Retiere talks up Aussies’ capabilities

FRANCE forwards coach Didier Retiere says his team honestly believe Australia will be harder to beat than New Zealand when the teams clash at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.

Retiere endorsed the comments of fellow assistant coach Emile Ntamack, who controversially declared Australia a more formidable opponent than the All Blacks.

Ntamack’s comments have been seen as false flattery in some corners, but the affable Retiere insists the Australians have the edge over a depleted All Blacks line-up.

“I think so yeah,” Retiere said of Ntamack’s thoughts.

“Because New Zealand without (Dan) Carter, Richie McCaw, Ali Williams and (Sitiveni) Sivivatu, I think it was quite a young (All Blacks) team ... and it was maybe easier for us.

“We can see that Australia with all these players, I think it will be hard toplay them after two games and they are on the way for the Tri-Nations and Ithink it will be very hard.”

The French narrowly missed out on a historic clean sweep over New Zealand last weekend, falling to a 14-10 loss in atrocious conditions in Wellington after claiming the first Test 27-22 in Dunedin.

Asked if Robbie Deans’ side are more formidable than the one which easily accounted for an under-strength French side 12 months ago, Retiere kept the compliments flowing.

“They did very well after the two French games (last June) and they won against New Zealand,” he said. “I think Australia is always a good team and I hope they won’t be so good as last year – we’ll do our best.”

He added: “It’s (the Australian team) like a machine that keeps moving and moving and you do your best and suddenly they go fast and score a try.’’

But Deans is not convinced, accusing the French of indulging in old-fashioned mind games in the lead up to the clash.

“Have any players said that? It’s the coaching staff talking,” he said.

“They’ll be really looking forward to this, they’ve won one (Test), they could easily have won a second, and this is their last before a break.

“They’ll be hitting the ground running – fatigue doesn’t come into it in Test match rugby.’’

If anything, the Wallabies mentor believes the visitors enter the clash better prepared on the back of their brutal series with the All Blacks.

“I think it was evident that the Test matches that we played were not of the same intensity that the two Test matches that the French have played were,” he said.

“That’s our challenge this week is to step up to that level.”

l France fly-half David Skrela is facing six months on the sidelines after a knee operation.

The 30-year-old Stade Toulouse player was troubled by the problem over the past season, and underwent surgery two weeks ago.

He sat out Les Bleus’ tour Down Under to go under the knife and begin his rehabilitation.