All Blacks v France Test #2
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The matchday 23 is unchanged from the one that beat France 52-11 in the opening Steinlager Series Test in Auckland last weekend.
In explaining the unchanged selection, All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said: "As we have a big focus right now on developing our game and working on our skillsets, connections and combinations, it isn't beneficial to be making wholesale changes, if any at all, to the playing 23.
"Whilst we were really happy with the way we finished last weekend's Test, we're fully aware that we still have a lot of work to do over the rest of the Steinlager Series.
"The French would've taken a lot of confidence out of their first 50 minutes on the weekend and will be coming to play on Saturday night. Therefore, it will require us to raise our game to an even higher level.
"Rather than being inhibited by this, we'll be embracing and walking towards the challenge. We'll be looking to play our own high-energy game with real intent.
When it comes to our performance, we know there are high expectations from our fans. This, in turn, demands that we drive our own expectations even higher.
Steve Hansen said the All Blacks were excited to be playing another Test match in the capital.
"The team loves the Test match atmosphere in Wellington and we're looking forward to Saturday night. On behalf of the team I want to thank all our fans for their ongoing support."
Tickets to the Steinlager Series Tests are still available from www.allblacks.com/tickets.
Facts and stats
- Captain Samuel Whitelock (97) and Owen Franks (96) are each closing in on a century of Tests. Whitelock is the most capped All Blacks lock of all time and eighth on the list of most capped All Blacks, while Franks is the second most capped prop behind Tony Woodcock (118). Franks has played the French 10 times, while Whitelock has played them nine times.
- Ben Smith scored his 30th Test try on the weekend and has the highest tally of the current squad. He is 11th on the All Blacks try-scoring list behind Doug Howett (49), Julian Savea, Christian Cullen and Joe Rokocoko (46), Jeff Wilson (44), Jonah Lomu (37), Tana Umaga (36), John Kirwan (35), Mils Muliaina (34) and Ma'a Nonu (31).
- The All Blacks and France have a rivalry which extends back to 1906. They have played 59 times, with the All Blacks winning 46 times and the French 12. France have visited New Zealand 12 times (excluding RWCs), with the last tour in 2013.
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Apparently first time in 3 years the same 23 named on consecutive weeks (some big tournament we did it in last)
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
Apparently first time in 3 years the same 23 named on consecutive weeks
Don’t want to make it hard for the refs now we have them in our pocket.
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Gah, boorrinng. Was hoping for something controversial like picking Luke Whitel... oh wait.
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Would love to blow up, but all the players i was so pissed about last week were actually really good so...
Now I'll blow up about the French. Last week was their best chance and we fucking murdered them. I can't see us winning this by less than 20. Next week will most likely be a bloodbath unless we rotate everyone. The part of me that misses the feeling of "shit, i hope we win this weekend" leading up to tests is growing every year. The rest of the world might be right, there is skulduggery going on, we shouldn't still be winning like this.
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@mariner4life didn't they have some more players arrive that were not available to last week due to French finals, so theoretically, they could be stronger?
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
@mariner4life didn't they have some more players arrive that were not available to last week due to French finals, so theoretically, they could be stronger?
so, only 15 points? Probably all club bench players anyway, behind a bunch of semi retired tri-nations players...
C’est des conneries!
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
@mariner4life didn't they have some more players arrive that were not available to last week due to French finals, so theoretically, they could be stronger?
so, only 15 points? Probably all club bench players anyway, behind a bunch of semi retired tri-nations players...
C’est des conneries!
When did we last lose a game? Can we ressurect the unbeaten thread now?
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@hooroo said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
@mariner4life didn't they have some more players arrive that were not available to last week due to French finals, so theoretically, they could be stronger?
so, only 15 points? Probably all club bench players anyway, behind a bunch of semi retired tri-nations players...
C’est des conneries!
When did we last lose a game? Can we ressurect the unbeaten thread now?
Hang on a bit. England have only just started their record losing streak. Let that one go first.
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@hooroo not that long ago. We dropped one to the Wallabies last year. Might be a bit early, because surely we will drop another one or two this year. Surely.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
@hooroo not that long ago. We dropped one to the Wallabies last year. Might be a bit early, because surely we will drop another one or two this year. Surely.
Did we?? I have no recollection of that?
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weren't the French the last team to beat us in NZ or was that just last team to win at EP?
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@taniwharugby Eden park. We lost to the Lions last year. Before that, South Africa in 2009 (our annus horribilis).
Australia hasn't won in NZ since 2001 according to espn stats.
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They beat us in Dunners in 2009 (before the SA loss).
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@antipodean Lions don't count, that's 4 teams
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
Would love to blow up, but all the players i was so pissed about last week were actually really good so...
Now I'll blow up about the French. Last week was their best chance and we fucking murdered them.
After they fell apart following a horrendous yellow card...
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@kiwimurph said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks v France Test #2:
Would love to blow up, but all the players i was so pissed about last week were actually really good so...
Now I'll blow up about the French. Last week was their best chance and we fucking murdered them.
After they fell apart following a horrendous yellow card...
I'm just going to go ahead and assume you are just parroting the rubbish narrative created (yellow card was shit though)
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@mariner4life My point is that before the yellow card it was an absorbing test and for the first 50 minutes I don't think AB fans would have been thinking "shit, this is boring".
