All Blacks wary of French threat in World Cup final

New Zealand play France in the Rugby World Cup final on Sunday bidding for their secondtitle after beating Les Bleus in the climax of the inaugural 1987 tournament. However, the All Blacks remain wary of an inconsistent France side finding their form at Eden Park this weekend. The All Blacks were eliminated from the 1999 and 2007 World Cups by French sides not fancied to topple the then-favourites, and New Zealand coach Graham Henry has vowed that there will be no complacency this time around "This French team, we're not sure who's going to turn up, quite frankly," Henry said in reference to France's patchy form after they were beaten twice in the pool stage, by the All Blacks and Tonga. "So we've got to prepare that they're going to be the best in the world. They've certainly got the individuals to do that, it's just whether they can produce that as a side. "All the word is that they've prepared well and they're very focused and they're enjoying the underdog tag. "They feel that they're not being considered in this final by a lot of people. We don't think that. We think they're a very good rugby team," said Henry, who was also in charge when the All Blacks lost the 2007 quarter-final to the French. Henry has named an unchanged team from the one that comprehensively beat Australia, 20-6 in the semi-final, with the only change in the matchday 22 seeing Adam Thomson come in for Victor Vito on the replacements' bench. France coach Marc Lievremont, whose authority was undermined when it was announced in August that Philippe Saint-Andre would take over as coach at the end of the World Cup, also named a side unchanged from the one that edged Wales 9-8 in a last-four clash. That result was the latest in a difficult campaign for Lievremont, who has had to battle to get his team to the final. After overcoming the two pool losses, France qualified for knockout rugby on the back of two victories over Japan and Canada, and a losing bonus point against the Tongans. Public criticism of his players for their on-field failings matched Lievremont's equally outspoken condemnation of certain squad members for their off-field partying after their difficult 9-8 victory over 14-man Wales in the semi-final. Sandwiched in between was an impressive quarter-final victory over Six Nations rivals England, in which the French clicked and built up a 16-0 lead at half-time that might just have sent more than a few shudders down New Zealand spines. "We are feeling how much of a challenge this will be," France forwards coach Didier Retiere admitted. "We saw the match against Australia and we know they (New Zealand) will be strong in their scrummaging and it will be a great challenge. "I don't think we have put our best foot forward and we hope to do that this weekend. But we also know what to expect. We know it will be a huge match." "We must remain aggressive," he added. "That is really the size of the challenge we are facing. We need to put in our best performance and it is an issue of working together as a team in different areas. "That is our objective. It is difficult to work at 100 percent in all sectors." All Blacks centre Ma'a Nonu insisted, however, that tags of favourites or underdogs would count for little come Sunday. "History tells about the French side that's played the All Blacks in the last 24 years, so it's whoever turns up on the night," Nonu said. "They've been slammed, been under-rated and that's when the French play their best rugby, when their backs are against the wall. However, Nonu added: "I think this is probably our best chance (to win the World Cup) and we want to take it."