It is easy to overplay metaphors, but the build-up to the Rugby World Cup final in Auckland on Sunday resembles a nest of vipers set against, well, a squad of good rugby players.
The metaphor falls down immediately of course. The French are not a basket of serpents. They are a squad of good rugby players, just as New Zealand are. It's just that, from the way they are acting, you wouldn't imagine that they are building up to the best moment of their careers.
World Cup final week is a strange one. Players and coaches meet with the media every day. In truth, there is not much more to say than, "We are training for the final."
Unfortunately, that won't wash. We need quotes, boys. And people who are interested in rugby need the media to produce something for them to be interested in.
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