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New Zealand suffered its worst World Cup performance when being eliminated in the quarter-finals by a stoic French team at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Sunday (NZT).
The French produced yet another stunning performance in the vital stages of the tournament to save their own World Cup and to send New Zealand on another four year search for the Holy Grail.
It was a double blow for the Southern Hemisphere after Australia's earlier elimination by England.
New Zealand mounted a strong counter attack after the French took the lead in the 68th minute but there was no way through and the mistakes caused by the French pressure saw the strangling of the style which had dominated world rugby over the last four years.
Uncharacteristic mistakes in the heady atmosphere of Cardiff resulted in the All Blacks suffering badly and the usual assurance was lacking in the performance.
New Zealand led 13-3 at halftime but France made the stronger start in the second half.
Yet after France drew level at 13-13, it was a 62nd minute try to Rodney So'oialo that regained the lead and seemed to set New Zealand up for a comfortable run home.
However, as was the case in the so-often talked about game of 1999, the Richie McCaw-led side suffered the earliest knock out of the World Cup by an All Blacks team.
Two bad mistakes on attack cost New Zealand dearly after So'oialo's try.
Firstly replacement first five-eighths Nick Evans made a superb break and passed when he didn't need to in the tackle and then wing Joe Rokocoko made a forward pass at the back of the All Blacks from a French kick.
It was from that scrum that French replacement Frederic Michalak took the ball from fullback Damien Traille to race 40m to send second five-eighths Yannick Jauzion in for a try with halfback Jean-Baptiste Elissalde's conversion giving France a 20-18 lead.
Then Evans was forced to leave the field of play injured with McAlister moving to first five-eighths, Mils Muliaina to second five-eighths and Isaia Toeava coming on at centre.
France stuck to its kicking game throughout the first half, but it lacked the accuracy, precision and chasing game to seriously embarrass the New Zealanders, who either kicked the ball back downfield or ran it back to put plenty of pressure on the French defences.
It was tedious at times, but during the first half at least did not look to provide any discomfort for the All Blacks who further troubled the French by stealing several of their lineout throws, largely through lock Ali Williams.
Two McAlister breaks set up the first try to the All Blacks and scored the first himself after 16 minutes.
He passed to his right after scything through into the French 22m area, but didn't see flanker Richie McCaw unmarked on his right. The ball was moved from the ruck when Kelleher went to ground but lock Ali Williams was out in the corner when diving the try.
From the lineout, the French kicked to touch and wing Sitiveni Sivivatu threw a quick throw-in which fullback Leon MacDonald and brought up for the ruck. First five-eighths Dan Carter then ran and fed McAlister into another gap as he ran the perfect line.
This time he found flanker Jerry Collins in support and then stayed with him to take his pass and drive over for the try which Carter converted to give New Zealand a 10-0 lead.
The French had earlier lost blindside flanker Serge Betsen when he seemed to take a blow to the head after trying to tackle Rokocoko in the fourth minute.
McAlister was sin-binned for obstruction five minutes into the second half when the French kicked through to the All Blacks line. Beauxis landed the penalty goal.
The All Blacks went back onto attack from the restart and launched a driving assault on the French line but the play broke down when a penalty was conceded.
New Zealand regained the ball and after Carter attempted a long range dropped goal attempt the French performed the quick 22m restart the All Blacks had been hinting at throughout the first half.
The French wave grew in intensity and finally after fullback Damien Traille looked to have blown a chance with a three-on-one situation, the French came back and it was flanker Thierry Dusautoir who scored after 53 minutes with Beauxis adding the conversion.
Jauzion's try broke the hearts of New Zealand and while the All Blacks threw a wave of concerted pressure at the French in the dying stages, they couldn't get through.
New Zealand 18
Tries: McAlister, So'oialo
Con: Carter
Pen: Carter 2
France 20
Tries: Dusautoir, Jauzion
Con: Beauxis, Elissalde
Pen: Beauxis 2
http://www.allblacks.com/index.cfm?l...wsArticle=7095
Dear Lord, if you give us back Johnny Cash, we'll give you Justin Bieber.
At least we won't have to listen to the Kiwi's bleating for the next 4 years...
Dear Lord, if you give us back Johnny Cash, we'll give you Justin Bieber.
french played well and kind of deserved to win.
at least now i dont lose all my bets with the kiwis.
This isn't right. I had to go into about 5 different web sites to believe that it's actually true
WAAAAAHHH the AB's and Wallabies lost...................i was so annoyed about that forward pass in the AB's game, the last French try shouldn't have been and am sceptical about McCalister's yellow card too...oh well, GO ARGENTINA!!![]()
France rekindles spirit of '99
From Julian Guyer in Cardiff, Wales
October 07, 2007 FRANCE has shocked tournament favourite New Zealand 20-18 in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
For the All Blacks, who led 13-0 as early as the 30th minute, the defeat was arguably as devastating as their equally unexpected 43-31 loss to France in the 1999 Rugby World Cup semi-final at Twickenham.
France now faces England, who earlier inflicted more misery on the southern hemisphere by beating Australia, in a semi-final in Paris next weekend.
"Bravo to all the players," France coach Bernard Laporte said. "After losing the first match to Argentina, we suffered a lot of things. But tonight the response was there. We beat a great team and we want to go further."
New Zealand captain Richie McCaw was at a loss when asked to explain the defeat. "I'm lost for words," he said. (I hear you Richie...i know exactly how you feel) "With France, we always knew they could come back in the second half. We lost our composure. I thought we could get it back. "We believed we had what it takes ... it's a day you try to forget."
France didn't lead until 11 minutes from full-time, when centre Yannick Jauzion scored a try that owed much to replacement fly half Frederic Michalak.
France scrum half Jean-Baptiste Elissalde's conversion of Jauzion's try made the score 20-18 in favour of France heading into the final minutes.
In the last minute, New Zealand full-back Leon MacDonald missed a drop goal that would have won the game for the All Blacks, and France was left to celebrate a famous victory.
New Zealand saw Luke McAlister and Rodney So'oialo both score tries, with fly-half Dan Carter's boot adding the remaining eight thanks to a conversion and two penalties.
France flanker Thierry Dusautoir scored a try, with novice fly half Lionel Beauxis kicking two penalties and a conversion to round out the scorers.
France suffered a setback in the fifth minute when flanker Serge Betsen fell awkwardly after tackling New Zealand wing Joe Rokocoko, and was left flat out on the turf.
Betsen, after several minutes of treatment, walked off the pitch to be replaced by Imanol Harinordoquy.
Laporte had given a first Test start at full back to Damien Traille, and opted for Beauxis over Michalak at fly half, with the clear intention to kick for territory and then use the lineout to regain the ball.
But McAlister, in a foretaste of what was to come, evaded the French defence after following up his own chip ahead.
His move eventually set up a ruck deep inside the French 22, where recalled former France captain Fabien Pelous was penalised for not rolling away.
Carter's resulting 13th-minute penalty put New Zealand 3-0 ahead.
McAlister then scythed his way through France's midfield once more, and found scrum half Byron Kelleher. The ball was worked left, with No 8 Rodney So'oialo passing to Ali Williams, out on the touchline, where wing Vincent Clerc did just enough to force the lock into touch before he put the ball down - although the video referee had to make the call.
France's reprieve was short-lived. Carter released McAlister, who burst through again to find Jerry Collins, whose return pass set up a 17th minute try for the centre.
Carter converted and the All Blacks were 10-0 ahead.
Beauxis missed a 24th minute penalty before Carter, maintaining his perfect strike rate, knocked over a penalty goal from 48 metres to extend New Zealand's lead.
Elissalde then failed with a penalty attempt, from out on the right, before Beauxis made amends for his earlier miss on the stroke of half-time to leave New Zealand 13-3 ahead.
Beauxis scored the first points of the second half, with a penalty after a deliberate obstruction by McAlister on Jauzion saw the Kiwi sent to the sin-bin by English referee Wayne Barnes.
France then drew level in the 54th minute with a well-worked try. The charging Harinordoquy was held up just short of the line, but France retained possession and Clerc's well-timed pass released openside flanker Dusautoir, who went over to the right of the posts.
Beauxis converted and the game was tied at 13-13.
France's forwards then enjoyed a purple patch, but New Zealand, having been initially taken aback, weathered the storm and saw So'oialo burrow his way over for a try confirmed by video referee Chris White.
But Carter's missed conversion meant that, at 18-13 ahead, New Zealand still had plenty of work to do heading into the final quarter.
Laporte, with 13 minutes left, played his trump card by sending on the gifted, but erratic, Michalak for Beauxis.
The move paid dividends barely two minutes later.
Traille broke clear before finding Michalak, taking the ball at pace, who in turn released Jauzion for a well-worked try, the conversion of which sealed New Zealand's fate.
Agence France-Presse
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
The only good news about the Wallabies' loss is that the AB's also lost!
At least the Wallabies weren't expected to win the RWC. We hoped they might, but didn't expect it.
New Zealand, on the other hand......
Yeah i know hey Ecky...the NZ public are not going to forgive them...
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
My brother's on hols in NZ at the moment.
Apparently pretty quiet in the streets this morning - except the sounds of wrists being slashed
Ecky, what did you think of Barnes reffing?
the punters friend..... stick with me and you will be wearing
How do you say "4 more years boys" in french?
I just don't believe it...
What a bizarre weekend of rugby! Spirit lose, Wallabies lose and the All Blacks lose...
Someone upset the rugby gods!
I made Happy sad...
PS. I bet the Saffas are stoked...
I REALLY hope they don't win.![]()
I made Happy sad...
couldn't agree more!!! it does make it a little easier to swallow, and I won a bottle of bundy over that result!! hahaOriginally Posted by Ecky
Chuck Norris has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game Uno.
Originally Posted by jargan83
quatre plus d'années garçons