Brodie Retallick: New Zealand can “lift it up a few notches”

“Today it was the last match for a few players, players who have given a lot to French rugby and a new generation that have learned a lot at this World Cup”.

The pub was only open because the government in rugby-mad New Zealand passed a special law extending licensing hours during the tournament, despite objections from morals campaigners.

France’s talisman captain could well call it quits after 80 caps following Les Bleus’ embarrassing nine-try quarter-final defeat to the All Blacks in Cardiff.

This time, the French were 29-13 down at the break and it just got worse for them.

7 – This is the number of times these two teams have contested each other in the World Cup, making this the most contested match in the history of the World Cup.

French captain Thierry Dusautoir says the All Blacks were outstanding although his team allowed them to be.

“All we’ve done is earn a chance to play in a semi-final”. Fortunately for Woodward, he survived his bold statement and four years later, England won the trophy – thanks to a drop goal.

“It’s been building, there’s a lot of self-confidence in this side”, he said.

He could afford to laugh it off.

Julian Savea scored three tries to take to eight his tally at Rugby World Cup 2015, equalling the recerd of Jonah Lomu (1999) and Bryan Habana (2007) for tries at an individual tournament.

Carter added the extras but that was the end of Michalak’s night and scrumhalf Morgan Parra took the short-range kicking duties to reduce the deficit to 10-6.

France then gained a glimmer of hope with their first try, with Louis Picamoles powering over after an overthrown lineout to reduce the deficit to 11 points.

Four more first-half tries followed at a frenetic pace.

His first came thanks to a sumptuous offload from Dan Carter after he broke through the French defence to send Savea over for the All Blacks third try.

Carter was in the action again with a brilliant assist for Savea, a palm off for lock Pascal Pape and a flick out the back for Savea to do the rest.

Pride stung, Picamoles scrambled over the line after scooping up a bouncing ball with just enough strength to get over the line for a converted score.

It was now a case of how many tries for New Zealand and Savea wrapped up his hat-trick from turnover ball, Read strolled in and Kerr-Barlow’s support skills gave him two easy tries.

Wingers Nehe Milner-Skudder and Julian Savea truly are the little and large of the All Blacks backline.

Savea ran through his opposite wing Noa Nakaitici and Spedding before shrugging off prop Rabah Slimani to hand the All Blacks a 16-point interval advantage.

France looked revived at the start of the second half putting the All Blacks under pressure on their own line but the work was undone when Picamoles punched an already bloodied McCaw starting an all-in brawl as the All Blacks went to defend their skipper.