasis of international rugby, and argued that was not necessarily a bad thing.

"We have to accept it generates huge amounts of money, which are then ploughed into the game worldwide," he said. "Look how much time, effort and energy was put into winning [the rights to host] 2011, and look how the nation reacted on the day.

"We haven't won it for a while, and we have to accept the French might want to win it at home next year too and the reality is all countries want to prepare the best they can for it."

Ideally, countries would still field their best players all the time, but Moller said it might be unrealistic "to have your cake and eat it".

"The World Cup means a lot of games in that year and for everybody to field their best side all the time is a challenge."

Moller said it was "hypothetical" to speculate on what the NZRFU's response would be if France confirms it will send a group of no-names here next year. New Zealand would have no grounds to insist France send their best players.

"The day a national union tells New Zealand who we should pick would be a rather dark day for rugby, so we don't have the right to direct in these matters," Moller said.

The All Blacks have the two French tests and most likely four Tri-Nations tests next year as preparation for the World Cup.