Wednesday, October 3, 2007
FRANCE face the All Blacks in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday believing fate could deliver a repeat of their stunning 1999 semi-final triumph over the New Zealanders.
Eight years ago, France overturned a half-time deficit to clinch an epic 43-31 win to reach the final.
Here, on Sunday, Bernard Laporte's side look to upset the odds once again with some uncanny similarities possibly working in their favour.
The match is again being played at a neutral venue. The Millennium Stadium this time; Twickenham in 1999.
Just like eight years ago, France go into game having suffered a hammering against the All Blacks; in June, they were crushed 61-10 in Wellington while in 1999, the margin was 54-7.
Furthermore, the French side of 1999 saw their World Cup campaign bruised by a shock 28-19 loss to Fiji in the group stages; in 2007, Les Bleus lost their opening match 17-12 to Argentina.
"In 1999, nobody believed it and the French team pulled off a huge shock," said current fly-half Lionel Beauxis who was just 13 at the time and watched the semi-final on television.
The 2007 French squad boasts four survivors from eight years ago Fabien Pelous, Christophe Dominici, Raphael Ibanez and Pieter De Villiers.
"We'll try to get a result like 1999," said Pelous.
"The conditions are different, the players are different but I hope the result will be the same."
Back in 1999, the New Zealand coach John Hart had boasted that his team couldn't lose.
They did and there are three veterans of that squad who are at the 2007 edition - Anton Oliver, Reuben Thorne and Byron Kelleher.
The All Blacks were 17-10 ahead at the break but Pelous remembers the key to the turnaround being a "strong defence which was always going forward ".
"We had 22 determined players."
New Zealand have won 34 of 45 meetings with the French, but Ibanez, who was skipper then and now, believes his team's spirit will be an important weapon.AFP
Eight years ago, France overturned a half-time deficit to clinch an epic 43-31 win to reach the final.
Here, on Sunday, Bernard Laporte's side look to upset the odds once again with some uncanny similarities possibly working in their favour.
The match is again being played at a neutral venue. The Millennium Stadium this time; Twickenham in 1999.
Just like eight years ago, France go into game having suffered a hammering against the All Blacks; in June, they were crushed 61-10 in Wellington while in 1999, the margin was 54-7.
Furthermore, the French side of 1999 saw their World Cup campaign bruised by a shock 28-19 loss to Fiji in the group stages; in 2007, Les Bleus lost their opening match 17-12 to Argentina.
"In 1999, nobody believed it and the French team pulled off a huge shock," said current fly-half Lionel Beauxis who was just 13 at the time and watched the semi-final on television.
The 2007 French squad boasts four survivors from eight years ago Fabien Pelous, Christophe Dominici, Raphael Ibanez and Pieter De Villiers.
"We'll try to get a result like 1999," said Pelous.
"The conditions are different, the players are different but I hope the result will be the same."
Back in 1999, the New Zealand coach John Hart had boasted that his team couldn't lose.
They did and there are three veterans of that squad who are at the 2007 edition - Anton Oliver, Reuben Thorne and Byron Kelleher.
The All Blacks were 17-10 ahead at the break but Pelous remembers the key to the turnaround being a "strong defence which was always going forward ".
"We had 22 determined players."
New Zealand have won 34 of 45 meetings with the French, but Ibanez, who was skipper then and now, believes his team's spirit will be an important weapon.AFP