The French rugby players will need to to try and put New Zealand on the back foot. Photo / AP
Defence coach David Ellis says France has to try and put New Zealand on the back foot in Sunday's Rugby World Cup final, rather than sitting back and trying to absorb pressure.
New Zealand has won all its matches so far at the tournament and heads into Sunday's final as heavy favorite, even more so given that France showed no invention or flair in its scrappy 9-8 semifinal win over Wales.
Ellis thinks the French defence, which will be unchanged for the third straight match, is finally starting to gel and can stand up to the predicted onslaught at Eden Park.
"We've got to make sure that we put the wall up and stop them getting through. But we've also got to be going forward and put their halfbacks under pressure," Ellis said Friday. "Not only with our defence but also with our attack. We've got to make them defend as well. If we can do that, which we didn't do for almost all the game against Wales, then we can apply pressure from both sides."
France coach Marc Lievremont kept chopping and changing his side throughout the pool matches, creating a climate of instability among players who were never sure when or if they would be playing again.
"We changed players around, so combinations in attack and defence suffered a little bit," Ellis said. "Since we've stuck with the same group, which you have to do in the playoffs, you've seen more consistency in our defence because the players are used to working with each other under pressure."
The All Blacks drew widespread praise for the level of intensity they showed in the semifinal win over Australia, but Ellis thinks the performance was not so convincing as the 20-6 scoreline suggested.
"I watched the game and I was just expecting Australia to score and turn the game completely around ... they didn't do it, mainly through their poor choices and the All Blacks went on to win the game," he said. "I think a lot of the choices they made in their attack were in the wrong areas of the field and they didn't disturb the All Blacks defence in a manner they should have done."
Wales played for more than one hour against France with 14 men after having flanker Sam Warburton red-carded for a dangerous tip tackle on winger Vincent Clerc. Irish referee Alain Rolland was heavily criticized for making a snap decision to send off Warburton, and will not referee the final.
That job goes to South Africa's Craig Joubert who took charge of the other semifinal.
"I think it was quite good for us that he did the Australia-New Zealand semifinal, so we could see him under pressure and see what decisions he made," Ellis said. "We've got to adapt to him as opposed to him adapting to us.
"We've been refereed by him on numerous occasions. He's very, very good, very clinical ... very consistent."
- AP
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