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All Blacks assistant coach hints Lakai will play ahead of Dupont challenge

(Photo by Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)

The All Blacks have set their sights on France and their superstar captain Antoine Dupont as they prepare for a rematch in Stade de France in Paris this weekend.

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Both sides met on opening night of the Rugby World Cup at Stade de France where Dupont’s France got off to the best possible start with a 27-13 win.

Ultimately both nations were beaten by South Africa, France shocked in the quarter-finals while a 14-man All Blacks side put up a valiant effort in the final.

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Last time it was legend Aaron Smith donning the No 9 jersey, now two fresh faces will line up opposite Dupont for the first time. Cortez Ratima has started each Test on the tour with Cam Roigard closing out the game from the bench.

All Blacks assistant coach Scott Hansen said they can’t wait to get out there and face off against the “master” Dupont.

“They’ll be inspired to play against, essentially, the master on the weekend,” Hansen told reporters on Tuesday.

“He’s an absolute pleasure to watch. He’s out there, he loves the game, he plays with great passion, he’s obviously a great leader.

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“He’s a phenomenal player and one I’ve watched for many years and really enjoyed watching him.

“Many would say he’s one of the greatest already.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins
3
Draws
0
Wins
2
Average Points scored
25
28
First try wins
40%
Home team wins
100%

Dupont has had a dream summer, first capturing a gold medal with the sevens team at the home Olympics, before a whirlwind US tour to rub shoulders with Hollywood’s most famous stars.

Hansen was in awe of Dupont’s reach and said the bigger his star shines can only be good for the game.

“You want to see superstars,” Hansen said.

“It’s what grows the game. It’s what makes young girls and boys want to play rugby and we want to see him play.”

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The All Blacks were dealt a blow following the victory against Ireland with Sam Cane ruled out with concussion and winger Tele’a suffering a hand injury.

Rookie lock Sam Darry also suffered an MCL injury, leading to three call ups from the All Blacks XV. Fabian Holland, Du’Plessis Kirifi and Chay Fihaki have joined the side.

Fixture
Internationals
France
30 - 29
Full-time
New Zealand
All Stats and Data

Cane has quickly assumed the role of starting openside since returning to play against Argentina during the Rugby Championship.

Hansen hinted that Lakai now has the opportunity in Cane’s absence, however there is every possibility he plays from the bench with Savea moving to No 7 and Wallace Sititi moving to No 8 in a backrow re-shuffle.

“We know what Sam’s future looks like, but where he is currently, he’s done nothing but care, support and guide the young group,” Hansen said.

“His performances have also been outstanding.

“The opportunity now is for Peter Lakai and the group to step up and Sam will be there right with them.”

Watch the exclusive reveal-all episode of Walk the Talk with Ardie Savea as he chats to Jim Hamilton about the RWC 2023 experience, life in Japan, playing for the All Blacks and what the future holds. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV

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Comments

42 Comments
D
DC000 6 days ago

The kiwi lad is about get eaten more than his missus in the pen at home after the latest shearing.

C
Cantab 8 days ago

A good TEAM will always have the advantage over a STAR in a side that over relies on him and thinks they don't have to perform themselves.

J
JW 8 days ago

Surprised theres no word on DP and Blackadder, they were both mentioned for a possible rejoining in the squad for Ireland. Now nothing. Has injury scratched them or a change in heart about using who's already on tour?


Would love to see both 9's go after Dupont so they can see first hand how he handles pressure. Lakai can go after him as well. We get to see what sort of speed and guile he can bring the jersey plus Dupont has such a status that it would be no skin off the bone if Dupont made them look like the inexperienced players they are.


And you never know, they could possibly harass him into the ground and shut him down to guarantee vicotry!

S
SC 8 days ago

Ryan said this week that Blackadder and Papalii would not be joining the team for any further tests. Neither have recovered and neither would be fit enough to play a test according to Ryan.

B
Bruiser 8 days ago

Finau needs to start at 6. If he cant cut in this match, then time to move on with him, but lets see now

S
SC 8 days ago

No. Win the test vs France.


No time to experiment with a serial underachiever like Finau.

S
SC 8 days ago

I truly hope Pete Lakai starts at 7 and Finau stays parked on the bench.


6 Sititi, 7 Lakai, and 8 Savea is an extremely athletic back row and Finau freezes when he plays test matches against teams with packs his own size.


Lakai had a very impressive Super Rugby season for the Hurricanes at 7 and why move Sititi and Savea from the positions they are both playing very well to have them do different roles?

D
Danoz 7 days ago

I agree with Sititi 6 Lakai 7 Savea 8 will be a big headache for France with those 3 workers

S
SC 8 days ago

DuPont has won how many international titles in XVs rugby? Very very few.


Yes he is a champion club player but no RWC championships and only one Six Nations title in a career that is approaching a decade long.

L
LB 8 days ago

So the france national team is no longer called 'Les Bleus' just 'Dupont" ?

H
Head high tackle 8 days ago

Only for their home games. Dupont doesnt travel overseas for EOYTs etc. Averages 7.5 tests a year.

C
Chiefs Mana 8 days ago

Course he'll play, he's 4th in the depth chart now with all the injuries.

D
DrinkAwayTheConcussion 8 days ago

6) Samipeni

7) Lakai

8) Wallace

20) Ardie


Bring the experience and leg drive on for the last 20-30 minutes.

We have got to start trusting these young fullas.

S
SC 8 days ago

You lost all credibility starting Finau ahead of Savea. That’s just ridiculous.

S
SC 8 days ago

Did OllieMathis even get signed to a Super Rugby contract?

H
Head high tackle 8 days ago

Why wouldnt you start our best and most experienced backrower?

T
Toaster 8 days ago

You can’t be serious benching Ardie in any match


Especially more so after losing Cane

J
Jmann 8 days ago

If you could only choose one of Carter or Dupont in a team. It would be dan carter 100% of the time.

N
Nickers 7 days ago

Only if you haven't spent any time watching 6 Nations, Top 14, or Champions Cup.

J
JW 8 days ago

What if I said I wanted to go with a Dupont and Carlos combination?

G
GL 8 days ago

Different positions

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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