Rugby World Cup 2015: All Blacks' all-round strength too tough for French

By Gregor Paul in Swansea

NZ Herald·

15 Oct, 2015 10:45 AM4 mins to read

Gregor Paul and Patrick McKendry are with the All Blacks in Swansea and review the team to play France in the quarterfinals. Pound for pound, the All Blacks are going to put a better team on the park than France. It won't matter who the French pick, the reality for them is that in most positions, their individuals won't be as good. That's the objective, clinical assessment, but one the French will try to ignore. But it will be hard.

Pound for pound, the All Blacks are going to put a better team on the park than France. It won't matter who the French pick, the reality for them is that in most positions, their individuals won't be as good.

That's the objective, clinical assessment, but one the French will try to ignore. But it will be hard.

Imagine being Philippe St Andre; what will he be able to convince himself of as he runs his eye down the All Black team sheet? Can he see any weakness to probe or obvious ways to unsettle the All Blacks?

He'll start at Ben Smith and immediately be stuck in his quest to find a weakness. What will nag away at him is Smith's ability to beat defenders, to pick insanely good angles, mop up high balls and generally always do the right thing. Best to move on ... to Nehe Milner-Skudder.

He's young and inexperienced but so far he hasn't been in any way daunted. His lack of inhibition is his greatest asset and that footwork of his allows him to do just about anything.

Maybe stick some bombs up on him ... but then that's inviting counter-attacking danger. What about the Conrad Smith-Ma'a Nonu axis? Does that offer St Andre any hope? Are the two veterans on their last legs? Can they be exposed defensively? Possibly, there was this one time in the past 12 years that Smith was beaten by the electric pace of Johnny May. But the French are likely to pick Mathieu Bastareaud and the one thing he doesn't have is pace.

Julian Savea, the Bus, is about the size of Jonah Lomu but with a much improved, tighter turning circle.

Daniel Carter's another no-go for them. He's the toughest rooster around on defence and the French can get in his face all they want but he's the sort of bloke who could work for British Rail and not be flustered.

No side in the world has yet managed to find a way to shut down Aaron Smith and the French don't look a great bet to be the first.

So where can St Andre find his hope? Is it in the loose trio? Will he be silly enough to look at the relatively low number of turnovers won by the All Blacks and believe there is weakness in that part of their game?

That's possibly what the All Blacks are hoping for - to encourage the French to throw bodies at the tackled ball as a calculated gamble it will result in New Zealand winning penalties.

Kieran Read had a bad night with his hands against Tonga. The laws of probability and his talent, suggests that won't happen again any time soon.

The locking duo are a waste of time for France to think about getting the better of. Owen Franks isn't the greatest contributor around the field but he rarely gives an inch in the scrum and Dane Coles has matured into a candidate to be considered the best hooker in the world.

Perhaps the only man St Andre will see some mileage in is Wyatt Crockett.

The All Blacks have picked a team that can beat France. They won't be able to, despite the overwhelming evidence, convince France of that fact before Sunday morning.

It's something the French will only believe if they see it.

All Blacks team to play France at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday:

15. Ben Smith
14. Nehe Milner-Skudder
13. Conrad Smith
12. Ma'a Nonu
11. Julian Savea
10. Dan Carter
9. Aaron Smith
8. Kieran Read
7. Richie McCaw (c)
6. Jerome Kaino
5. Sam Whitelock
4. Brodie Retallick
3. Owen Franks
2. Dane Coles
1. Wyatt Crockett