Semi-finals review: The victors

New Zealand and France might have employed starkly contrasting styles in their respective semi-finals, but those approaches proved successful in seeing off Australia and Wales to set up Sunday's final of RWC 2011.

FRANCE

France limped in to the World Cup final with a regimented defensive performance against 14-man Wales for a 9-8 semi-final win at Eden Park on Saturday.

Much of the post-match analysis was dedicated to the 19th-minute red-card tip tackle of Welsh captain Sam Warburton on Vincent Clerc as well as the fact France failed to dominate the match thereafter.

Admittedly, the French attack, what little they offered, was far from impressive. They appeared an unadventurous and one-dimensional outfit with ball in hand.

But that came mainly as a result of a dour strategy rather than a lack of attacking ability.

Their first-half performance against England in the quarter-final showed what Les Bleus are capable of when inspired to throw the ball around. For 40 minutes they ran rings around the English to race away to a match-winning 16-0 half-time lead.

However, against Wales they intentionally played conservative rugby to preserve their advantage, as slim as it was for the majority of the match. Their attacking intent was clearly tempered by the overwhelming expectation that they should comfortably win their way through to the final against 14 men.

The strategy, in retrospect, may have been flawed and almost cost them victory, but to their credit France’s disciplined defence stood up to a desperate Welsh attack that enjoyed dominance of possession and territory. In a match where a single penalty could have decided the outcome, France only infringed twice in the second half.

However, their off-field discipline is not quite as inspiring with a number of players defying the orders of under-fire coach Marc Lièvremont and hitting the town to celebrate their semi-final success.

“I asked the players not to go out and I learned a little later some of them did,” Lièvremont said on Sunday.

“We spoke about this this morning and I told them what I thought of them, that they were selfish, disobedient and that for four years they have been on my case.”

No doubt internal disharmony continues to dog the French World Cup campaign. It remains to be seen whether they will be galvanised by their latest differences or whether the widening cracks will see them fall to pieces against the All Blacks.

If France approach the final as they did their quarter-final again England, their game plan will revolve around gaining an early advantage on the scoreboard and then defending it with the deft kicking games of fly half Morgan Parra and scrum half Dimitri Yachvili.

The problem will come if New Zealand charge out of the blocks as they did in their semi-final victory over Australia on Sunday. France’s ability to chase a game was found severely lacking in their 19-14 loss to Tonga in the pool stage.

Few people are giving France a chance in the final after capitulating 37-17 to the All Blacks earlier in the tournament. But, with no expectations holding back their natural attacking flair, that is when Les Bleus are at their best.

NEW ZEALAND

The All Blacks are looking ominous.

They shook off their ‘choker’ reputation to produce a complete team performance and strangle the life out of the Wallabies in their 20-6 semi-final victory at Eden Park on Sunday.

New Zealand fans got the jitters when star fly half Dan Carter's tournament was ended by a groin injury suffered during training before a pool match against Canada at the start of the month and were further heightened when his deputy Colin Slade soon followed him into the casualty ward.

But apparently there was no need for fans to be concerned. With an assured showing against the Wallabies, 22-year-old fly half Aaron Cruden has proved he is more than capable of guiding the tournament favourites to their first World Cup since 1995.

Also inspiring faith is the Kiwi back three of Israel Dagg, Cory Jane and Richard Kahui. The trio were a constant threat in attack against the Wallabies and plucked high balls out of the air with consummate ease.

The few times a Wallaby kick penetrated their 22, full back Dagg responded with booming touch finders that sent the Australians scrambling back into their own half.

All tournament teams have spoken of the importance of winning the physical battles. You did not have to look further than the Australian bench of battered and bloodied bodies to see it does not get much more bruising than lining up against the All Blacks at Eden Park.

Eighty minutes of ferocious defence and thumping impact at the breakdown meant they did not only win the physical battle, they dominated.

On the back of that supremacy, they reaped the rewards of turnover ball, penalties and points.

In stark contrast to the battle lines drawn down the middle of the French changing room, the All Blacks are a tight-knit team built around the leadership of captain Richie McCaw.

Assistant coach Steve Hansen said their seemingly impregnable semi-final defensive line was built on the back of this unity.

"Defence is the reflection of the attitude and how the team links together,” he said.

“It is about the camaraderie in the team and wanting to get up and make a tackle for your mate."

New Zealand’s margin of victory would have been even greater had scrum half Piri Weepu, who kicked four from eight, had a better night with the boot. He is a confident character who was suffering the ill effects of a cold. Unfortunately, for the French, he is unlikely to have successive bad nights.

However, the biggest hurdle for the All Blacks as they go about their final preparations this week will be the mental obstacle of being overwhelming favourites against their self-confessed bogey team.

The quarter-final debacle of 2007 when they were bundled out of the tournament at the hands of the underdog French continues to haunt the New Zealand psyche.

But Sunday is their chance to finally lay those ghosts to rest and, on form, this is as good a chance as they come.