Time for Dusatoir to be heard
Even the usually reserved Thierry Dusautoir doesn't expect to have any trouble finding the right words to motivate his French squad before the World Cup Final against New Zealand.
Mild-mannered and self-effacing, Dusautoir is not one for rousing speeches. His way of functioning as France captain is by action rather than words - more tackles than tirades.
Dusautoir expects the French dressing room to be a tense place on Sunday night as he encourages the players to dig deep and find the mental strength they will need to overcome massive odds and beat the All Blacks to win their first World Cup title.
"I think the words will spill out on their own when I speak to the players. The desire is there, the anticipation is there," Dusautoir said on Saturday. "Of course we are feeling a little nervous but this is a World Cup Final. The pressure has been increasing little by little but we are making the most of the week."
Dusautoir wins his 49th test cap on Sunday, having truly burst onto the international rugby scene four years ago with an inspired performance in the 2007 World Cup quarterfinal upset win over New Zealand.
He only got into France's World Cup squad four years ago because of injury to another player, but that night in Cardiff he made nearly 40 tackles to keep the rampaging All Blacks at bay.
It was a ferocious display of tackling and also a glimpse into his future leadership qualities.
"He's not a big talker," France No.8 Imanol Harinordoquy said. "He leads by example, he's someone we all follow out on the field."
Wing Vincent Clerc was also on the field when France upset the odds that night in Cardiff. He revealed how Dusautoir has been a constant rock throughout France's topsy-turvy World Cup campaign, and how he has taken more time this week to address the players individually leading up to the Final.
What Dusautoir has been saying remains private, Clerc says, "but once again Thierry has been a great presence for all the players."
"He's been exceptional off the field. He's said things to the players which will help our performance this weekend."
Dusautoir's pre-match speech is likely to touch upon some of the vehement criticism the France team has endured throughout the tournament.
France went within three tries of going out of the tournament when they lost 19-14 to Tonga, and then squeaked past 14-man Wales 9-8 in a scrappy semifinal.
"We didn't choose the easiest path to get here but we are here now and we intend to make the most of it," said Dusautoir, a rugby professional of the highest standard who also has a degree in chemical engineering.
The unbeaten All Blacks are brimming with confidence, and will have almost the whole of the Eden Park crowd in support as they chase their first World Cup title since the inaugural tournament in 1987.
"Nobody believes we can win this match but we will do all we can do," Dusautoir said. "Of course I am proud. I am proud of the team and the whole path we have taken. After Tonga the attention on me was very different, but we have qualified for the Final and we must now do our best."
When the 29-year-old Dusautoir needs to find inspiration, he lets his mind drift back to the insouciant days when he was a young child playing football in the Ivory Coast.
"I think that no matter what sport, for us it was football, all children dream of becoming world champions," Dusautoir said. "We are going back to this dream this week, there is no higher dream. This is the day before what is going to be a really extraordinary match for us."
Then there is the added incentive of neutralising the influence of All Blacks flank Richie McCaw, widely regarded as the best in the world in his position.
"Of course he is a legend in this sport, he has more than 100 caps for New Zealand and has captained them for 5-6 years," Dusautoir said. "But there will be 15 problems on the pitch tomorrow, not just McCaw. We know we'll have a lot of work to do."
SAPA-AP