Improvement is the main objective for the All Blacks this week as they play their 500th test - after unconvincingly opening their international campaign in Auckland last Saturday with a flattering 23-13 win over Les Bleus.
With an unchanged side laden with players who ply their trade in red and black country, one hopes that Crusaders Wyatt Crockett, Owen Franks, Kieran Read and Israel Dagg can fire up their fellow countrymen to play another 10-20% better at least than last week.
While Christchurch has not quite been a home fortress like Eden Park has been, it is still quite a tough place for touring sides to win at - it often dips below 0'C at night in what was once the most English city outside of England and Canterbury rugby fans are probably the most one-eyed and parochial in the country. Even when the ABs have struggled, i.e. 2004 against the Boks and last year against the Irish, the ABs have by and large triumphed at the end whether it's in Addington or Opawa.
The Q-word may still be at large, and the roads remain bumpy, in disrepair or partially shut to traffic, but Christchurch has somewhat regained its role as one of New Zealand's most important sports cities - although I still have doubts that it will hold topline tests like the Lions test in 4 years time without a proper permanent stadium - let's not forget that the set up at Addington Raceway is still very much temporary while CERA continues to um and uh about what to do with the now dilapidated stadium at Lancaster Park.
It was probably good that Steve Hansen settled on an unchanged starting XV in what is his homecoming test match - continuity is what is needed for this young side even if they had lost to France last week. The bench has changed with Tony Woodcock and Piri Weepu back in the side having recovered from injury.
The French have rung in the changes thick and fast though with Freddie Michalak back in the starting lineup in place of Camille Lopez who misses out completely. Experienced prop Nicolas Mas also makes his return while Mathieu Bastareud is in line for his first action in New Zealand since he left shrouded in controversy in 2009.
Teams -
France: 15-Maxime Medard, 14-Adrien Plante, 13-Florian Fritz, 12-Wesley Fofana, 11-Yoann Huget, 10-Frederic Michalak, 9-Maxime Machenaud, 8-Louis Picamoles, 7-Bernard Le Roux, 6-Thierry Dusautoir (captain), 5-Yoann Maestri, 4-Christophe Samson, 3-Nicolas Mas, 2-Dimitri Szarzewski, 1-Thomas Domingo.
Replacements: 16-Benjamin Kayser, 17-Vincent Debaty, 18-Luc Ducalcon, 19-Sebastien Vahaamahina, 20-Yannick Nyanga, 21-Brice Dulin, 22-Remi Tales, 23-Mathieu Bastareaud.
New Zealand: Israel Dagg, Ben Smith, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea, Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read (captain), Sam Cane, Liam Messam, Brodie Retallick, Luke Romano, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett.
Reserves: Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock, Ben Franks, Jeremy Thrush, Victor Vito, Piri Weepu, Beauden Barrett, Rene Ranger.
when's KO?
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