Former Wallabies and Crusaders coach Robbie Deans has weighed on the All Blacks’ chances at the upcoming 2023 World Cup in France.
“We have ample talent to get the job done but obviously there’ll be elements of chance, elements of luck and that’s what captures the interest of everyone,” Deans told SENZ Mornings.
“The All Blacks look very capable of winning it for sure.”
In the 2019 World Cup the All Blacks entered the competition as favourites with an eye on a historic three-peat before stumbling out of the semi-finals with a loss to England.
The All-Blacks are currently the third-ranked nation in the world and are aiming to improve on their 2019 performance but they’ll share their group with the number two ranked French side, looking to win their first World Cup on home soil.
“The French do look formidable because they’ve got depth, playing at home and the fact that they’ve never won it, that factor is relevant,” Deans added.
The two sides met in the 2011 World Cup final with the All Blacks winning by one-point, however, the French won their last meeting by 15-points in Paris in 2021.
That was the third World Cup final that the French have lost but playing in front of a home crowd, combined with their second-place finish in the Six Nations Championship earlier in the year puts the French in good stead in their quest for their maiden title.
“They’ve got the blend of depth, of belief, the chance of creating history, they’re playing at home - we’ve experienced that,” former All-Black Deans stated.
“The fact that they’ll believe the stars are aligned is critical for the psyche of the French, if the stars are aligned nothing will stop them.
“But they do have a history of getting in their own way as well, so how they manage the mind will be pivotal.”