At the Matmut Stadium in Gerland, Lyon,
All Blacks defense coach Scott McLeod may detail his fishing trips of the week in the Lyon region to the press, but doubts remain palpable on the New Zealand side before the first shock of the Rugby World Cup, this Friday (9:15 p.m.) against France. Historically considered the most invincible selection in the world, all team sports combined, the All Blacks have in fact violently fallen from their pedestal since the end of the 2019 World Cup in Japan (elimination in the semi-finals against England 7-19). Coach Ian Foster has thus accumulated 10 defeats and 2 draws in 39 matches over the past four years, which can be seen as quite an incongruity given the iconic status of the haka group.
The final blow even came on August 25, just two weeks before this much-anticipated opening match at the Stade de France, when the All Blacks suffered their worst slap since 1928, against South Africa at Twickenham ( 7-35). “This historic defeat, by fielding the best possible team, surprised a lot of people,” explains Ollie Ritchie, journalist for the New Zealand channel Newshub TV. It was a shock to see how all the discipline of this team collapsed that day [11 pénalités concédées en première période], and how the game was totally unstructured. So that made the country worry again. »
Independent report slams New Zealand federation
Because in recent months it had partly left the small Oceanian island of 5 million inhabitants, following an encouraging series of 11 matches in a row without defeat since the end of August 2022. And there, faltering in the worst possible timing, for the final test before this World Cup in France. But how could the All Blacks come to have so few certainties before a World Cup, the ones that everyone imagines beating the competition every four years?
Covid-19 first had a strong impact on New Zealand’s competitiveness, with the Rugby Championship largely disrupted since 2020. After the last World Cup, the All Blacks did not measure themselves against South Africa. South only four times, for three matches against Argentina, and only once against the XV of France and England. Likewise, the already struggling finances of the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) took a hit with the pandemic (revenues plummeting by 70% in 2020). Rugby there seems structurally ill, with its controversial boss Mark Robinson in the lead. An independent report was thus made public on August 31 and pointed out a federation “unfit to achieve the objectives”. It is described as an outdated organization, unsuitable for the modern era.
“The legacy of the shirt matters a lot”
On the field side, certain executives, who still played a major role in Japan in 2019, are no longer there, such as captain Kieran Reid, Sonny Bill Williams and even Ryan Crotty. And if these 2023 All Blacks present what is needed in terms of experience, we are faced with players who have started their decline, whether it is Beauden Barrett (32 years old), far from his level as the best player in the world in 2016 and 2017, Aaron Smith (34) or Sam Whitelock (34). Likewise, captain Sam Cane (31 years old) is far from having the unanimously recognized aura of one of his glorious predecessors, Richie McCaw. “But the heritage of the jersey means a lot to all the players, they want to honor it,” recalls Scott McLeod.
The world’s leading talents are still struggling to renew themselves, apart from winger Will Jordan (25 years old), pillar Ethan de Groot (25 years old), and center Jordie Barrett (26 years old), who was withdrawn due to injury this year. Friday. The fault of the frozen regulations of the NZRU, which prevents certain potential internationals from being selected because they play abroad, particularly in Europe where they can earn three times more money than at home [ça va être le cas cette saison du néo-Toulonnais Leicester Fainga’anuku, 23 ans]and this in a very competitive championship?
The New Zealand federation would prefer to think that it is indeed its championship which is the best in the world, but that is perhaps not the case, smiles Kimberlee Downs, journalist for Television New Zealand. There are small exceptions but I cannot imagine a real relaxation of this regulation. The federation needs to be able to count on its biggest stars in its championship. »
“This opening match could turn into a correction”
In this context, wouldn’t the All Black jersey prove to be a burden for a selection in search of its former glory? “That was especially the feeling from 2020 to 2022, but there is definitely a renewed optimism about the All Blacks this year because the performances are much more consistent,” assures Ollie Ritchie. There is always a good mix of talent and experience in this team. » However, this is the first time in history that New Zealand is cited after other nations, such as South Africa, France and Ireland, as a potential winner of a World Cup. “That’s external noise,” said scrum-half Finlay Christie, replacing this Friday. We come together as a team and we put all that aside because it doesn’t matter to us if the media sees us as outsiders in this World Cup. »
World champion in 2011 and 2015, the emblematic former New Zealand fly half Dan Carter confided on Wednesday to Parisian : “The All Blacks are not one of the big favorites. This is something new as they have been in most editions. I think this edition will be the tightest in history. Six teams can go all the way, maybe even eight.” Former tricolor international, Olivier Magne even went much further last week, in an interview with the Noon Olympic “Isn’t this All Black team the weakest in history? I really wonder. I feel like New Zealand’s victories in the Rugby Championship were a bit of a sham. When I see the level that the XV of France was able to display over 80 minutes against Australia [41-17]this opening match could turn into a correction for the All Blacks.”
Coach Ian Foster challenged from start to finish of his mandate
By evoking this punchline with Scott McLeod, we saw a forced smile appear on his face. “I had not seen that pass, slipped the All Blacks defense coach. We have enough things to motivate us, like the last time we played in France [revers 40-25 contre les Bleus en novembre 2021], like this recent defeat against South Africa, and the prospect of a first World Cup match against the host country. We focus on that, we don’t need this story. » “Playing France at home to start a Rugby World Cup, there isn’t much bigger than that,” confirms Finlay Christie, very excited by this poster.
His partner Ofa Tu’ungafasi continues: “At Twickenham, we know that South Africa put us under pressure, in numerical superiority. There, we will enter into an intense fight on a physical but also mental level against France, then for this whole long competition. » These will be the last weeks of Ian Foster’s controversial mandate at the head of the All Blacks. “The coach issue has been a big topic of debate in New Zealand in recent years,” says Kimberlee Downs. The players allowed him to save his position in 2022. Then the premature announcement by the Federation of his successor Scott Robertson in March was a very controversial choice. We will quickly find out if this disrupts this team or if it galvanizes it for such a meeting. » If we had been told, when the 2017 World Cup was awarded, that the French XV would find themselves favorites against the All Blacks…