KEY POINTS:
MARSEILLE - France will bring pride, determination and self belief to their rugby World Cup quarterfinal against New Zealand in Cardiff, captain Raphael Ibanez said today.
Argentina's 30-15 win over Ireland in Paris today gave the Pumas top spot in pool D and a quarterfinal against Scotland in Paris next Monday (NZT).
The tournament hosts finished runnersup and will have to play the All Blacks in Cardiff on Sunday.
"Of course we would have preferred to follow another route but we're as determined as ever," said 33-year-old Ibanez, a member of the French side who famously beat New Zealand in the semifinals of the 1999 World Cup at Twickenham.
"We have pride, we believe in ourselves and we will go to Cardiff with the desire to play a great match," added the most capped hooker in world rugby with 95 internationals.
France, who ended the pool phase by scoring nine tries to crush Georgia 64-7 in Marseille today, had put themselves in a awkward spot by losing to Argentina in the opening match of the tournament on September 7 in Paris.
The two-time losing World Cup finalists won their next three matches in convincing fashion but it was not enough to avoid a meeting with the formidable All Blacks in the first knockout round.
"We wanted to finish first and play our quarterfinal in Paris but Argentina proved the better side in the group and have deserved to win it," Ibanez said.
"We have to accept it."
Coach Bernard Laporte, who had hoped his team would stay in France until a prospective dream final against New Zealand at the Stade de France on October 20, warned that France would be in a combative mood.
"We know what the All Blacks represent in rugby and we have a lot of respect for them but we're not going to Cardiff to watch them play," he said.
"It will be a fight and we will do our utmost to upset them."
Neither Laporte nor Ibanez pointed out that France had only themselves to blame for facing New Zealand so early, because they had stumbled against Argentina at the start.
Instead both said they still believed France, who could face Australia and then South Africa if they were to move past the All Blacks, could still go all the way.
"We want to be world champions and in order to achieve that we have to beat all the teams standing in our way," Laporte said.
"The match against the All Blacks happens earlier than we initially expected but we'll play it with enthusiasm. It should be an exciting game of rugby."
- REUTERS
