The All Blacks' season-ending Test with France is shaping up as a battle of the loose forwards, according to blindside Jerome Kaino. Les Bleus, meanwhile, have overlooked selecting a ball-snatching openside in favour of burly loose forward trio of Charles Ollivon, Kevin Gourdon and Louis Picamoles. Kaino admitted the French selection had broken the mould from previous squads, but could see the advantage of having three hard-running loosies. "From a loose forward's perspective, their six and seven and Picamoles as well, they love to get the ball in hand and carry a lot in the wider channels, they're devastating," Kaino said. "We've put one foot in the French camp, thinking of how they're preparing, thinking back to the quarter-final and how they'll be feeling," Kaino said.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 26, 2016 02:17 UTC