New Zealand 62-13 France: Kiwis crush feeble French

New Zealand players celebrate with try scorer Julian Savea, who went on to bag a hat-trick. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

New Zealand scored nine tries to demolish France and record the biggest victory in World Cup quarter-final history.

A lot of the pre-match talk had centred on France’s quarter-final upset against New Zealand in this same Millennium Stadium in 2007, but a repeat was never on the cards as the All Blacks coasted to a crushing 62-13 success to set up a semi-final meeting with South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday.

South Africa’s 42-14 win over Samoa in 1995 was the largest previous win in a World Cup quarter-final, but that was removed from the record books by the holders.

New Zealand led 29-13 at the break but really ramped it up after the interval as France, dogged by stories of revolt and rebellion in the build-up, were swept aside in embarrassing fashion.

Wing Julian Savea led the way with a hat-trick and Brodie Rettalick, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Jerome Kaino, Kieran Read and replacement Tawera Kerr-Barlow (2) also scored.

New Zealand might have beaten France 8-7 to win the World Cup on home soil in 2011 but there were still plenty of Cardiff demons to exorcise.

France had won a thrilling quarter-final eight years ago and Kiwi greats Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, the two New Zealand survivors from that night, might well have recalled that defeat as they took to the field.

Les Bleus came into the contest amid talk of rebellion in the camp, with the players said to be so disaffected with coach Philippe Saint-Andre that they had taken charge of selection and coaching for this game.

Whatever the truth, this was certainly an ignominious end to Saint-Andre’s time as France coach.

Nonu broke into the 22 in the first minute to establish a period of pressure which ended with Carter’s seventh-minute penalty. Scott Spedding levelled within two minutes with a penalty from inside his own half.

But parity lasted less than two minutes as Retallick charged down Frederic Michalak’s kick and the All Blacks lock charged through unimpeded for the game’s first try.