Tuesday 02nd October 2007
If you are looking for omens ahead of the quarter-final between France and New Zealand on Saturday then there may just be one, the fact New Zealand will again wear their change shirt.
New Zealand team manager Darren Shand lost the coin toss to decide which team would wear their usual first-choice jersey in the crunch class in Cardiff.
However, the IRB has the final say on who will wear what jersey, which means the All Blacks may just be that - all black - on Saturday. A strange decision to hold the coin toss in the first place, then.
The New Zealand Rugby Union was thought to have lobbied the IRB earlier this week in the event they lost the toss.
But it was only a faint hope and it appears the French have won a small but not insignificant advantage after getting the toss of the coin correct.
Shand's record has seen New Zealand lose every coin toss so far to decide jersey colour clashes, changing rooms and captain's runs as well as receiving the last pick of hotels during the play-offs.
Before the quarter-final toss, All Blacks backs coach Wayne Smith said Shand was determined to reverse the trend.
"I've never seen a man so nervous in my life," joked Smith.
"Shandy's getting himself keyed up tonight with a few practice sessions.
"We've also got a game of two-up going on to get him in a match-like situation."
But it was to no avail and he lost the toss and with it all but a glimmer of hope that New Zealand will wear their traditional shirts.
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