France look to past

The French may be the only ones who believe they can topple the All Blacks on Sunday, but memories of 1999 linger.

Fabien Pelous' jutting jaw-line is one of the most imposing natural landmarks in the rugby world.

France's most capped player looks like his facial features have been carved out of granite.

Gaze at his visage too long and you half expect a team of mountaineers to start slinging belay ropes and begin abseiling to the ground.

There was a determined set to Pelous' jaw yesterday as the 33-year-old talked about France's chances of again ousting the All Blacks from the World Cup.

Pelous is one of only two survivors from the 1999 semifinal in Sunday's starting lineup in Cardiff.

Captain Raphael Ibanez is the other but the cunning old fox has been rapidly playing down any comparisons between the two events.

Pelous can see some parallels. The All Blacks were favourites in 1999 and they are most pundits' pick to advance to the semifinals this weekend.

But Pelous said memories of '99 – and France's sensational second-half comeback – could be "inspirational" in the sense that it showed it was "possible to do that".

He stressed the teams were different but hoped "the result will be the same".

"I think the All Blacks maybe – not maybe – (are) the best team in this World Cup. But I think we are also a good team. We're both good teams, and just because they're good, doesn't mean we can't be good, too."

Pelous said it was possible the All Blacks could lose one game – and he hoped it would be against France.

The 1999 semifinal was played at Twickenham – and Sunday's game is again on neutral soil, something Pelous and his teammates find slightly surreal.

"We don't have the pressure from home, and the second thing is, with this we think we are not in the World Cup. We are not in France and this is the World Cup of France. We are in Cardiff. It's not the same thing.

"It will be different because of our supporters. In France we have the support of our supporters, and maybe it will be different for that. Maybe there are a lot of New Zealanders, more than maybe French people (at the stadium)."

The towering Toulouse lock – who will win his 117th cap on Sunday – has made a Lazarus-like comeback.

A year ago Pelous was ensconced as France's captain, taking over from former halfback Fabien Galthie after the 2003 World Cup.

The Stade Toulouse stalwart enjoyed instant success, leading Les Bleus to a Six Nations grand slam title in 2004. He also steered Toulouse to the European Cup crown in 2005.

Pelous was banned for nine weeks in November 2005 for striking Australian hooker Brendan Cannon. He had initially been suspended by French coach Bernard Laporte in his crackdown on ill-discipline. But Laporte did not bear a grudge against the big man, and restored him to the French captaincy once his sentence was served.

He seemed set to lead his nation into the World Cup finals till he suffered an ankle injury in a Heineken Cup match last February and missed the latter half of the Six Nations campaign.

Enter Ibanez, Pelous' friend and former clubmate from Dax. The London Wasps hooker had retired in 2003 but made a comeback in 2005.

In Pelous' absence, he led the French to the Six Nations title and Laporte chose to retain him as captain for the World Cup.

But Pelous – reputed to own a winery with French football star Djibril Cisse, the former Liverpool striker – was back in time to break centre Philippe Sella's French test record of 111 caps in August.

The farmer's son had made his debut against Romania in 1995 – when All Black Isaia Toeava, 21, was just nine years old.

Pelous started in France's first World Cup pool D match but was in a losing team against Argentina.

He sprained his knee after coming off the bench in the big win against Namibia and missed the victory against Ireland.

Senior All Blacks lock Chris Jack admitted to being surprised that Pelous had been recalled to the starting lineup because of the form of Lionel Nallet, who has missed the cut completely.

Pelous, in turn, said he was "a bit surprised" that Jack would not be starting. "But in this squad of Kiwis there are a lot of good players, excellent players. Chris Jack doesn't play but I think (Keith) Robinson is also a very good player."

Asked if he thought Robinson had been selected for his hardman qualities, Pelous, no shrinking violet himself, said: "Maybe, yeah."

Pelous' recall has been interpreted as Laporte's attempt to beef up the French scrum, which has struggled against the All Blacks for the past three years, and to put pressure on the All Blacks' lineout – once the New Zealanders' Achilles heel.

However, Pelous said the All Blacks had changed their lineout play in the past "one or two years".

"They play a very simple but very efficient (lineout game)."

But he agreed France would look to challenge the All Blacks' throws.

- © Fairfax NZ News