Time to savour the true passion of a French challenge

There's something about French rugby that defies adequate description.

Brilliant is a word best avoided in a sporting context. It's been devalued over the years by overuse and, in many cases, wrongly applied. Yet it's the one word that somehow seems to define the French at their best. And there's another word that encapsulates the French experience. That word is passion.

Traditionally, they've been tagged as entertainers and blessed with an instinctive counterattacking ability that few teams are consistently able to emulate. More recently, they've also cultivated a formidable physical presence. They've always had the capacity to intimidate – and not always in a positive sense. These days, it's more measured, although every bit as threatening.

But on a bad day? They lose interest and become vulnerable. With them, it's all about temperament and attitude.

Unfortunately for the All Blacks, the French don't seem to have experienced any debilitating attitude problems when the two teams have met in recent seasons. The All Blacks' shocking World Cup quarterfinal loss in Cardiff two seasons ago still ranks as their worst ever defeat, purely in terms of the event's significance.

They split the June series in New Zealand, although Les Bleus took the Dave Gallaher Trophy back to France. It had something to do with points differential.

In Marseille this weekend, the French will present the All Blacks with arguably their most important examination of the season to date. What about South Africa, you say? Sure, the All Blacks lost all three Tri-Nations tests to the Springboks, but in many respects, they knew exactly what to expect from the Boks – they were just ill-prepared to overcome the challenge.

With France, it's different. You know there will be a huge physical confrontation, but they're impossible to predict.

At Eden Park in 1994, France trailed the All Blacks with around three minutes left on the clock. A downfield clearance appeared to trap France deep inside their own territory. Instead, a withering counterattack, involving nine players, saw fullback Jean-Luc Sadourny score the "try from the end of the world" to secure a 2-0 series win.

The All Blacks have played another 11 tests since their win over France in Wellington in June and are now more physically attuned to handle the French challenge. The big question is whether they've absorbed the right mental lessons to cope with a powerful French lineup and a manic Marseille crowd.

The All Blacks have suffered a mixed season and, although more composed now, are struggling to score tries, despite their strong defensive efforts.

The All Blacks need to savour the French challenge – it will provide the real gauge of their season's progress. An uncompromising French team they can probably handle. But brilliant they can do without.