HOW I BEAT THE ALL BLACKS: No2 RAPHAEL IBANEZ

France 20 NZ 18 2007 World Cup quarterfinal, Millennium Stadium

When we linked arms for the haka and advanced on the All Blacks, it was not a sign of disrespect. It was just a way for us to create momentum and positive energy like the All Blacks were doing. But it was a special moment that galvanised us and gave us a rush of adrenaline.

I did not really anticipate it working so well when I told the players what we would do the night before the game. It created a unique mood for our team, a coming together, but we still had 80 minutes to play. Whatever emotional mood you bring about, you must still be able to play with a cool head.

There are two factors you must not forget when facing New Zealand.

First, do not play them as if they are just another team. Go at them, really go at them. Ignore their record and the black jersey and all that goes with that. They are the opposition and you must take your game to them.

In terms of the specifics, we made sure that winning breakdowns and dominating in the collisions was a key part of our strategy. Whatever the All Blacks do, and they do it so well, there is still always a chance.

You have to believe you will get those chances, and we did with tries from Thierry Dusautoir and Yannick Jauzion.

What you must have if you are to ever beat a New Zealand team is resilience. You have to play for 80 minutes to seize the moment and that is what we managed to do. It was a great feeling.