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Questionable refereeing and underhand All Blacks tactics in the first Test have left France motivated to win round two of their scrummaging duel this weekend.
French assistant coach Yannick Bru added spice to the three-Test series on Friday by accusing New Zealand prop Wyatt Crockett of illegal play during the opener at Eden Park last week.
Former French hooker Bru also says English referee Wayne Barnes made mistakes with his scrum rulings, which played a big part in losing a tight clash 23-13.
Barnes ruled France infringed eight times in a collapse-riddled scrum battle while New Zealand were penalised just twice.
The referee in Christchurch is Ireland’s Alain Rolland.
“I would prefer Wayne Barnes again. I think he would be a bit disappointed with some of the scrums last week,” Bru said.
“Referees are human beings. I think after what he (Barnes) saw in the first scrum, it had an influence on his judgement for the rest of the game.”
Among the four French changes for the Test in Christchurch on Saturday is the recall of tough 33-year-old tighthead prop Nicolas Mas, who will mark Crockett.
Bru hopes Mas can counter Crockett, whose methods have been regularly questioned at Super Rugby and Test level by opposition coaches.
“He’s tall. Sometimes, he puts his hand on the ground and sometimes the referee doesn’t see that,” Bru said.
“(Mas) has a lot of experience and will give guys around him a lot of confidence.”
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says 61-Test veteran Mas could make a difference to the French pack, before passing on some impromptu advice to Rolland.
“As long as Mas stays nice and square, we’ll be OK, I’d say.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.