Talking Points
<p>With five days to go before the Rugby World Cup 2011 showdown, France's credibility rating with New Zealand's media and pundits elsewhere is not exactly sky high.</p>
<p>France's place in the final does not please some people, who would dismiss their semi-final victory over Wales as fortunate in the extreme, after an early red card to skipper Sam Warburton left Wales with 14 men for three quarters of the match.</p>
<p class="articleText">Even the All Blacks and former Wales coach Graham Henry expressed disappointment over Wales's exit.</p>
<p class="articleText">Former England hooker and outspoken commentator Brian Moore was scathing in his assessment of France's progress through the tournament, with their "two defeats, a victory against a weak England XV and against 14 Welshmen ..."</p>
<p class="articleText">Meanwhile, England wing Chris Ashton, largely ineffective in the quarter-final defeat by France, tweeted on the "values of rugby" being ruined by France's victory over Wales.</p>
<p class="articleText"><strong>Title drought</strong></p>
<p class="articleText">Then there is the New Zealand press, who understandably worship the All Blacks and convey the will of a nation to see their team break a 24-year RWC title drought.</p>
<p class="articleText">Last Sunday, the<em> Herald on Sunday</em> ran the headline “80 minutes and we're laughing” over a picture of Sonny Bill Williams and Israel Dagg all smiles at training.</p>
<p class="articleText">“French - forget the quality!” said<em> The New Zealand Herald</em>, who gushed: "The All Blacks will confront a flawed French side in the final this Sunday - the perfect opportunity to erase ghosts of the past, and lift the World Cup for the first time in 24 years."</p>
<p class="articleText">It would seem for many rugby followers, Les Bleus are already dead and buried.</p>
<p class="articleText">Even former players, not renowned for extravagant language, have indulged in criticism.</p>
<p class="articleText"><strong>Source of anxiety</strong></p>
<p class="articleText">Andrew Mehrtens, the former All Blacks fly half, wrote in <em>The New Zealand Herald</em> that France were incapable of winning the World Cup.</p>
<p class="articleText">But the French have one potent, fear-inducing weapon in their arsenal. Their unpredictability.</p>
<p class="articleText">Les Bleus are always a source of anxiety for the All Blacks and their fans. Defeats in the RWC 1999 semi-final and the RWC 2007 quarter-final have left deep scars.</p>
<p class="articleText">And coach Marc Lièvremont believes the disparaging chorus can only galvanise his team.</p>
<p class="articleText">"It's been a while now that the players are laughing about those headlines seen in the papers in general. It's also what brought them together, and improved their relationships as a group."</p>
<p class="articleText">Ganged up on, labelled the underdog, the French squad has always thrived in such circumstances. </p>
<p class="articleText">Who knows, the local media could be doing their rugby darlings a grave disservice in dismissing the claims of their French opponents.</p>