As reported earlier: No Jordie Barrett; no Retallick, Frizell or Lomax but probably the best team available. ALB will do well as he is very experienced and adds to the leadership in the backs. Papalii will have to show what he's made of, he's bigger than the other loose forwards and a fierce tackler. Not much between the two teams, the difference will be who's up for the game and if ABs get enough control in the forwards.
Like you say best we can put on the park at the moment, would have liked to see Roigard over Christie, bit of a risk but he has shown he is up to it and just a bit of an unknown to the frogs.
Not holding my breath over this one, will settle for a loss as long as we front up, if we get spanked again I hold little hope of getting anywhere near the final.
I agree on Roigard, I think the will get more game time in the upcoming games in our group. Really looking forward to seeing more of him as he can change the tempo of the game when it's needed.
One wouldn't think but historically the ABs have beaten the French often at World Cups. We tend to remember the 1999 and 2007 in France easily. Yet it's about 5-2 to the ABs with two finals in the bag.
Not the most fearsome All Black team I've ever seen but I never write the ABs off.
If you can get your outside backs involved you can beat anyone.
What a great opening game for the tournament!
JW, would have far preferred Roigard to be on the bench and Jacobsen to start but I can’t have everything I suppose. A solid squad and I just hope we can at least gain parity in the scrums and sort out our messy line outs.
Go you good ABs!!
Yes, I see the lineouts as a challenge because we only have two jumpers, normally we have a third option Maybe Papalii will surprise us in this regard but he's up against a taller and bigger man. Well, at least it can't be worse than the game against the Boks.
The starting team looks good, but the bench has a B-team flavor.
However, I could be wrong as I don't follow New Zealand much.
France must start as favourites, and this game could set the tempo for the rest of the tournament for both teams - the ABS especially
I don't remember an AB team surrounded by question marks and doubt at a RWC.as the current one. It almost comes down to a must win game for if they don't as a consequence their confidence will suffer and they really don't want that to happen.
I've tipped them to win by 5 in a tight game and sure it's not the end of their chances if they did lose but it will be a troubled team with their backs against the wall going forward.
Go well ABs.
Have a feeling both AB's and Boks will be clipped by France and Scotland.
Anything's possible.....I had the leaked team winning by 15 points but now it's anyone's guess.
None of these players are poor choices.
My only question is around Leanord Brow. Been around for ages, but haven't seen much of him recently and not sure what form he is in.
the ABs biggest problem is the coaching and mentality.
They like to have an all out attack and normally sustain it for about 15 min.
I think the defeat against the boks was a wake up call.
So I'm expecting the All Blacks to try and get control on the game.
"Have a feeling both AB's and Boks will be clipped by France and Scotland."
No man, why so negative?
Biggest problem for ABs is their captain. They could win this but for him to lift the Cup will be a mammoth undertaking.
Agreed. Think the ABs biggest problem is the lack of group leadership.
I am not happy with the AB Team with key players still missing, I give the match to France by 7 points. The Scots lost their ebst player and without him as captain and backline player -they will have hard time to beat the Springboks. My forecast a Springbok win by 13 points.
I'm thinking France should win comfortably.
But there are a boatload of extra variables.
It's these games were sides can be caught between throwing caution to the wind and also trying to play it safe. They wanna win but it's not a must, they've both got different types of pressure on them too.
Basically a giant banana peel for both teams.
By contrast, in Boks/Scottish game, I don't think anyone is seriously expecting the Scottish to win. The current Bok form is way beyond what the Scots can contain. It'll also be a far more low-key affair than the ABs game.
The Scots have to win this game because they won't be beating the Irish at this competition. So all the pressure is on them. The Boks don't have to play that well to beat the Scots and if they play like they have this year...the Scots are gonna get hammered.
So I'm going France by 15 and the Boks by 15 too.
one brain fart...
I just want JW to be happy! 
Oom Mike might be speaking of Stuart Hogg although he's hardly been a force even before he retired.
Fin and Duhan are their 2 top players...both can be contenders for a spot in the tournament 15 if things go well for them...
What a considerate wee chap that Beeno is, there's no need to be suspicious of his motives... surely
I woke up at 4 am and had thoughts of lacing up my rugby boots, I'm so pumped... only to realize they're long gone
If you grew up in the Transvaal, that would be no problem. We played kaalvoet (in bare feet)….at least in lower school. First time I wore boots I felt planted….so I played one game without them, got my mojo back and then reverted to the boots.
Ha ha Moz, we did the same in NZ, it was all good until the other team came out with steel sprigs on their boots??
Bastards!
...getting AMPED!!!
45 mins to go
Who wants to watch the opening ceremonies?? Just go ahead and start the game!
Haha 24 mins...Ibswearbim bite exited for this game than for the Boks on Sunday.
Good luck to your boys, JW
Cane is ruled out!!
Cane out, back spasms ................. Vaa'i , Retallick on bench.
Well, some don't lie Cane anyway but a big disappointment for him. Having Retallick on the bench is a good thing assuming he has recovered from his injury.
Out they come…I have a nice cup of Royal blend tea on the brew and a Marie biscuit!
Thanks Plum, let's hope it's a good game and finger crossed for the ABs!
Stunning opening.
Wow! Fireworks from the kickoff! 5 points in 90 seconds
Whistle is blowing, let’s hope things settle down.
Penaud needs to start making his tackles
That half went by in the blink of an eye. Lots of kicking, but so far NZ look more dangerous ball in hand. Forty minutes and everything to play for.
I doubt anyone was impressed with that half.
Can everybody stop being so nervous for a bit please?
Poor rugby all round.
France's decision to go for that penalty that ended up missing was stupid. Their lineout was working well and they'd just mauled the ABs a good 15m. Why would you not kick that to the corner and do it again?
Negative rugby will never beat the ABs.
Mallet summed it up nicely.
"Feels like the game hasn't kicked off yet."
Second half should be more daring as one team has to take the game by the throat. ABs looked dangerous in the backs a couple of times & forwards had some good pick & goes.
Second half should be more daring as one team has to take the game by the throat. ABs looked dangerous in the backs a couple of times & forwards had some good pick & goes.
Try ABs, Telea!
Brilliant tackle by Mo’unga…..if Penaud carried the ball in his right arm it was a try.
Lovely French try….great skilll by Jailibert
That should be a card
ABs couldn’t get the ball out of our half. Try had to happen
Plum I agree with your earlier assessment….once again they should have gone for the corner, on a difficult kick and a man up,
France frittering away the yellow…they could regret it.
Wow….kind of a repeat of the Springbok game
Try France. ABs losing first pool game ever but there were some good signs.
I said France would win by 15...14 not too far off.
Hard luck Kiwis.
This AB side is nowhere near it.
Viva la France ........ NZ first ever RWC pool defeat
Congrats to France, both teams seemed very cautious for a lot of the game.
Duplicate
This game was quite a few levels above the Bok test a couple of weeks ago. That game was a bit of mess, and the Kiwis really didn't show at all. The Boks haven't been in a test like this, or won one like this, in many years. I'd have to go back nearly ten years for a Bok performance of that level. When it mattered, in the RC, this All Black side comprehensively outclassed the Boks for 80 minutes.
My man of the match Jaco Peyper. He handled a number of difficult decisions fairly without blowing the game with a second yellow for Will Jordan.
Alldritt looked like a young Vermeulen out there and Aaron Smith actually outplayed Du Pont, they were my respective players of the game…although Mauvaka was brilliant as well.
Agreed, Moz.
Jaco had a good game and was very clear about the way he went about things.
Du Pont wasn't at 80% of his best.
Yes, glad the ref wasn't a problem, none of us need controversy.
18,568 posts
All Blacks: Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Mark Telea, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (capt), Dalton Papalii, Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock, Nepo Laulala, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Ofa Tuungafasi, Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa’i, Luke Jacobson, Finlay Christie, David Havili, Leicester Fainga’anuku.