New Zealand remain on course to defend their Rugby World Cup crown after thrashing France at the Millennium Stadium.
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While it’s busy in the Welsh capital, the national team of Wales is playing a knockout quarterfinal in London against South Africa. “We have to acknowledge to ourselves that it was special”.
“We worked hard for the last three months to be in this World Cup but each time we made a mistake New Zealand punished us”. “It’s another step, but we haven’t done anything yet – all we’ve done is earn another week”.
Savea’s savaging of France will doubtless strike fear into all opponents, as New Zealand cranked up their World Cup tempo. There was no stirring comeback this time.
“There were two or even three levels of difference between the sides”, France captain Thierry Dusautoir said. His right hand fend and left hand flick out the back of his hand to wing Julian Savea made us all feel like kids again, watching our idols perform seemingly superhuman feats.
Whatever the truth, this was certainly an ignominious end to Saint-Andre’s time as France coach.
Fitting stage: The Millennium Stadium all set for New Zealand v France.
Ireland had shown how pace and possession can unlock the French at the same venue, but while Ireland lost a few senior men in the most physical game of their tournament to date, the All Blacks barely seemed to notice France were there as they ran in try after try.
It should have happened, but center Ma’a Nonu, in his desperation to get among the try scorers, fumbled the ball as he crossed the line minutes from fulltime.
He could afford to laugh it off.
In a repeat of the 2011 final, the All Blacks ran in nine tries for the biggest score ever conceded in a test by France and will now meet the Springboks, who beat Wales 23-19 in the first quarter-final, at Twickenham next Saturday.
Julian Savea had five tries in the tournament coming into this game, despite going about his business pretty quietly.
His hat-trick came in the second half, with Tawera Kerr-Barlow scoring a double after replacing Aaron Smith at halfback.
He slotted over his first penalty but failed with second attempt as France missed the chance to move within one point.
It was a bright start to the last-eight tie for the All Blacks, who were able to get the first points on the board seven minutes in through a trademark Dan Carter pen.
And Hansen added: “I’m already looking forward to that”.
Picamoles scrambled over after scooping up a bouncing ball with just enough strength to get over the line for a converted score.
NEW ZEALAND – B Smith; N Milner-Skudder (B Barrett h-t), C Smith (SB Williams 52), M Nonu, J Savea; D Carter, A Smith (T Kerr-Barlow 67); W Crockett (J Moody 28), D Coles (K Mealamu 62), O Franks (C Faumuina 50); B Retallick, S Whitelock; J Kaino(67), R McCaw (capt) (S Cane 71), K Read.
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There was no shortage of passion from Les Bleus as Philippe Saint-Andre’s uncomfortable stewardship of the side reached its miserable conclusion, but if they were to win this one, they needed to find something indefinable that was not within them.To the French, rugby is a game of abstraction rather than arithmetic: instead of statistics, they talk of suffering and sacrifice; rather than base their game wholly on data recorded in training, they rely on a semi-mystical summoning of the spirit during the match itself.
