Dalton Papali'i is a fast ball carrier and the All Blacks need that sort of quality to unlock the French defence. Photo: Photosport / John Davidson
Opinion - The days that have rapidly been ticking down on the much-anticipated World Cup opener have turned into hours.
The sides have been named, the analysis can begin and then the talking will stop at 9pm Friday night in sultry Paris. The City Of Lights is more like the city of sweat right now, with the northern hemisphere summer still in full effect: 32 degrees today and most likely the same tomorrow.
Squad locked in #FRAvNZL #AllBlacks pic.twitter.com/fD8kU8j65x
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 6, 2023
Ian Foster's injury-enforced changes from the side that played the Springboks sees Anton Lienert-Brown start at second five, with David Havili and Leicester Fainga'anuku on the bench as back cover. Codie Taylor comes in at hooker but the most interesting selection is that of Dalton Papali'i at blindside.
Papali'i is a fast ball carrier and the All Blacks need that sort of quality to unlock the French defence. However, spare a thought for Luke Jacobson, who was hooked after 20 minutes at Twickenham in order for Tupou Vaa'i to come on after Scott Barrett had been sent off.
Jacobson certainly did not do anything wrong, and by the reasoning given by the All Black coaching staff themselves, he has definitely got a case to be aggrieved. Foster, Jason Ryan and Scott McLeod (twice on consecutive days) all hammered home how pleased they were with the defensive effort in the first 20 minutes against the Springboks, which was exactly how long Jacobson was on the field for.
Never mind that 20 minutes of good tackling means absolutely nothing if the score line at the end of 80 is a record loss. Papali'i's inclusion means the All Blacks are now playing left and right, rather than open and blindside flankers, which would feel like a much more secure way of thinking had the All Blacks committed to it a while back rather than rolling the dice in the first match of a World Cup.
The All Blacks are up against a French side that comes in with a similarly reshuffled side. Yoen Moefana starts against Lienert-Brown, with Matthieu Jalibert on his inside. Just how much is that going to change the way Antoine Dupont plays? That has been the question on the minds of French fans here in Paris, who will make up the vast majority of the 80,000 who will pack into Stade de France.
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) September 6, 2023
Voici votre #XVdeFrance pour le match d'ouverture de la #RWC2023 face à la Nouvelle-Zélande #UnisPourUnRêve #FRAvNZL pic.twitter.com/EhVrA2srkp
Really though, France have been able to dip into a deep talent pool to fill their gaps too. Cameron Woki starts in place of the injured Paul Willemse and Romain Taofifenua is on the bench. Both Woki and Taofifenua were in the side that thumped the All Blacks last time they were in Paris, also both represent the range of diversity in the French side. Woki is literally a local, having grown up in the tough Saint-Denis suburb that Stade de France is situated, while Taofifenua traces his heritage to tiny Wallis and Futuna, part of French Polynesia.
Cameron Woki starts in place of the injured Paul Willemse. Photo: AFP / DPPI / Matthieu Mirville
Given the turbulence that both sides have been through in recent weeks, this game is extremely tough to call. Any margin, comfortable or otherwise for either team, feels possible. The other motivating factor for the All Blacks is that they are the only team to have never lost a pool stage game at a World Cup*.
One big gripe though. It says a lot that the All Blacks once again did not care about time zones and named their side at 3.15am NZT. For all their talk of the New Zealand public being their 'bench' for the World Cup effort in a thunderously underwhelming marketing campaign it is clear that they really are not thinking much at all about people back home.
It would not have made any difference putting it at a more reasonable time given that France released their side hours earlier, other than a positive one to at least people know that the All Blacks are doing what they can to connect.
Because there is certainly a lot of passion back in Aotearoa. It is just that right now it is being tapped into far more successfully by someone else and who on earth wants to be on the bench anyway?
*Other than Chile, who have not actually played a Rugby World Cup pool game yet as they are in their debut tournament. They need to knock off Japan, Manu Samoa and England in consecutive weeks to boast the same record. Vamos Los Cóndores!
