Former New Zealand flyhalf Aaron Cruden says France have “got a great chance” to beat the All Blacks in July despite sending a depleted outfit for the three-Test series.
Six Nations champions Les Bleus are set to rest first-choice players such as Romain Ntamack, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Thomas Ramos for the games, starting on 5 July, due to a clash with the end of the French club season.
The French Rugby Federation and the country’s professional sides announced in October no players involved in the Top 14 final on 28 June would be included in the tour to the three-time World Cup winners.
“They’ve got a great chance and I don’t think it matters to the players who comes or who doesn’t come,” Cruden told AFP on Monday.
“As a rugby fan, you’re a little bit disappointed because you’d love to see the best French side go against the best All Black side.
“Even if it is a so-called – I don’t really like the term – second- or third-string French team, the depth in France at the moment is crazy.
“They will come over here, absolutely relish the opportunity, I really reckon it’s going to be an awesome Test series,” the 36-year-old added.
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Cruden played the last of his 50 Tests in 2017 having won the World Cup six years earlier on home soil.
After his international career he had spells in France and Japan and is gearing up for a campaign with Waikato in the NPC.
Things could have gone very differently for Cruden, however. Aged just 19 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
“I have very vivid memories, of being in hospital and hooked up to the drip,” he said as part of the Human After All: The Alternative Team Photo campaign. “Just getting pumped with chemotherapy drugs.
“I guess detecting it very early on and getting into a pretty aggressive form of treatment certainly helped out in regards to eliminating the cancer pretty quickly.
“I feel glad it was the case and that I can comfortably and happily say I’ve been in remission for 17-odd years now,” he humbly added.
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France’s visit to New Zealand will mark the first year of Scott Robertson in charge of the All Blacks.
His maiden 12 months at the helm included a Test series win over England and a victory in Ireland but also two defeats in South Africa and a loss in Paris to a dazzling Les Bleus.
“His first season was a little bit up and down and he’d probably say that as well but also there was a lot of new staff coming in and it’s hard to judge it just off one year,” Cruden said. “It’s a great challenge to have France coming over here first up for a three-Test series.
“I think it’s still probably too early to judge for me right now but certainly possibly by the end of this Test year you’ll get a real indication of the growth and possibly what the All Blacks team is going to be for the next few years leading into that World Cup in Australia,” he added.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images
