Axel May / Photo credits: Yoann Cambefort / Marti Media / DPPI via AFP
This time it’s gone. The Rugby World Cup officially begins this Friday evening, with a summit meeting: France – New Zealand. And the XV of France, led by Antoine Dupont, will he succeed in putting stars in the eyes of the spectators?
Nobody wants the favorite place
The question is asked while the French team, like the New Zealand team, does not want to carry the label of favorite before the meeting. “There is the excitement of playing a World Cup in a country considered one of the favorites, with its audience, its atmosphere. This match has been awaited for a long time” by many, underlines the captain of the All Blacks, Sam Cane .
However, the statistics speak in favor of the New Zealanders since in the World Cup, they won 5 of the 7 matches played against France. But the Blacks version 2023 are capable of the best and the worst and remain, for example, with a crushing defeat last month against the reigning champions the South Africans.
Optimistic French supporters
“The All Blacks remain the greatest team in the world”, nevertheless tempers the captain of the Blues, Antoine Dupont. “Especially in this competition, with players with more than 100 caps who know the big matches and who will be present to give the best rugby because, once again, they have the capabilities,” continues Antoine Dupont.
But French supporters remember the last confrontation, this test match in November 2021 at the Stade de France, which the Blues won with a score of 40 to 25, their biggest success to date against the Blacks. Enough to give hope to the French public, who dream of seeing a repeat of this victory this Friday evening for the opening of the Rugby World Cup.