The French produced two memorable World Cup upsets on the back of their thrilling running game to knock out the All Blacks in 1999 and 2007, scarring New Zealand's rugby psyche for ever.
So even after the victory over the French in the 2011 final, and despite the evidence of some pedestrian backline performances at this tournament, no game against France will ever be taken lightly by an All Blacks coach.
"France have always had great athletes. Their game was built around flair in the backs and real physicality up front," Hansen told reporters on Thursday.
"I'm not sure it's the same flair that they've got now, what with a Top 14 that's become quite a dour competition with a lot of physicality.
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"I know that they're trying to recapture that flair, which is there, you can see it. We'll be expecting them to come out with flair and physicality on Saturday."
When it comes to the physicality, it is not easy to look past openside flanker Thierry Dusautoir.
Hansen suggested that the France captain might have been more highly lauded had he not had the misfortune to play in the same era as his All Blacks counterpart.
"He's one of the great players of all time," Hansen said.
"If there wasn't a certain Richie McCaw running around during that same period, Dusautoir would probably be seen as the guy who has played the best rugby in that position over a long period of time.
"He's calculated, he's cool under pressure, he's got a smart rugby brain on him and he's a good man, a good character. Plays the game with the right spirit."
Hansen also highlighted inside centre Wesley Fofana as a threat.
"He'll skin you as quick as look at you," Hansen said. "But they've all got it. They've got the ability to catch and run and pass the ball and turn nothing into something.
"They're very instinctive rugby players and when they've got their backs to the wall that's when they really let it loose."
Hansen also spoke of the strong links between the two nations, barring the diplomatic storm that blew up in 1985 when the French secret service sank a ship owned by the Greenpeace environmental group in Auckland harbour.
"There's been a great relationship between the two countries for a long, long time and apart from the Rainbow Warrior, we've probably been on the same page most of the time," the former policeman joked.
(Editing by David Goodman)
