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Listen Live: All Blacks v France

Publish Date
Sun, 12 Nov 2017, 8:39AM

Listen Live: All Blacks v France

Publish Date
Sun, 12 Nov 2017, 8:39AM

Join us for live commentary of the All Blacks' first test match on their Northern Hemisphere tour this year, as they face France on Armistace Day.

Rugby Editor Nigel Yalden will be calling the match.

LISTEN LIVE TO THE ALL BLACKS V FRANCE FROM 8.45AM

Action Areas

This will be the 58th meeting between the All Blacks and France, with the French have won 12 tests with one draw.

France have a number of famous wins over New Zealand but it's been a long time between Champagnes in Paris.

France have a 64 percent winning record at the Stade de France since the ground opened in 1998 but not one of their 48 victories is against the All Blacks.

It has been 44 years since France last beat the All Blacks in Paris, 1973 victory which was played at the Parc de Prince ground.

In fact France have only beaten the All Blacks at home twice in the last 24 years. The last time the All Blacks lost a test match in France was in Marseille, 2000.

France have played the All Blacks 57 times, and have won just 12 of those games along with one draw. That draw was in 2002, and is the closest France have come to beating the All Blacks at Stade de France.

Since France beat the All Blacks 27-22 in Dunedin eight years ago they have gone 10 straight defeats to New Zealand.

Kieran Read is the only member of the All Blacks squad to experience a defeat to France. The All Blacks skipper was the starting blindside flanker in his fourth test in that Dunedin loss.

Mathieu Bastareaud, Francois Trinh-Duc, Louis Picamoles and Fulgence Ouedraogo all started for France that day.

With Jerome Kaino heading home and Liam Squire under an injury cloud, Vaea Fifita gets the nod to start in the number six jersey.

Beauden Barrett returns to first-five after missing the Brisbane test while, Luke Romano did enough to impress against the Baabaas to retain the starting second-row spot alongside Sam Whitelock. Hansen indicated Scott Barrett needed to improve the accuracy of his defence.

France has thrust youth into the spotlight by handing out four test debuts against the All Blacks.

Of the starting French team which pushed the All Blacks before going down 24-19 in the final test last year, only four players remain. All are in the forward pack.

As predicted earlier this week, French coach Guy Noves has opted for a rookie halves pairing.

That comes in the form of Toulouse halfback Antoine Dupont, the 20-year-old who will make his first test start after coming off the bench in three defeats against South Africa in June, and Toulon first five-eighth Anthony Belleau, one year older.

On debut, Belleau will become France's fifth first-five in the past two years.

His introduction comes with first-choice No 10 Camille Lopez out for five months with a leg injury.

Racing Metro wing Teddy Thomas, with five tests, has been handed the challenging task of marking Rieko Ioane.

France at least has some experience in the form of veteran No 8 Louis Picamoles.
The team is captained by 53-test Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado.

All Blacks:
15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Sam Cane, 6 Vaea Fifita, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Kane Hames.

Reserves: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19 Scott Barrett, 20 Matt Todd, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Lima Sopoaga, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown

France:
15 Nans Ducuing; 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Geoffrey Doumayrou, 12 Mathieu Bastareaud, 11 Yoann Huget; 10 Anthony Belleau, 9 Antoine Dupont; 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Kevin Gourdon, 6 Judicael Cancoriet; 5 Paul Gabrillagues, 4 Sebastien Vahaamahina; 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado (captain), 1 Jefferson Poirot Replacements: Clement Maynadier, Raphael Chaume, Daniel Kotze, Paul Jedrasiak, Anthony Jelonch, Baptiste Serin, Francois Trinh-Duc, Damian Penaud

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