All Blacks will be all grey against France

CARDIFF – The All Blacks will have to wear their change strip of grey in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against France after losing the coin toss to decide shirt colours for the match, according to a source inside the French camp.

New Zealand’s famous black shirts were deemed to be too similar to France’s blue-black kit. The All Blacks have already worn their alternative strip in the World Cup in the pool match against Scotland on September 23.Although they won the game 40-0, there were complaints of a colour clash with the Scots who donned their redesigned home kit, a mostly navy shirt with grey piping, along with dark navy shorts and navy and grey socks.All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith had joked on Monday that team manager Darren Shand had even been practicing flipping a coin.Pumas top football back home PARIS – Argentina’s run into the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals has made front page headlines back home and for once supplanted football in the news.Proof of that has come with the decision to advance by two hours Sunday’s kickoff in the Buenos Aires derby between River Plate and Boca Juniors to avoid a clash with live TV coverage of the Pumas last eight clash with Scotland in Paris.Both games were scheduled to have got underway at almost the same time.”That’s a real statement for us,” said Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda.”It shows people that not everything revolves around football.”The Pumas reached the last eight with big wins over hosts France and Ireland and are favourites to beat Scotland at the Stade de France and reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time.Rauluni seizes the moment MARSEILLE – Fiji captain Mosese Rauluni is into his first quarter-final in three World Cups, and is relishing the chance of shining against a strong South African side on Sunday.Rauluni, 32, admitted that the pressure going into the pool decider against Wales last weekend, which Fiji won 38-34, had been monumental.”It was very stressful.There was a lot of pressure on us because we had missed out on the quarter-finals in the last two World Cups,” he said.”I know how Wales feel.Like Wales, Fiji is a rugby nation and to beat Wales for the first time was an incredible feeling.Wallabies target Wilkinson MARSEILLE – Anybody who watched the 2003 World Cup final will be unsurprised to learn that Australia’s plan for beating England in Saturday’s quarter-final depends upon shutting down Jonny Wilkinson.It was Wilkinson’s deadly boot that ultimately decided that epic final in Sydney four years ago and, once again, it is the English flyhalf who poses the greatest threat to the Wallabies.Australia have spent four long years plotting their revenge, developing their scrum and lineout technique to try and match England’s more muscular forwards.But for all their planning and scheming, they know they must stop Wilkinson to ensure victory.Nampa-AFP and ReutersThe All Blacks have already worn their alternative strip in the World Cup in the pool match against Scotland on September 23.Although they won the game 40-0, there were complaints of a colour clash with the Scots who donned their redesigned home kit, a mostly navy shirt with grey piping, along with dark navy shorts and navy and grey socks.All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith had joked on Monday that team manager Darren Shand had even been practicing flipping a coin.Pumas top football back home PARIS – Argentina’s run into the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals has made front page headlines back home and for once supplanted football in the news.Proof of that has come with the decision to advance by two hours Sunday’s kickoff in the Buenos Aires derby between River Plate and Boca Juniors to avoid a clash with live TV coverage of the Pumas last eight clash with Scotland in Paris.Both games were scheduled to have got underway at almost the same time.”That’s a real statement for us,” said Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda.”It shows people that not everything revolves around football.”The Pumas reached the last eight with big wins over hosts France and Ireland and are favourites to beat Scotland at the Stade de France and reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time.Rauluni seizes the moment MARSEILLE – Fiji captain Mosese Rauluni is into his first quarter-final in three World Cups, and is relishing the chance of shining against a strong South African side on Sunday.Rauluni, 32, admitted that the pressure going into the pool decider against Wales last weekend, which Fiji won 38-34, had been monumental.”It was very stressful.There was a lot of pressure on us because we had missed out on the quarter-finals in the last two World Cups,” he said.”I know how Wales feel.Like Wales, Fiji is a rugby nation and to beat Wales for the first time was an incredible feeling.Wallabies target Wilkinson MARSEILLE – Anybody who watched the 2003 World Cup final will be unsurprised to learn that Australia’s plan for beating England in Saturday’s quarter-final depends upon shutting down Jonny Wilkinson.It was Wilkinson’s deadly boot that ultimately decided that epic final in Sydney four years ago and, once again, it is the English flyhalf who poses the greatest threat to the Wallabies.Australia have spent four long years plotting their revenge, developing their scrum and lineout technique to try and match England’s more muscular forwards.But for all their planning and scheming, they know they must stop Wilkinson to ensure victory.Nampa-AFP and Reuters