All the talk, leading up to this 2015 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal has been about France bating New Zealand so famously at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in the 2007 RWC. The fact that New Zealand beat France twice in winning the World Cup four years later has been jumped over a little, mainly because this quarterfinal on Saturday between the All Blacks and France will take place in the same city, at the same venue.
New Zealand, like they were eight years ago, are the overwhelming favourites against France, but as we all know by now, the French are capable of causing an upset, especially considering the All Blacks have choked on a few occasions on the big stage in the past.
Steve Hansen, the All Blacks coach, will make sure his New Zealand team are focussed on this quarterfinal alone, and not on what has gone on in the past against France. With France expected to be a little cautious, understandably, against the All Blacks, Hansen hoped the Europeans come out of their shell, which will in turn open up more space for his players to exploit.
"France have always had great athletes," Hansen said. "Their game was built around flair in the backs and real physicality up front. I'm not sure it's the same flair they have now.
"The top 14 has become quite a dour competition with a lot of physicality and I know they are trying to recapture the flair which is within them. You can see it when they let loose and we expect them to show it on Saturday.
"There has been a great relationship between the two countries for a long time, we've probably been on the same page most of the time. From a rugby point of view we have similar athletes but there are days with France when you wonder who will turn up. They always do on the big occasion and we have to make sure we do."
The big occasion for France have been spoilt a little by reports if unrest in the camp, with players reportedly rebelling against the coach Philippe Saint-Andre. While those reports have been denied, that kind of negative publicity never helps a team going into such a big World Cup quarterfinal.
"We prepare for this game as a team with all the boys, coaches and manager," France captain Thierry Dusautoir said. "It is a team which is ready to play against New Zealand.
"I don't really understand what everybody is talking about here and it's not really my problem. I just focus on what I have to do tomorrow. It's not a big problem for us.
"We are a team. We started as a team and we are going to continue our work as a team."
Teams: New Zealand: Ben Smith; Nehe Milner-Skudder, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea; Dan Carter, Aaron Smith; Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (C), Jerome Kaino; Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick; Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: Keven Mealamu, Joe Moody, Charlie Faumuina, Victor Vito, Sam Cane, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Beauden Barrett, Sonny Bill Williams.
France: Scott Spedding; Noa Nakaitaci, Alexandre Dumoulin, Wesley Fofana, Brice Dulin; Frederic Michalak, Morgan Parra; Louis Picamoles, Bernard Le Roux, Thierry Dusautoir (C); Yoann Maestri, Pascal Pape; Rabah Slimani, Guilhem Guirado, Eddy Ben Arous.
Replacements: Dimitri Szarzewski, Vincent Debaty, Nicolas Mas, Damien Chouly, Yannick Nyanga, Rory Kockott, Remi Tales, Mathieu Bastareaud.
Where to Watch Live
The New Zealand vs France quarterfinal of the 2015 Rugby World Cup is set to begin at 8 pm BST (12.30 am IST, 9 pm CET, 3 pm ET). The RWC quarterfinal will be shown live on TV in India on Sony Six.
Sky Sport will show the All Blacks vs France quarterfinal match live in New Zealand, while the action can also be watched via live streaming on Sky Go NZ. Canal+ will broadcast the quarterfinal between France and New Zealand live on TV in France, while the action can also be live streamed on TFI.
Audience in Australia can watch the action live on Fox Sports 2, with the live stream option on Foxtel Play.
ITV1 will show All Blacks vs France live in the UK, with the live stream option on ITV Player. The 2015 Rugby World Cup match will be shown live in South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa on SuperSport, while the live stream option is on SuperSport Live Video.
Audience in the USA can watch the rugby World Cup game live on Universal Sports, while the game can also be live streamed on Universal Sports Online. Viewers in Canada can watch the game live on TSN, while the action can also be live streamed on TSN TV.
