AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) _ The All Blacks are determined to
start their World Cup season on a strong note against an
under-strength French team in the first of two rugby Tests Saturday.
New Zealand captain Richie McCaw acknowledged the All Blacks are
traditionally rusty in the first Test of a new international season
and that rustiness was amplified by the fact that leading players
missed several weeks of this year's Super 14 to take part in a World
Cup ``conditioning program''.
The star flanker said New Zealand was determined to lift its
standard of play as quickly as possible to the standard it achieved
when it beat a full-strength French team convincingly in two Tests
in France last November.
If it could step up quickly to that level, its World Cup buildup
would be away to a good start, McCaw said.
``The excitement level's been pretty good this week I think for a
number of reasons,'' he said. ``Guys are pretty happy to be back in
this environment and looking forward to what's obviously a pretty
big year.
``We want to start it off pretty well. We talked about it when we
first came together, that it's important to get the first week right
and the first three tests before the Tri-Nations right.''
The French team the All Blacks meet at Eden Park on Saturday
contains 10 new caps, complicating the process of preparing for the
match and leaving New Zealand guessing about the style and standard
of their opponents.
``Obviously, we've got a a wee bit of an idea of some of the
players in the French team and there are some guys that have played
a lot of rugby, especially in the French forward pack,'' McCaw said.
The standard New Zealand reached on its last two end-of-season
tours to the Northern Hemisphere, when it beat England, Ireland,
Scotland, Wales and France after drubbing the British and Irish
Lions at home, has made it a heavy World Cup favorite.
McCaw said it was essential for the team to shake off its recent
lack of match practice to achieve a standard as soon as possible
which was commensurate with that favouritism.
``Tomorrow's game is about not letting our standards slip from
what done last year, the way played on end of year tour,'' he said.
``The key is about getting back to the things we were doing well
on that tour. That's the main goal here, to put together a
performance that we're happy with and which is not far off our peak
performance.''
France has made a special habit of beating the All Blacks against
the odds: notably at Eden Park on Bastille Day, 1979 when it
achieved its first win in New Zealand, and in the semifinals of the
1999 World Cup.
``We're playing against France and that's always pretty
exciting,'' McCaw said.
``There's a bit of history there, especially in recent times and
I guess that adds a bit of spice everytime we come to play and
generally it's a pretty tough Test match.''
___
New Zealand
Leon MacDonald, Joe Rokocoko, Isaia Toeava, Aaron Mauger,
Sitiveni Sivivatu, Daniel Carter, Piri Weepu; Chris Masoe, Richie
McCaw (capt.), Reuben Thorne, Ali Williams, Chris Jack, Carl Hayman,
Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock. Reserves: Andrew Hore, Neemia Tialata,
Troy Flavell, Rodney So'oialo, Brendon Leonard, Nick Evans, Ma'a
Nonu.
France
Thomas Castaignede, Jean-Francois Coux, Arnaud Mignardi,
Jean-Philippe Grandclaude, Benjamin Thiery, Benjamin Boyet, Nicolas
Durand; Sebastien Chabal, Olivier Magne, Gregory Le Corvec, Julien
Pierre, Pascal Pape (capt.), Nicolas Mas, Sebastien Bruno, Christian
Califano. Reserves: Raphael Ibanez, Franck Montanella, Olivier
Olibeau, Damien Chouly, Mickael Forest, Nicolas Laharrague, Ludovic
Valbon.
