Shaggy
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Well, it's finally here, the Rugby World Cup final! After six weeks, I find myself writing about two teams from pool A in my 15th world cup blog.
When I started writing about the pool A sides, I expected and hoped that I'd get to write about the All Blacks in the final, but it was wiser and braver folk than me predicted that France would also make the final.
I must admit that like many New Zealand supporters, I was caught up in the post match euphoria of the semi final win over Australia, and I purposely delayed the writing of this blog in an attempt to achieve more self focus for this match.
Much has been made of the perceived one sidedness of this match, with the southern hemisphere media in particular, predicting that it's almost a done deal that the All Blacks will win the final easily.
This could well prove to be the case if the All Blacks have retain a game plan similar to the one they used against the Wallabies, and they managed to employ it.
The 2011 incarnation of the All Blacks seem to have a ruthless, win at all costs mentality, and don't seem to have the "run it/we must get all our points from scoring tries/we must entertain" philosophy.
Unlike the fan base, I believe that this team will go into this match knowing that they won't automatically win the game. They seem to be playing with confidence, combining well as a team.
I guess what i'm saying is that unlike previous cups, they seem to have their feet firmly grounded, and are treating their opponent with the respect that they deserve.
Some say that the French are lucky to be in the final, and the results probably bear that out, having lost against the All Blacks and Tonga, and narrowly beating a 14 man Welsh side.
I know that I have an atrocious record predicting the french results, having tipped them to beat Tonga, but lose to both England, and Wales.
While their on field form hasn't really inspired many of us with great confidence, they have done enough to win the games that count, and should provide a closer contest in the forwards than Australia did, but only if they bring their best game, and finally play to their maximum potential.
They certainly have personnel to compete with exciting and experienced backs that can finish try scoring opportunities if the forwards that can provide the platform that the backs need.
Aside from the forwards battle, other keys to a good French performance will be how they can pressure fly half Aaron Cruden, and how they can contain the midfield pairing of Maa Nonu and Conrad Smith.
In my opinion, to have any chance of winning the French will have to tighten their defence, work harder on their support play, and not shy away from the contact areas.
Keeping the ball in hand may prove to be a better tactic than kicking approach that they have employed to date, and they will have to take the home crowd supporters out of the equation some how too.
If you look at how Tonga and Wales played against them, they troubled the French with hard driving tackles, however both those sides were carded for unsafe tackles in those games.
If the All Blacks employ similar tactics, they will have to watch that they maintain discipline in this area, as a Sonny-Bill Williams type of error, could prove to be the difference between winning and losing.
I am really starting to get a little bit gun shy of making any predictions in games involving the French, and much will depend on the likes of Mas, Servat, Harinordoqay, Bonnaire, and Dusauttoir, and how the All Black forward pack goes against them.
If the New Zealand don't drop the ball, figuratively speaking (although if they drop the ball literally, it won't go well either), and they stay focused, New Zealand should win.
My message to the All Blacks, is don't buy into this "you are going to win/the French won't trouble you" vibe, and maintain the put the foot on the throat, and don't ease of the pressure approach.
