Stephen Donald and Jeff Wilson believe that the All Blacks have been sent a massive warning following France’s stunning Six Nations victory over Ireland.
Les Bleus ended the Grand Slam dreams of Simon Easterby’s outfit by securing an impressive 42-27 triumph at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday.
As a result, it moved the Frenchmen to the top of the Six Nations table and installed them as favourites for the competition this weekend.
They face Scotland on Super Saturday looking to take home that silverware – their last international before Fabien Galthie’s men head to New Zealand in July.
Second-string squad
France take on the All Blacks in their mid-year series in what could have been a mouth-watering contest. However, they will be without their best players.
That decision has caused a stir and may make the upcoming Tests rather uncompetitive, but Donald and Wilson do not necessarily agree with that view.
The former was mightily impressed with what he saw from Les Bleus, despite not knowing too much about some of the players on show.
“We don’t know who’s coming down but it was one of the most impressive French performances since there was all the hype around them,” Donald said on The Breakdown.
“They absolutely dismantled Ireland. You talk about players who we might not know of – well I still couldn’t tell you the names of them – but the forwards coming off the bench just kept rolling through Ireland. They dismantled Ireland physically.
“We know how organised and structured Ireland are and how slick they are with ball in hand, well France took them out of it. They took them out of it physically and then Ireland didn’t have too many places to go to.”
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Although France are set to bring a second-string squad to New Zealand, Wilson believes that they have more than enough depth to be a huge threat to the All Blacks.
France’s ‘strong system’
“I reckon there’s enough of them coming to be dangerous and their depth and their system is strong,” he said. “I am wary because there are players we don’t know who will show up. It’s hard to prepare for a team that you don’t know.”
Les Bleus regularly use the mid-year series to rest their stars, particularly with the physically demanding domestic competition the Top 14 finishing in late-June.
Last year they toured Argentina with a second-string, drawing the series 1-1, and All Blacks centurion Mils Muliaina thinks it has provided them with the ideal preparation to face Scott Robertson’s men.
“I reckon the tour they went on to Argentina has actually prepared them in the best possible way to come here. Whilst it looks like they’re bringing an understrength side, this ain’t going to be an understrength side,” Muliaina said.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/all-blacks-heroes-insist-scott-robertson-must-be-wary-of-france-after-ireland-dismantling-despite-second-string-controversy
