All Blacks – 62 France – 13
FULLTIME: Justin Marshall summed it up: "They just went up a gear". But while the All Blacks didn't make it out of second gear during the group stages, they cranked it up to fifth today and put their foot to the floor. What a brilliant performance from our boys - proud to be a Kiwi. Thanks for joining us, video highlights of the game will be up shortly.
79 Min: Fofana puts a little kick in for Nakaitaci to chase but Carter deals with it well. He gets tackled after he passes and for a moment every Kiwi in the stadium's heart is in their mouth as he gets up limping. It's just cramp though and the All Blacks play on, passing it out to Nonu who sprints from well within his own half and beats several players, but drops it half a metre from the line. Heartbreak for the big man.
76 Min: Sonny Bill shows real quality to release Ben Smith down the right. He puts a perfectly weighted kick in and he beats Parra to it! He's away and looks certain to score but gets dragged down two metres out and it's knocked on in the ruck. Ah well. It's probably about time we made an error.
TRY ALL BLACKS: What on earth is going on?! The All Blacks are well and truly slaughtering France here. Read makes a run and plays it to the new man Joe Moody, who manages an offload any back would be pleased with which Kerr-Barlow is there for again. He gets a brace. Carter conversion. Dominant from the boys in black. (NZL 62-13)
TRY ALL BLACKS: Another one? Why not! It's a Sonny Bill special. He initiates contact before playing a brilliant offload to Nonu, who darts forward another twenty metres and passes it to the supporting Tawera Kerr-Barlow. He scores under the posts. France are getting absolutely blown away here. Carter gets another easy conversion. (NZL 55-13)
TRY ALL BLACKS: Joe Moody, who was in New Zealand just a week ago, makes a good fend before offloading to the supporting player. A couple of phases later the ball comes out to Read and shows quick hands to get it too Faumuina, who lumbers forward before returning it to Read who scores beneath the posts. Much better play from our future captain. Carter adds the extras. (NZL 48-13)
Spedding finds Nakaitaci on halfway and he makes some good ground. The All Blacks rip it away though and Dan Carter spots an opportunity down the left! Julian Savea is there (once again) and he sprints from halfway to complete his hat-trick. What a game he's had today. Carter converts this time. (NZL 41-13)55 Min: With all the talk of how well the All Blacks are playing, there's one member of the side who really isn't: Kieran Read. He drops another sitter, this time from a lineout, and the French pack a scrum just past the halfway mark.
TRY ALL BLACKS: Ben Smith again! He makes some huge metres down the right-hand side and they have the ball close to the French line. They throw it out to the left. A poor pass is mopped up by Savea, who manages an offload to Retallick, who passes to Barrett, who passes to Kaino! He dots down for another try in the corner. Carter skews the conversion. (NZL 34-13)
50 Min: That yellow card gave the All Blacks some respite after a bit of an onslaught at the start of this second half. Ben Smith charges down a clearance from Brice Dulin but it just creeps out before he's able to put it down...
47 Min: Wee bit of a kerfuffle here. McCaw's at the bottom of the ruck and there's some pushing and shoving going on - a replay reveals that Eddy Ben Arous actually struck out at the All Blacks captain and he may be in a bit of trouble here... Nigel Owens opts to show him the yellow card and now he'll be spending ten minutes in the sin-bin. Very, very stupid mistake.
46 Min: A brilliant little grubber by Morgan Parra and Spedding looks like he's going to pick it up and be in for a try! Aaron Smith reacts brilliantly to get there first though and the crisis is averted. France lineout on the 22.
43 Min: France bust down the centre through Wesley Fofana and now they're looking dangerous... they have the ball ten metres out but the All Blacks win it back and the clearance is made by Barrett.
40 Min: Oh dear. Nehe Milner-Skudder is off with injury and is replaced by Beauden Barrett. He looks to be icing his shoulder at the moment but the word from Ian Smith is that "it's not major". Meanwhile David Farrier is watching the rugby with a lamb.
HALFTIME: Extraordinary first half in Cardiff. By far the All Blacks most complete half of rugby at this World Cup. They'll be disappointed with the try they conceded and the silly penalties they gave away, but in attack they have been unstoppable - back to their very best. Join us back here soon for the start of the second half.
TRY ALL BLACKS: Ben Smith puts up a huge bomb and just guns it thirty metres before getting above his man and reclaiming it. They spread it wide and then Jonah Lomu 2.0 (AKA Julian Savea) absolutely monsters his markers out on the left before crossing for his second. Wow that was a great try - Carter misses his first conversion today. (NZL 29-13)
TRY FRANCE: The French make a clear break and spread it wide to Noa Nakitaici, who gets absolutely pummeled by Savea in a tackle. They keep the momentum though and edge closer to the line over the course of a few phases. Louis Picamoles then gathers a loose pass, spots a gap and has enough power to make it to the line. Parra converts. (NZL 24-13)
33 Min: Kieran Read spreads it to Carter from deep inside the All Blacks' half... our No.10 makes another quality break and he's away downfield. A crossfield kick comes is knocked on though and it's Frances' ball.
TRY ALL BLACKS: Oh my word, what a piece of play from Carter. He fends his man, runs into contact with another and throws an audacious, Sonny Bill-esque offload that Savea runs onto with glee. He scores and Carter slots another conversion. (NZL 24-6)
28 Min: Richie McCaw shows his class as he wins a turnover and the All Blacks have another chance at a try. They have the ball five metres out but Wyatt Crockett makes a dumb mistake at the breakdown - and that's his last act of the match as he goes off with injury and is replaced by Joe Moody.
TRY ALL BLACKS: Dane Coles throws the ball in and now the All Blacks have it on the French 22. Carter attempts a drop-kick but it's charged down! It's dealt with and now they have a chance as Nonu offloads to Nehe Milner-Skudder! He pulls another of his wonderful steps to beat his man and runs forty metres to slide in out wide. What a great try - Carter converts. (NZL 17-6)
20 Min: Noa Nakaitaci beat Julian Savea to catch a high bomb, and France have the ball just inside our half. The French spread it wide but the man with the ball is pushed out by three men in black.
16 Min: Suddenly the nerves return. Savea waits for a bumbling ball to go out but it doesn't, and France keep it in before winning a penalty. Morgan Parra should really slot it but somehow hooks it away to the right from out in front. That's a massive let-off for the All Blacks.
14 Min: Read drops a sitter from kickoff and immediately Morgan Parra is able to chip away at the seven point lead the All Blacks had just established. Poor error. (NZL 10-6)
TRY ALL BLACKS: Brodie Rettalick, you beauty! Frederic Michalak makes an attempt at kicking for touch, but Rettalick gets up a bit of speed and charges it down. He claims the bouncing ball and it's a simple finish. Carter adds the extras from out in front (NZL 10-3)
9 Min: Scott Spedding claims a high bomb and runs in-field, where Retallick demonstrates a bit of ill discipline. Spedding steps up for a monster penalty from 53 metres out, and the distance is fine! In off the posts and it's all tied up. (NZL 3-3)
6 Min: New Zealand steal the lineout ball but then it's won back by France. They clear long and Milner-Skudder does well to keep it in play... they spread it wide and the French get a little bit silly in the ruck and it's an All Black penalty. Carter points at the posts, and it's over! First points on the board. (NZL 3-0)
4 Min: All Blacks have it once more. They are passing it around nicely and then it comes out to the electric Nehe Milner-Skudder, who makes a burst but gets bundled out of play. French lineout.
2 Min: Dan Carter takes the kickoff. France claim it but the All Blacks win it back at a ruck almost immediately. Nonu makes a run and he breaks the line! The All Blacks sitting five metres out now... Carter stabs a kick through but there's no one who can get near it and it's a 22-metre dropout...
8am: The All Blacks get into formation for the haka - it looks like it's going to be Kapa O Pango! Keven Mealamu leads a rousing rendition and the two teams get ready for kickoff...
7:55am: Plenty of experience in the All Blacks' starting side - most of these boys are no strangers to the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the World Cup knockout stage. Thierry Dusautoir and Richie McCaw lead their sides out of the tunnel and onto the Millenium Stadium pitch.
7:45am: Dan Carter hasn't had the best luck at previous World Cups, and this is his last chance to prove himself on the most prestigious of world stages. A lot of weight on his shoulders.
7:35am: The scene is set in Cardiff for this absolutely huge quarter-final clash. The All Blacks will know they've got a lot of support back home - including from these familiar faces, who came close to claiming a World Cup of their own not too long ago...
Commentary will start from around 7:30am (NZT). In the meantime check out the video above….
Line ups:
All Blacks: 1. Wyatt Crockett, 2. Dane Coles, 3. Owen Franks, 4. Brodie Retallick, 5. Sam Whitelock, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Richie McCaw (C), 8. Kieran Read, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Dan Carter, 11. Julian Savea, 12. Ma'a Nonu, 13. Conrad Smith, 14. Nehe Milner-Skudder, 15. Ben Smith
Reserves: 16. Keven Mealamu, 17. Joe Moody ,18. Charlie Faumuina, 19. Victor Vito, 20. Sam Cane, 21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22. Beauden Barrett, 23. Sonny Bill Williams
France: 1. Louis Picamoles, 2. Bernard Le Roux, 3. Thierry Dusautoir (C), 4. Yoann Maestri, 5. Pascal Papé, 6. Rabah Slimani, 7. Guilhem Guirado, 8. Eddy Ben Arous, 9. Morgan Parra, 10. Frédéric Michalak, 11. Brice Dulin, 12. Wesley Fofana, 13. Alexandre Dumoulin, 14. Noa Nakaitaci, 15. Scott Spedding
Reserves: 16. Dimitri Szarzewski, 17. Vincent Debaty, 18. Nicolas Mas, 19. Damien Chouly, 20. Yannick Nyanga, 21. Rory Kockott, 22. Rémi Talès, 23. Mathieu Bastareaud
Head to head:
All Blacks - $1.16 Georgia - $4.75