OWN CORRESPONDENT, London | Saturday 9.00am.
NEW Zealand, who missed out so narrowly four years ago, believe it is their destiny to win the World Cup this time around.
The All Blacks, who face France in the second semi-final at Twickenham on Sunday, face a French side who have the unenviable task of testing out whether the Kiwis are merely a team on a roll – or an unstoppable juggernaut.
Jonah Lomu, the tournament’s leading scorer, is a man who thrives on the big occasion. Four years ago in the semis, he destroyed England with a memorable four-try effort that ranks with the greatest individual test performances.
French coach Jean-Claude Skrela, who has recalled lock Fabien Pelous after suspension and been boosted by the news that centre Emile Ntamack has recovered from a knee injury, knows his team will have to be at their very best – and hope the All Blacks have an off day.
The French hope to match New Zealand’s formidable forwards and then find room to launch some of their traditionally inventive attacking moves.
“The only way we can compete is if we can gain parity in the forwards,” Skrela said. “That is what we have been working on because it is very hard to find weaknesses in the New Zealand team.
New Zealand have surprisingly axed scrum-half Justin Marshall, naming inexperienced Byron Kelleher, 22, for only his second test start.
No matter which New Zealand halfback combination they face, France have to lift themselves from playing moderately-talented sides to facing probably the best side in the world: a team with superb attacking flair and suffocating defensive patterns.
France need to be unorthodox, to play out of their skins, but even then it is hard to see how they could hope to shut out Lomu, Jeff Wilson, Christian Cullen, Tana Umaga and the legion of All Black dangermen.
New Zealand:
Jeff Wilson; Tana Umaga, Christian Cullen, Alama Ieremia, Jonah Lomu; Andrew Mehrtens or Tony Brown, Byron Kelleher; Taine Randell (capt), Josh Kronfeld, Reuben Thorne, Robin Brooke, Norm Maxwell, Craig Dowd, Anton Oliver, Carl Hoeft
France:
Xavier Garbajosa; Philippe Bernat-Salles, Richard Dourthe, Emile Ntamack, Christophe Dominici; Christophe Lamaison, Fabien Galthie; Christophe Juillet, Olivier Magne, Marc Lievremont, Fabien Pelous, Abdelatif Benazzi, Franck Tournaire, Raphael Ibanez (capt), Cedric Soulette. — AFP