KEY POINTS:
CARDIFF - An ability to surprise can be the most potent of any weapon in international rugby which is why France are staring down the barrel of an ignominious World Cup exit here on Sunday morning (NZ time).
Coach Bernard Laporte certainly surprised today with his selections but his starting 15 and the obvious ta ctics they must employ will be giving the All Blacks little cause for concern.
New Zealand have several ways they can win this game, not least of which through a backline that has gamebreakers from jersey nine to 15, even if Daniel Carter isn't passed fit.
They also have a proven stronger scrum against any French front row and a loose forward trio more aggressive and capable at the collision than their opposites.
The only area where France can hope to garner an edge is at the lineout, the rolling maul and their kicking in general play, which is a strength of promoted first five-eighth Lionel Beauxis and midfielder-turned-fullback Danien Traille.
By fielding two kicking specialists in key positions, Laporte has all-but laid his cards on the table. He hopes to win the territory b attle, for his big pack to maul effectively and to earn kickable penalties.
They have no obvious ball-carrier in the starting pack now that Sebastien Chabal and lock Lionel Nallet are absent.
Chabal is at least on the bench but the game could well be gone by the time he and unpredictable playmaker Frederic Michalak are injected in the second half.
Michalak tore Ireland apart with his deft passing and attacking kicks two weeks ago but Laporte may regard him as too much of a defensive liability.
The evergreen Fabien Pelous joins Jerome Thion at lock, their most immobile combination but one which can provide plenty of grunt at scrum and rolling maul time, backing up a hugely experienced front row.
Julien Bonnaire is a slimline, leaping No 8, while flankers Serge Betsen and Thie rry Dusautoir are both more adept at disrupting opposition ball than creating.
Neither the inexperienced Beauxis nor the ponderous Traille can be expected to spark an attack while sizeable second five-eighth Yannick Jauzion produces the odd offload but is nothing like the force of two years ago.
Winger Vincent Clerc has been the only French outside back to impress at this tournament but lack s the dynamicism of his New Zealand counterparts.
Laporte is right that the All Blacks will kick for territory early, particularly now they know there is no French counter threat from deep.
However, they will mix the kicking with a game played at good speed to run the ageing French tight five around.
Loose forwards Jerry Collins and Richie McCaw and halfback Byron Kelleher will attack str ongly around the fringes, testing the defence of Beauxis and petite halfback Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde.
If the All Blacks scrum inflicts early damage, it alone may be enough to seal their passage to the semifinals as the French rely so heavily on that element of their game.
- NZPA
