The shock against the All-Blacks, the Blues, the haka ... Bernard Laporte's expectations

Axel May and Gauthier Delomez 3:18 p.m., November 20, 2021

INTERVIEW

The ultimate test for the French rugby team.

The Blues return to New Zealand on Saturday evening to close their fall tour at the Stade de France.

Nearly 79,000 spectators are expected for this clash between two selections which will no longer intersect before the opening match of the next Rugby World Cup, in France, in 2023. Guest of the

, the former coach des Bleus and now president of the French Federation, Bernard Laporte, sees this match as a "real revealer" of the form of French rugby players.

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"The All-Blacks came up like cuckoos"

A much awaited shock therefore between the Blues, sometimes attractive, sometimes rough during this fall tour, and the All-Blacks, references of world rugby but not invincible for all that. New Zealand was indeed bowed on the lawn of Ireland last weekend (20-29). But for Bernard Laporte, "even if they had won, they would have come together like cuckoos. Because the particularity of this match is that it is less than two years from the opening match" of the 2023 World Cup. .

If the former coach of the Blues always likes to analyze their matches, he expresses his full confidence in the staff of the current coach, Fabien Galthié. "They are doing a considerable job. I leave them to maneuver, and I think the France team has had a good tour so far," he said on Europe 1. The French were in initially imposed with difficulty against Argentina (29-20), big caliber of world rugby, then had aligned a second victory in a row, without the manner, against Georgia (41-15). "I think the France team has been clean overall. Everything has not been perfect, but it is never easy to beat Georgia by 40 points", assures Bernard Laporte.

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A nod to history, ten years after the 2011 World Cup final

Two victories therefore for the Blues, before the "reference" match against New Zealand. "There is a lot of impatience and enthusiasm. We will see where this group is. It is a real eye-opener," said the former coach. More than a test, this match is also a nod to history, ten years after the World Cup final narrowly lost by the Blues against their evening opponents (8-7). But Bernard Laporte warns: "Those who will play tonight were not from that epic, so they are not looking at the past, they are looking at the present and the future", emphasizing the prospect of the 2023 World Cup.

"It's a young generation," continues the president of the French Rugby Federation.

"This team is 24 and a half years old on average and it wants to make a strong mark in the history of French rugby. Starting with the Six Nations tournament in 2022, and let's not hide it, with the World Cup in France ", supports Bernard Laporte.

A craze almost never seen for the Blues

Of course, before the kick-off scheduled at 9 p.m., New Zealand players will do their traditional haka. "We must respect it," said the former coach of the Blues. "It's a sign of recognition, a warrior sign that speaks to the whole country, which traces its history (...). It is given a lot of importance, but the French players, for decades, have fully respected this act of New Zealanders ".

In total, the Stade de France should be sold out on Saturday evening with more than 79,000 spectators.

Proof of the enthusiasm that this meeting arouses, despite the mandatory health pass at the entrance.

"We had 150,000 requests for this match, and almost 500,000 for the opening match of the World Cup on September 8, 2023", specifies the president of the FFR.

A craze fostered, according to Bernard Laporte, by the remarkable state of mind of the French selection: "This team gives off something. It is pleasant. To rub shoulders with them a little bit, they are really great guys and I wish them everything the best for tonight, and for the rest. "