Aisle be Back: All Blacks v France in Wellington

• By Kevin McCarthy

The hot take cycle these days is pretty fast.

Not  surprising really in the click economy where sober assessment is like being the designated driver when everyone else is on a bender.

So, the first assessment of the narrow escape for the All Blacks was that they’d had another poor start to the year – just scraping past a second string French team.

A week ago, I said I thought it could be close – for the Baby Bleus would have so much to play for, and no expectations on them.  Being written off was another powerful bit of motivation. And of course, the All Blacks would be rusty.

We all know the All Blacks are meant to win every match, an unreasonably high bar. Now it seems however that the next game is the next plot twist in a Netflix streamer and dissected as such.

As an antidote. I find it useful not to read much of this stuff, but to test the water closer to home  – or to be precise, the office water cooler. I happen to work near a bunch of people who’ve watched A LOT of rugby.  They’re not ones to sugarcoat their views (spoiler alert – they haven’t been loving things in recent seasons). Yet the Monday morning quarterbacks were optimistic.

Generalising broadly, they liked what they had seen from the loosies, the new kids, and the refreshed backline – in particular that the backs were running into space more than trying to muscle through.

One said that for the first time in years, they were feeling better about the team – having somewhat burned out his enthusiasm. Me? Well, yes, plenty to enjoy and a sense of anticipation. I certainly never felt like the All Blacks would lose although that wasn’t impossible.

I recall that two years ago (a World Cup year) there was a false dawn. The thumping of the Springboks at Mt Smart had revealed the All Blacks had finally worked out their stuttering attack.

The year didn’t quite bear that out at all – though full credit to a side that pulled itself up and came damn close to winning the whole shebang.

On to sunny Wellington then, and the prospect of wind and rain (I trust you avoided the drip zone seats if you’re going). Typically, conditions that few visitors find conducive.

The All Blacks however are signaling an intent to play fast – which is what you’d expect. Reality may intervene – then again, the skills and experience are there to make it possible.

As for the French, they’ve made major changes – true to the philosophy of this  blitz visit. Is it the best of their squad – or not. That’s probably something only known to them and their God.

You’d expect the series to be wrapped up this weekend for New Zealand – and as we should know by now with the French, expectations are as much use as an umbrella will be on Saturday at the stadium.