The French team has arrived in New Zealand ahead of its three tests against the All Blacks.

The French delegation touched down, way down there, on the other side, greeted by a surprising softness carried by the sea spray. The Blues traveled in two teams, one via Singapore, the other from Dubai, with stopovers of more than 3 hours for each. This split allowed everyone to cross the globe in business class conditions, unlike the flight to Argentina last year, where this comfort was reserved for the most robust of the group.

On the menu for the interminable journey, the traditional recommendations for adjusting one's pace as quickly as possible to New Zealand's clocks and their 10-hour lead over Europe: sleep little on the first leg, which is equivalent to a night in France, and a lot on the second for a late morning landing in Auckland.

Only Léo Barré was missing. The Stade Français fullback, who was injured on a crutch, will only arrive in the last convoy, along with the finalists, on the advice of the medical staff. The management team wanted to avoid any risk of worsening the condition.

Immediately after the finish, it was all about getting cleaned up and soaking up as much daylight as possible. That's never a problem in the "City of Sails." Even with its low winter sky and a few heavy drizzle showers, it captivates with its clarity and whiteness. For this first day of fighting the temptation to nap, some players decided to go and stock up on vitamin D and gusts of wind on Mount Eden, a volcano in the middle of a nap, culminating at 196 meters.

Starting Friday, a recovery circuit from the trip is planned, as well as a clarity session before the more intense stuff begins.