Despite the memory of 2007, Hansen said this team was about “making its own history” in what he predicted would be an intense match.
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Dubbing the quarter-final an “exceptional event”, Saint-Andre said: “It’s to play in games like this that we’ve been training since childhood”.
Maybe it was the dropping of centre Mathieu “Fat” Bastareaud to the bench that literally tipped the scales against Saint-Andre.
“We’re ready for a huge combat against New Zealand, we will need to improve in the rucks and take a lot more individual initiative”, Saint-Andre said.
“It hasn’t been a mistake to back Tillous-Borde so far”.
Parra has been largely sidelined under Saint-André since the coach succeeded Marc Lièvremont in 2012 and is described as the “assistant to the sinking of an amorphous and melancholic team” by the report. With 988 caps on display, this is New Zealand’s most experienced starting XV for a Rugby World Cup knockout match and their second ever for any World Cup match.
Parra, a regular in the France side beaten by the All Blacks in the 2011 World Cup final, “is a very strong competitor, he’s having a great World Cup and I’ve made a decision to start him because we all know his leadership qualities when it comes to the forwards”.
They left our shores with high hopes pinned upon them, had a tough first up game, followed by a series of games that were harder than they thought (against guys for whom taking the field against them will be a career highlight), and now they face the first real test.
The other main change sees Bastareaud dropped in favor of Alexandre Dumoulin, while Bernard Le Roux replacing Damien Chouly at No. 8. South African-born Rory Kockott is named on the bench.
Les Bleus stunned New Zealand 20-18 in Cardiff in 2007, with Saint-Andre admitting only a return to classic French free-running rugby will afford the chance of a repeat.
“New Zealand never lose but sometimes you manage to beat them!”
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“If there is no rebellion this week, there never will be”, said Saint-Andre, who steps down after the tournament.
