From the first final in the history of the Rugby World Cup, in 1987, to that of 2011 through the "miracle of Twickenham", the rivalry between France and New Zealand has been written by dint of memorable passes of arms in the competition. The match on Friday, September 8, the opening of the World Cup in France, already promises to write a new chapter.

A miracle at Twickenham

For fans of the All Blacks and the Blues, the semi-final of 1999 will remain a game apart. For this competition on English soil, the New Zealanders advanced as indisputable favorites. The campaign was akin to a remake of the Norman invasion of 1066 with, in the role of William the Conqueror, the winger Jonah Lomu, author of six tries even before the last square: the XV of the Rose easily beaten, 100 points strung to Italy ... Everything was going according to plan – until the game against France.

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Ian Borthwick, a New Zealand journalist working for the French sports daily L'Équipe, was present on October 31, 1999 at the Twickenham stadium, as were 73,000 fans: "From this day, there is not much to say," he explains. "The France scored 33 points in the second half without any reaction. She blew up New Zealand."

The current coach of Les Bleus and former scrum-half of the XV of France, Fabien Galthié, jubilant during the "miracle of Twickenham". © Jean-Lou Gautreau, AFP

Jonah Lomu's two tries in the first half were not enough to stop the French demonstration, which ended with the score of 43-31. But this match, quickly dubbed the "miracle of Twickenham", is far from being the only one to have marked the spirits.

"They bring out the best and the worst in each other"

If as a team from the southern hemisphere, the South African Springboks are often considered the biggest rivals of the All Blacks, the story is different if we consider only the World Cup. The matches between French and New Zealanders usually reach heights of surprises, excitement but also disappointments engraved in the minds of fans.

"They bring out the best and the worst in each other," says Borthwick. "It's the best rivalry in the history of the World Cup!"

Of the total of seven games, the advantage goes to the All Blacks, who have won five duels. Starting with the first of them, in 1987. A high-stakes match, since it is the very first final in the history of the World Cup.

It is being played on New Zealand soil, at the Eden Park stadium in Auckland, at a time when geopolitical tensions between the two countries are at their highest. Two years earlier, in 1985, two French agents planted a bomb on the "Rainbow Warrior", a Greenpeace boat moored in Auckland Harbour, killing one person. The incident led to the resignation of French Defence Minister Charles Hernu.

The sporting context is not lighter. Campbell Burnes, editor of the Rugby Almanack and former Samoa international, remembers watching the game on television when he was just thirteen. He especially remembers the dramaturgy around the match, marked by the recent memory in the southern hemisphere of the "Battle of Nantes" – a surprise victory of the French at the end of 1986, considered one of the most violent matches in the history of rugby, in the purest tradition of the oval. Wayne "Buck" Shelford, who lost four teeth and tore his scrotum during the game, later said he suspected the French had taken amphetamines. On the Blue side, we still continue to deny any excess of commitment. The XV of France does not repeat its feat and it is the All Blacks who win comfortably 29 to 9.

An unwhistled forward pass for history

After 1987 and 1999, there was 2007 in Cardiff. For the most superstitious New Zealand fans, this match was marked from the start by bad omens. First of all, the All Blacks were forced to play in grey, a sacrilege against even their nickname. Then, just before kick-off, the France XV decided to challenge the New Zealanders in their haka: the players advanced to the middle line to challenge their opponents eye to eye. A staging considered disrespectful and provocative by the supporters.

Superstition or not, the match was lost on a stroke of fate for the All Blacks. In the 68th minute, French full-back Damien Traille made a forward pass, not whistled by the referee, to Frédéric Michalak, who took advantage of it to score the decisive try of the quarter-final.

Frédéric Michalak's winning try in the 2007 quarter-final. © William West, AFP

For New Zealand, it was the earliest elimination in a World Cup. Fans of the All Blacks have a grudge against Wayne Barnes, the English referee of the match. Former Samoa international and journalist Campbell Burnes, observing a little more objective than fans on both sides, believes there was definitely a head. But, he recalls, the All Blacks "really did not play well while the French were plating like demons ... From composition to tactics, the New Zealanders made a lot of mistakes."

Four years later, it is once again at the top of the competition that the two teams meet, and once again at Eden Park in Auckland. After having easily disposed of the Blues in the pool, the New Zealanders know a final a bit more stressful. And in the end, the All Blacks win only by the smallest of margins (8-7) in a hard-fought match.

Campbell Burnes, who was covering the game for the New Zealand Herald, described it as "almost impossible to watch... The last quarter, everyone was very stressed." For him, "the France, once again, led by Thierry Dusautoir, played in an exceptional way... It was really tight."

Even the taciturn New Zealand coach Graham Henry is boiling in his seat. Fortunately, he can count on his captain, Richie McCaw, later voted player of the decade 2010. He plays the match heroically with a broken foot. Even so, he describes the end of the meeting with knives drawn as "the best 20 minutes of [his] life".

A gap closed between the two teams

With the 2023 World Cup kicking off approaching, Borthwick believes the gap between the two teams is now almost closed. In the past, he explains, "France has never had the regularity that All Blacks have had. But that's no longer the case today."

At the forefront of the Bleus-All Blacks rivalry since the first hours, he details the reasons for the French success: French rugby now brews more money, which allows a better development. The Top 14, the French championship, is a major asset: considered the best championship in the world, it attracts foreign talent, which improves the level of French players through the transfer of skills.

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But for the journalist, the real French revolution lies elsewhere: in the spirit and team culture instilled by coach Fabien Galthié and manager Rafael Ibañez. "They looked closely at what New Zealand are doing in terms of team culture. The Blues now know who they are."

The positive dynamics of French rugby have also launched a virtuous circle: the results boost public support which in turn boosts the confidence of the France team and so on. For Ian Borthwick, the turning point came in 2021 when the two teams last met. The France beat New Zealand convincingly (40-25), with a passion characteristic of how the All Blacks have dominated rugby over the past half-century.

"There was a passion from the audience that I had never felt in France. From the Marseillaise, and throughout the game, the atmosphere was electric," said Ian Borthwick.

"In recent years, Les Bleus have beaten New Zealand, they have beaten Ireland, they have put 50 points to England..." And to conclude that any result other than a victory in the competition would now be a counter-performance in this World Cup.

Adapted from English by Romain Houeix.

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