• Before Saturday's shock at the Stade de France, France has not beaten the All Blacks since 2009 in New Zealand.

    And since 2000 at home.

  • The Blues have conceded a few stinging defeats, such as the 62-13 in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup, which can inevitably lead to fear of the worst.

  • Three glorious elders, who have already beaten the Blacks but also experienced disappointments, reconsider their relationship to these monsters of the oval.

"It's not true that they are going to send them to us all in anger."

Exclusively for you subscribers, our reaction to the outcome of the superb Irish victory over the All Blacks on Saturday (29-20).

And then we reviewed our judgment.

"All Black" players put together like wild broncos before the match in Saint-Denis, that's exactly what we needed to revive the "holy scare" of the jerk off in mondiovision, the traditional lever of motivation on the Blue side against New Zealand.

“It is even the main driving force,” assures Fabien Pelous.

These are games where you can be ridiculous quickly, which is never very pleasant.

When you play the New Zealanders, you are fatally afraid of taking a scuffle.

And the fear of this heavy defeat makes you often more focused and tense during the preparation for the match.

"

The former French captain with 118 selections in particular remembers a very humiliating episode.

“During the match just before that of the centenary [3-47 in Lyon, November 11, 2006], after yet another try, we hit the dismissal, they organize a ball carried and we are carried over 40 meters.

There I say to myself: "we are ridiculous".

We are at home, it's a phase of collective combat which is the only thing you can oppose to the Blacks and that's what they take from us.

"

"When they can put it on you, they put it on you"

Another glorious former, Jean-Luc Sadourny remembers another thaw.

“In the summer of 1999, we toured the Pacific Islands and ended up with the Blacks,” replaces the ex-rear of Colomiers.

We had taken a good rouste [54-7].

There is always a little fear, they have no mercy.

When they can put it on you, they put it on you.

"

Let us now move on to the chapter of happy memories since Pelous and Sadourny were part of the last two XV of France to have defeated the “Tout Noir” at home, on November 11, 1995 in Toulouse (22-15) then on November 18, 2000 in Marseille ( 42-33).

It dates, yes ... Before a draw and seven losses at home (series in progress), but a week after a defeat (26-39 at the Stade de France), the Blues had therefore stuck the ogres of world rugby in front of 60,000 supporters in merger at the Velodrome.

Velodrome traffic jams

"Because of the traffic jams, we had arrived barely three quarters of an hour before kick-off," smiles today the former second row of Stade Toulousain, who has beaten New Zealand four times, and therefore participated in a third of the 12 French successes, for a draw (20-20 in 2002, still with Pelous) and 48 defeats since 1906. Time to change, you go out on the lawn, you warm up for 20 minutes and then fire!

In the bus, there was a lot of frustration, everyone was starting to moan.

Finally, I wonder if this was not the best method… ”

After 11 minutes of play, including two tries by Garbajosa and Magne, France were already leading 17-0.

An unplayable Titou Lamaison (27 points at 100% success) will also make the difference in this match that Sadourny (35 years old at the time) did not think of playing.

Sadourny, apostle of "French Flair"

Six years earlier, “Sadour” had been one of the heroes of Toulouse's victory against superstar Lomu and his colleagues, flattening the first of three French trials after a superb swaying race during which he had stunned three opponents.

"We had beaten them twice at home in 1994 [8-22 then 20-23] and it was the same team in 1995, testifies the author of" the test of the end of the world "during the second test of 1994 at Auckland's Eden Park.

But they couldn't afford to return to New Zealand with another loss.

"

Zinzan Brooke's troupe will take a resounding revenge a week later at the Parc des Princes (12-37).

Like what, even a golden generation is never safe from a nasty relapse against the compatriots of Jane Campion and Peter Jackson.

#EphemerideOval.


On November 15, 1986, the French rugby team clinched a rough victory over New Zealand 16-3 in Nantes.


This match is considered in New Zealand as the infamous "Battle of Nantes" https://t.co/JmW3ubrdXw

- Finales_Rugby (@Finales_Rugby) November 15, 2021

On November 15, 1986

,

the desire for revenge was in the French camp, after a frustrating defeat of the players of the impulsive coach Jacques Fouroux in Toulouse (7-19) against the Blacks.

The inexhaustible pillar Jean-Pierre Garuet, 33 years old at the time, remade the match.

“Before the second test in Nantes, we rebelled like in war, with the point helmet and bayonet gun. I will always remember this wonderful kickoff given by Serge Blanco. We took them up to 22 meters. We were ready for anything. The first scrum, we knock them down. It was an amazing game. The best I have faced against super Blacks who will then be world champions. "

This victory will remain the only one of the 1980s against New Zealand.

What to maintain a certain psychosis?

Not quite the Garuet type.

"The fear of taking a rouste?"

Yes… But from there to fear them, no, asserts the Lourdais.

If we go with fear in the face of the haka, it is not worth going.

We had a solid team and we realized that by shaking them in front, they were like everyone else.

You have to challenge them by being warriors.

And once every 10 years, we beat them.

"

A history of teeth and testis

By reviewing the images of this Nantes meeting, we are surprised that no warning intended for young audiences is slipped in the preamble. New Zealand No.8 Wayne "Buck" Shelford left four teeth there, a scrotum and almost a testicle, and doping rumors have sprung up on the ruins of the Beaujoire battlefield. The Blacks will take revenge a year later in their garden in Auckland's Eden Park, largely dominating the final of the first World Cup (29-9).

In the era of VAR, it is unthinkable for the Blues to reproduce the “snags and low blows” scenario dear to daddy rugby, Saturday at the Stade de France.

“The blows, it is not possible any more and it is so much the better, assures Garuet.

But a pillar who must "get out" his opponent in melee, it is always a lesson that we learn, that has not changed.

Collectively, there is always a question of strength, we have to compete.

Shaking them starts with the first line.

After that, you have to raise your rugby level.

Start with the foot on the floor and do not let go until the end.

"

Commitment or nothing

Fabien Pelous takes over from his elder brother: “It's always the best players you have in front of you.

The goal is to bring them to a game that they have less control over, much more direct, with a lot of commitment.

With slightly different ways of doing things, depending on the era.

Even if, with the current generation, we can even compete in terms of rugby.

"

While remembering that "the slightest error pays cash" is a cliché as irritating as it is valid against the triple world champions.

In short, while keeping a certain fear which, well channeled, can overthrow these black mountains.

"Everyone is afraid of the All Blacks, but I think the Blacks are also afraid of the French", judge Jean-Luc Sadourny.

Black anger against blue fear, we will see all the colors on Saturday at the Stade de France.

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