NZ in pink would still be All Blacks - French skipper

PETER MEECHAM/Fairfax Media

ALL PINKS: French captain Rafael Ibanez has suggested the All Blacks would still be the All Blacks, even if they wore pink or blue after New Zealand lost the toss for jersey colours in this weekend's Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against France. These pink jerseys, worn by Richie McCaw and Reuben Thorne, are similar to the ones worn by club side Stade Francais and were worn as the ABs squad trained on its northern hemisphere tour last year.

Relevant offers

France is playing down the significance of its first victory over the All Blacks this week.

All Black manager Darren Shand lost the toss to decide which team will have to wear their alternate strip in Sunday's quarterfinal against France.

It now looks as if they All Blacks will have to don their silver strip for the sudden death match so as not to clash with the newly adopted French blue-black jersey.

French captain Raphael Ibanez played down the significance of the win.

"I don't think [it matters because] we are just proud of our colours," he said.

"I think we were lucky to keep our colours."

He went on to add: "It is still very important but it is not the jersey, it is what you have inside the jersey.

"They are still the same they are still a very strong team. They could play in blue or pink or without any jersey and they would still be the All Blacks."

All Black coach Graham Henry agreed.

He said it didn't matter what colour jersey the All Blacks wear on Sunday in Cardiff.

His claim was backed up by Leon MacDonald but not by the actions of their employer. The New Zealand Rugby Union has been lobbying the IRB on the matter and want its premier team to play in black.

There was a faint glimmer of hope they might still get their way. The IRB is running a test to find out if the jerseys clash to any great degree.

But the glimmer is faint as they are only a few shades apart.

Ibanez poured cold water on comments that the French team had deliberately selected a dark blue strip for this tournament to score psychological points if the All Blacks had to change.

"Sometimes you cannot control the aspect of marketing in this business, in professional rugby," he said.

"We have so much respect for this team, whatever you call them."

Shand's record has seen New Zealand lose every coin toss so far to decide jersey colour clashes, changing rooms and captain's runs as well as receiving the last pick of hotels during the play-offs.

If the All Blacks are forced to wear grey - or gris in French - French coach Bernard Laporte has joked that it would justify his decision this week to refer to his opponents as New Zealand rather than the All Blacks.

"It's even more accurate given the fact they'll be playing in grey," he said through an interpreter.
-with NZPA

- © Fairfax NZ News