Having been kept awake by partying Wales supporters during their stay in Cardiff during the pool stage, New Zealand are taking in the sea air of Swansea, a city that does not contain reminders of what happened when they played France in the 2007 World Cup quarter-final at the Millennium Stadium.
The two sides meet there again on Saturday evening, once more for a place in the last four, and every All Black paraded before the media this week is asked about that night eight years ago even though the tournament-ending injury suffered by the prop Tony Woodcock means Richie McCaw and Daniel Carter are the only survivors from that matchday 23.
New Zealand have met France nine times since then and go into the weekend having won the past eight, a run that takes in the 2011 World Cup final and the group stage that year, but on the two occasions they have faced Les Bleus in the knockout stage, the 1999 semi-final preceding 2007, they have lost.
“We are essentially heading into a final on Saturday and it’s where we want to be,” said the New Zealand No8, Kieran Read, who played in the 2011 final. “It’s a one-off game and, if you do not turn up, you go home. The excitement in the squad has risen this week and knockout rugby heightens awareness and intention. What happened in the past does not offer any parallels. This is about two different teams.”
New Zealand’s record since they won the World Cup is remarkable: they have played 51 Tests, winning 46, drawing two and losing three, to England in 2012, South Africa last year and Australia in August. If the Wallabies looked the most joined-up and impressive of the tier one nations in the group stages, the All Blacks remain the team to beat because it is a feat so rarely accomplished.
“We have learned a lot from most of the Test matches we have played in the last four years,” said Read. “It has allowed us to get out of a few situations. France are a strong side and they have some great players. As a side they have a blend, powerful forwards who are strong at the breakdown and flair in the back division. I am sure they will be looking to mix things up.
“We are preparing for the top French team to turn up this weekend and I am sure that’s what we are going to get. They have been playing some pretty good rugby throughout the tournament and they have a number of leaders.
“We have two teams that are very passionate about World Cup rugby and it’s going to be one hell of a battle.”
Battle was the word to describe Ireland’s victory over France at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday, an encounter that left Paul O’Connell and Peter O’Mahony ruled out of the tournament and Jonathan Sexton a doubt for Sunday’s quarter-final against Argentina.
“The game has certainly stepped up in speed and physicality but I think that’s the nature of sport around the world,” said Read when asked if serious injuries are becoming more common.
“A lot of the injuries that have happened have been freak accidents, to be honest. You might be caught in a ruck and potentially get stuck there. But as a player you just block that from your mind and go out there as hard as you can.”
France are more keen than New Zealand to look back to 2007. “It is not the same tournament and the players are not the same, so it will be a different game but, if others have beaten the All Blacks before, it shows it is doable,” said the France flanker, Damien Chouly.
“They did not have an easy match last time out against Tonga but our job is to focus on ourselves. Some parts of our game were not very good against Ireland, such as the set pieces, but all the problems can be solved.
“They are not a reason for questioning everything. We just have to be able to get hold of the ball, control it and put our game into place.”
