Really this time, very daunting.............

Can't see us getting within 30. It's a sell out at Avignon.

You never know with France. I agree they will lose but if they can get a good start it might be close.

Clint and Billy B dropped. StacAttack and Antoni Maria in.

NEW ZEALAND TEAM

1. Kevin Locke
2. Jason Nightingale
3. Bryson Goodwin
4. Krisnan Inu,
5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6. Kieran Foran (vc)
7. Shaun Johnson
8. Ben Matulino
9. Issac Luke
10. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
11. Frank Pritchard
12. Alex Glenn
13. Simon Mannering (c)

INTERCHANGE - (2 TO BE OMITTED)

14. Elijah Taylor
15. Sam Kasiano
16. Frank-Paul Nu'uausala
17. Greg Eastwood
18. Jesse Bromwich
19. Josh Hoffman

I think you can beat that side if you get some luck go your way. They are definitely the B team for NZ.

a poor do you have to say there. I was hoping for a closer defeat than Samoa took for the ponits +/- but unfortunately not. Samoa V PNG is a vital game for France too now and the best result for us on Monady would be a draw. (I Think) that would still leave us needing some kind of result V Samoa.

Does anyone know why Eloi, Clint and Billy B missed out?

A shame that they didn't put on a contest for the partisan crowd, but hey, 17,000 turned up to a rugby league game in Avignon, it's still a fine result for the sport in France. No idea why the three amigos named didn't play, I think they would have helped considerably!

All 3 are injured

cheers phil, at first I thought Eloi and Billy B had been dropped to solid us up in the middle because Kane and Greg played at 9

Eloi strained one of his pecs, BB a corked thigh & Greeny a shoulder problem.

I think Clint would have done better than Freddie or Stacs with only one arm, never mind shoulder.

Gah! Why do coaches keep doing this?

not ALL coaches do, good coaches utilise theier players to their strengths - this guy is clueless...or, doesn't watch the Catalan games !