I expected this blog to be about the glory of New Zealand rugby; a poetic tribute to the majesty of the All Blacks and their record margin of victory. Instead, France produced a performance that stood up, grabbed you by the throat and demanded to be acknowledged.

Les Bleus were meant to be the chorus, the supporting cast. Instead, they stole the limelight from the intended stars of the World Cup final. The hosts were the team of the tournament but France were better at Eden Park on Sunday.

As I fly out of Auckland, more than four million New Zealanders are rightly hailing their new heroes – the country's first rugby world champions for nearly a quarter of a century. Monday's victory parade brought hundreds of thousands flooding on to the streets.

Now, the names of McCaw, Carter, Read, Kaino, Dagg, Weepu, Nonu, and their team-mates will be remembered as fondly as Kirwan, Kirk, Gallagher, Fitzpatrick, Shelford and the rest of the class of '87.

However, I am in the frighteningly large pool of ex-players, pundits and journalists who must front up and say "Je m'excuse "to France.

Sorry that we underestimated you.

Sorry we assumed the first side to lose two World Cup matches and reach the final wasn't playing very well.

Sorry we thought a split in the camp would compromise your form.

Sorry for calling you lucky.

And sorry for labelling you the worst team ever to play in a World Cup final. You weren't. You were the best runners-up in the tournament's history.

You brought the final alive when you fronted up to New Zealand's Haka. You tore into the All Blacks in a way no other team had done at this World Cup. You rattled them; you shook their belief.

But in the end you were beaten by forces even more powerful: 24 years of hurt; the collective will of a nation, an exceptional team grinding out a result in a manner they'd never had to consider before.

Destiny was on New Zealand's side but France and their exceptional captain Thierry Dusatoir strained every sinew to defy the rugby gods. It was the most courageous losing performance since America's Ryder Cup golfers last year at Celtic Manor.

La France, we salute you. As New Zealand's national paper declared on its front page: "Sweet Merci."

Like any other sport, rugby has plenty of clichés and one of them is to never write off the French. It won’t apply on Sunday at Eden Park Stadium, though, and I expect New Zealand to win the Rugby World Cup final by a record margin.

A week ago, that would have been a bold prediction. Now, it seems a statement of the obvious. France’s stock has plunged further than the global finance markets, while the All Blacks look every inch the number one-ranked team in the world.

Rugby means so much in New Zealand, and the pressure on the All Blacks to win this tournament is so vast, that my usual professional detachment briefly deserted me on Sunday. Even I felt nervous ahead of the hosts’ semifinal showdown against Australia.

It was as if the nation’s expectation had manifested itself as a physically heavier atmosphere, weighing down on everyone in the Auckland area. Imagine someone pressing down on your shoulders for several seconds and then the feeling of release when they let go.

Multiply that sensation by four million and you’ll begin to understand the relief felt by the entire population here, now that the biggest obstacle to their team’s success has been overcome. Right now, all Kiwis feel they can leap tall buildings in a single bound and such is their bond with their rugby team that that optimism will surely translate itself to the players.

It’s different to the sort of complacency which has contributed to the All Blacks’ downfall at previous World Cups. It’s simply the realisation that, without tension, New Zealand play the best rugby on the planet and France will be overwhelmed.

Like any major sporting event, there is almost an army of ex-players and commentators here – but they’re all scratching their heads trying to work out how a team as bad as France has got so far. Even the French coach has described his players as “spoiled brats.”

Their attitude at the news conference before last week’s semifinals was casual and a little insolent. They lounged in their chairs chewing sweets and even threw one to a reporter who, in a desperate attempt to establish a rapport, asked what they were eating.

France became only the second side in World Cup history to lose two pool matches and still qualify for the knockout stages. Then they had the good fortune to face an England team already reeling from its off-field indiscipline. And but for Sam Warburton’s recklessness and a strict referee, Wales would surely have brought Les Bleus’ lucky run to an end.

The two most one-sided finals in Rugby World Cup history were in 1987 and 1999, when New Zealand and Australia won by 20 and 23 points respectively. On both occasions, France were the losers and don’t bet against anything less this time.

This was supposed to be the final.

Until Australia lost to Ireland during the pool stage, the number one and two rugby teams in the world – New Zealand’s All Blacks and Australia’s Wallabies – were expected to top their groups and not face each other until the World Cup final on October 23.

But Ireland upset the tipsters, not to mention the Australians, and sent the Wallabies to join their Tri-Nations rivals on the other side of the draw.

Contests between Australia and New Zealand are always keenly fought, and two young tyros will be more closely watched than most of the others at Eden Park on Sunday.

Perhaps a key to Ireland’s success over Australia was the lower back spasm that prevented David Pocock playing in the game. The 23-year-old they call "Bam Bam," for his Flintstone namesake’s physique, is arguably the player of the tournament so far. His coach Robbie Deans, usually a taciturn figure, was moved to describe Pocock’s man-of-the-match performance in the quarterfinal against South Africa as “immense.”

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Pocock has faced his share of adversity. Born in Zimbabwe, he moved to Australia as recently as 2002 after his parents' farm was taken over by the government of Robert Mugabe.

He was representing his new country three years later in age-grade rugby, but Pocock hasn’t forgotten the country of his birth. He still travels each year to Zimbabwe and in 2009, he and a friend co-founded Eightytwenty Vision to promote a sustainable future for a poor rural Zimbabwean community.

But this weekend, the man Zimbabweans call the "Jackal at the Tackle" will be focused on rugby and his battle with All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw will be one of the semifinal highlights.

McCaw is a record three-time IRB Player of the Year, but he’s been suffering from a foot injury all year which has stopped him training during this tournament. He wasn’t his usual dominant self in the All Blacks' quarter-final victory over Argentina, missing a tackle which led to a try. The New Zealand Herald claimed he was missing his usual “mojo” in their rating of his performance.

McCaw’s ability to turn over ball at the breakdown has long been criticized for its legality. No doubt he was smirking as South Africa blamed the refereeing of New Zealander Bryce Lawrence, who they believed allowed Pocock to slow down and disrupt the Springboks' forward play in their quarterfinal.

Despite enjoying a wealth of possession, territory and holding huge dominance in the scrums and lineouts, somehow the Boks contrived to lose a game they dominated in every statistic but the final scoreline. Pocock could take most of the credit but as McCaw has found in the past, he may find the ref takes a far greater interest in his performance this weekend.

Why the All Blacks must win the World Cup

Also being watched closely will be All Blacks flyhalf, Aaron Cruden. Two weeks ago, the 22-year-old was skateboarding around his Palmerston North hometown and, by his own admission, doing very little running. Last Sunday saw him running on to oversee the All Black backline in a World Cup quarterfinal.

The All Blacks have been plagued by crucial injuries to backline stars in this tournament. Groin injuries have ruled out star flyhalf Dan Carter. A similar injury then claimed his back-up Colin Slade. Fullback Mils Muliaina, a veteran of 100 Tests, is also out with a shoulder injury.

As a result, Cruden has been catapulted into the starting lineup and will run a familiar-looking backline that includes four of his Wellington Hurricanes teammates.

Meanwhile, Wallabies scrumhalf Will Genia is reported to have said the Australians will be targeting the inexperienced Cruden. However, the young New Zealander’s dramatic rise and the pressure which goes with it likely pale into comparison with a health scare he suffered in 2008.

Cruden was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent surgery and then nine weeks of chemotherapy to bring the disease under control. With his cancer in remission, Cruden was named IRB Junior Player of the Year in 2009 after a strong all-round performance at that year’s Junior World Championship in Japan.

Cruden’s father Stu said the pressure won’t get to his boy, and after surviving cancer he is just taking every chance he gets.

Cruden was supposed to be on vacation in Disneyland this weekend. Instead he has Pocock and the Australian team standing between him and a fantasyland World Cup final spot for the All Blacks.

Flying to New Zealand for the final fortnight of the Rugby World cup is a bit like walking into the keepsake-crammed house of a collector; the obsession seems a bit unhealthy but you can't help admiring it just a little.

And it underlines how the hosts simply have to lift the trophy on home soil again, after a wait of 24 years.

It's as if the end of the world is nigh and the government wants to give advice to as many people as possible. That is, if a dearth of rugby was globally fatal and the only anecdote was posters of the All Blacks' players every few meters.

And I'm surprised that I'm surprised.

I've visited New Zealand several times before and it's love for the sport is well documented but now I am here - in rugby's most rugby-mad nation during rugby's biggest tournament - the "stadium of four million people" no longer seems an idle boast by World Cup organizers.

The mania hits you before you even reach the country.

On the plane, my in-flight entertainment included a documentary called "Cup of Dreams" – an emotional journey, charting New Zealand's love for its rugby team through the eyes of one young man and his relationship with his father.

In neighboring Australia, Sydney airport was plastered with adverts and an entire store selling only official World Cup merchandise.

"Just wait until you get to Auckland", joked the cabin crew on my connecting flight. They weren't wrong. Even the New Zealand airline's safety video has a rugby theme and features several All Blacks.

On the drive into town from the airport, as well as the official marketing, there are flags bearing the All Blacks’ famous silver fern and home-made slogans plastered on homes and businesses – from a simple “Go the AB’s” to an animated dot matrix sign reading, “Ready Quade? Cos Richie is” – a reference to the threat that New Zealand’s captain and back row forward Richie McCaw will pose to Australia flyhalf Quade Cooper in Sunday’s semifinal.

The sheer visibility factor of the tournament even tops what I witnessed in Mumbai, earlier this year, during the Cricket World Cup (although the celebrations when India won will be hard to beat).

On the surface, New Zealand is gripped by a kid-at-Christmas excitement but bubbling beneath that is a ripple of fear. For the sponsors and marketers, it's the fear of missing a commercial bonanza but for the fans it's deeper than that.

If the All Blacks lose their nerve again and don't lift the Webb Ellis trophy, the supporters’ dream collection – of a second World Cup triumph on home soil – will vanish, possibly forever.

The 2011 Rugby World Cup has turned into a battle between the northern and the southern hemisphere. Rankings and continental pride is at stake and the pressure is very much on England, France, Wales and Ireland to prove they are a match for the best that New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina have to offer.

Ireland’s shock win over Australia in the pool stage has left the draw split down geographical lines; nations north of the equator in one half, and countries south of it in the other.

It means we won’t get to see north versus south until the final itself on Sunday October 23rd, and if England stumble along the way either Wales, Ireland or France will get the chance to become only the second European nation to be crowned world champions.

Interestingly, for all the improvements made by the smaller rugby nations at this World Cup there are no shock quarterfinalists. Argentina are the only side to get this far having been outside the top eight in the world rankings at the start of the tournament - and their qualification ahead of Scotland didn’t surprise many.

The way the draw has panned out, supporters in New Zealand and the millions watching across the globe can sit back and compare and contrast the four northern hemisphere countries against the rest.

On one hand, we have two historic Celtic nations – Ireland and Wales – doing battle on the same day as cross-Channel rivals England and France. On the other, a titanic clash between defending champions South Africa and the only other team to win the World Cup twice, Australia, while hosts New Zealand take on the 3rd placed team from 2007, Argentina.

There is still a strong sense among southern hemisphere rugby fans that their top sides are better and England’s 2003 triumph was a blip, fast disappearing in the rear view mirror as the mighty Wallabies, Springboks and All Blacks motor towards future World Cup success.

For those of us who want rugby’s world champions to come from as diverse a pool as possible, Wales, Ireland, England and France can’t just aim to win their matches. One of them must storm to victory; thrill us with power, pace and guile; allow the undoubted talent of their individuals to shine while still operating effectively as a team unit.

The big three of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand are usually always good at this.

Yes, each nation will only be thinking of itself right now but we’ve seen in golf’s continental team contests – the Ryder, President’s, Solheim and Walker Cups – that playing for a region can matter just as much as playing for your country.

Now is the time for northern hemisphere rugby to stamp its mark on the World Cup and to ruck and maul the initiative away from the game’s traditional powerhouses.

(CNN) – No matter what the sport is, major tournaments always throw up intriguing match-ups, contests that go beyond a simple sporting rivalry between two opponents.

New Zealand’s largest city will witness such an occasion this weekend when one of rugby’s great battles takes place.

Scotland face “auld enemy” England for a place in the quarter-final stage of the Rugby World Cup, almost 140 years after the two teams first played each other in a challenge match in Scottish capital – the world’s first international rugby match.

Scotland won that encounter.

For some, the match at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh’s fashionable New Town was the start of an annual contest that offered the Scots the chance to makes amends for perceived historic injustices suffered at the hands of their bigger and more powerful neighbor - albeit on a rugby field.

For hundreds of years the two countries fought numerous battles – Bannockburn, Stirling Bridge and Culloden to name but a few – before Scotland eventually ceded control to London’s parliament in 1707 as part of the Treaty of Union.

The loss of Scotland’s sovereignty was too much for many Scots, despite the fact it would remain largely autonomous, with its own legal and education systems.

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More recently, the establishment of a parliament in Edinburgh has gone some way towards quenching the thirst for control among Scottish nationalists, but a desire to usurp the English “Sassenachs” in any form of sporting contest burns as brightly as ever.

And no-one shows more passion for a contest than the players that represent the Scottish and English rugby teams. The physical battle for territory and control over 80 minutes on a pitch is a perfect metaphor for the historic struggles between the two nations.

One of the most famous encounters took place in March, 1990 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, when Scotland skipper David Sole – the sleeves of his shirt cut short - famously slow-walked his side out onto the pitch to meet the much-fancied English in a Grand Slam decider.

The tension and anticipation on the terraces was stoked by a passionate rendition of Scotland’s adopted anthem “Flower of Scotland,” before the players were finally unleashed on each other.

What followed was a brutal war of attrition that Scotland eventually edged thanks to a try from a fresh-faced bank clerk from the Scottish borders called Tony Stanger.

But not even the onset of the professional era has diminished the effect this fixture has on players.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s match, Scotland winger Simon Danielli insisted it was the one game any Scottish player wanted to win above all others.

“It’s massive, it’s the oldest game. This is one of the biggest games we’ll all ever play in,” he told scottishrugby.org.

Teammate Richie Vernon said it is an occasion every Scottish rugby player has fantasized about. “As a Scottish lad growing up that’s (Scotland v England) the game you want to play in, that’s the game you want to be involved in.”

“You play rugby in the back garden and imagine scoring tries against England. This is no different . . . but definitely a bigger stage at the World Cup.”

The passion is no less evident among their opponents.

“As an Englishman I couldn’t think of anything better than beating Scotland,” scrum-half Ben Youngs told the BBC.

“It’s England v Scotland, the fans will be going crazy so we can’t wait.”

The stakes have rarely been higher: a place in the quarter-final stage of the World Cup – even if Scotland have to win by eight points.

No problem, whispers this Scotsman…

 (CNN) – Last year’s soccer World Cup in South Africa was memorable for many reasons, not least because of the distinctive sound of the vuvuzela.

The colored horns provided a unique soundtrack at every match and despite the predictable complaints from killjoys, the din added to a carnival atmosphere.

This year’s Rugby World Cup has already proved itself to be as colorful, with supporters converging on New Zealand from across the globe with their replica shirts, flags, painted faces and even the odd Spiderman costume.

But if you’ve watched Scotland grind out their recent wins over Georgia and Romania, one thing has been missing among their kilt-wearing supporters – the sound of bagpipes.

That’s because tournament organizers have banned them from all World Cup venues, along with all other musical instruments. They’ve also outlawed umbrellas, flags with poles of a certain length and - rather curiously - car parts.

Car parts you can understand. But bagpipes too?

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This is all the more surprising when you consider the Scots were playing in Invercargill, a small town in New Zealand’s South Island with a rich Scottish heritage. Even its streets are named after rivers in Scotland.

The current captain of New Zealand’s All Blacks, Richie McCaw, also boasts Scottish ancestry and is known to be a keen piper.

Now one Scottish fan is so incensed that he has written to New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, to complain. He has also started a Facebook campaign to overturn the ruling, which now has almost 600 supporters.

“After spending considerable money getting to New Zealand to support my country, I was shocked to hear bagpipes were not allowed in the stadiums,” Matthew Strachan, a doctor from Aberdeenshire in Scotland, told reporters.

"I've played the pipes in most of the UK stadiums and also in France during the last World Cup and they have always been gratefully received. Why then after many sporting years have the World Cup organizers decided against having them in stadiums?"

Officials have reportedly outlawed bagpipes amid fears they could distract Scotland's opponents.

"When you arrive at the ground and are warming up, you quite like to hear the sound of bagpipes, Scotland’s kicking coach Duncan Hodge told the New Zealand Herald, as the team prepared to face Argentina.

“The Argentineans I'd imagine would have all kinds of support, so it would be nice to cancel that out with a few bagpipes."

The Scottish Government in Edinburgh was also sympathetic to the cause.

"We are sure this is merely an oversight and the sports minister has written to the organizers of the rugby World Cup in New Zealand to request this position is reversed,” a spokesman told the Scotsman newspaper.

As a Scotsman myself, we need all the help we can get at this tournament. Let common sense prevail here.

It’s a thankless task tackling the sports fans’ most-heated debate –- picking a greatest ever team. There is never a correct answer; facts are ignored, personal favorites picked and style preferred to substance. It’s always subjective.

So, I preface my selection of the best rugby World Cup XV of all time by saying that this is very much a side that I would want to watch. As a journalist, you need to think about balance and neutrality, but I’ve indulged myself here.

For me, sport at its most uplifting is about grace and poise, the balletic as well as the brawn; I like to see athletes make the mastery of their game look easy, as if they were born to do it. My ultimate World Cup XV has plenty of grit but, above all else, these players would be entertaining to watch - simple as that.

1. Loose Head prop – OS DU RANDT

Huge for a front rower. Tall and powerful, and a double World Cup winner. Hard to argue with that.

2. Hooker – SEAN FITZPATRICK

A leader on the field and part of New Zealand’s only World Cup winning team. Fitzpatrick was a great reader of the game and has proved that as a pundit since retiring.

3. Tight Head prop – PHIL VICKERY

Embraced the sport’s race towards the notion of total rugby. In England’s 2003 World Cup triumph, Vickery showed that props could play with the ball in hand too.

4. Lock – VICTOR MATFIELD

Hard to overlook John Eales but Matfield’s athleticism –- especially in the lineout –- just edges it. Key part of South Africa’s 2007 triumph.

5. Lock – MARTIN JOHNSON

The heart and soul of England’s 2003 World Cup victory –- although he’d never agree. Led by example and intimidated opponents with his sheer presence. Still does.

6. Blindside Flanker – FRANCOIS PIENAAR

Maybe not the most inventive or skilful openside ever but this is a sentimental choice. Like Johnson, an inspirational captain and him receiving the 1995 trophy from Nelson Mandela is the most iconic image in World Cup history.

7. Openside Flanker – MICHAEL JONES

Although he played at six in his prime, I wanted to make room for Pienaar and still include Jones. Adored in New Zealand, despite an injury-plagued career, he set the mould for the modern, rampaging back row forward.

8. Number eight – ZINZAN BROOKE

Like his contemporary above, Zinzan Brooke is rightly regarded as a legendary All Black. He played in three World Cups, combining fearlessness on the field with speed and sublime rugby skills.

9. Scrum-Half – GEORGE GREGAN

Tenacious and quick, Gregan has played more World Cup matches than any other Australian. Often an attacking spark in his country’s victorious 1999 campaign.

10. Fly-Half – MICHAEL LYNAGH

This won’t be popular with the Jonny Wilkinson fans but, Lynagh’s play was easier on the eye. Just as reliable a kicker as England’s 2003 talisman, Lynagh also has four World Cup tries to his name.

11. Left Wing –JONAH LOMU

Rugby’s first global superstar and scorer of 15 World Cup tries, more than anyone else. At the time, his sheer size was unique for a back and only Lomu’s health problems prevented him making an even bigger impact on the sport.

12. Inside Centre – TIM HORAN

Small but not for the era he played in, Horan had a recurring knack of spotting gaps in the opposing midfield and using an impressive burst of pace to exploit them.

13. Outside Centre – JEREMY GUSCOTT

Guscott never ran across the pitch, he glided. A joy to watch, which is why he gets the nod ahead of fellow Englishman, 2003 World Cup winner and scorer of seven World Cup tries to Guscott’s four, Will Greenwood.

14. Right Wing – DAVID CAMPESE

Strictly, a right winger but Campo could almost go anywhere. The ultimate love him or loathe him player. Attempted things on a rugby field that no-one else would, and not always successfully. Bagged 10 World Cup tries in total.

15. Full-Back – SERGE BLANCO

Sheer, gallic class. Like Campese, a rugby maverick. Blanco smoked like a chimney, and could fuddle the opposition with a silken touch, pace and vision. Crucial in France’s path to the 1987 final.

When you say you don’t like your opponent, just days before a potentially championship-deciding match, it’s going to create a stir. But I believe England’s rugby players couldn’t care less about Marc Lievremont’s provocative remarks.

Not only did the France coach express his dislike for England, he also claimed the other four teams in the Six Nations tournament felt the same way. According to Lievremont, his cross-channel neighbors are “insular.”

Speaking to England manager Martin Johnson, scrum-half Ben Youngs and try-scoring sensation Chris Ashton at a team bonding exercise last week, there was a very dispassionate response when I raised the subject of the French.

There were slight smiles at first. They mentioned the unpredictable nature of French rugby; how Les Bleus, at times, mix brilliance with ordinariness. But England’s boss and his players assessed France’s strengths and weaknesses no differently to any other side.

Although my interviews happened before Lievremont’s news conference, none of the comments from the England camp since then have been any different. Johnson and his men know there is history between the two countries but their attitude seems to be, why add to the hype when it’s a big-enough match as it is?

With the 2011 Rugby World Cup looming in the background, it’s a crucial period for both sides, but especially England. France, at least, have won trophies in recent seasons. They are the reigning Six Nations champions and Grand Slam winners.

In contrast, England won’t need reminding they haven’t won the competition since 2003. Johnson was still playing then, and captain of the team that went on to lift the World Cup that year. That was why his appointment as manager was greeted so enthusiastically in 2008.

For the first time since then, England are showing signs they could match the achievement of the side that Johnson led to glory in Australia eight years ago.

On the day CNN filmed the squad, there was a lot of friendly banter as England’s players drove Land Rovers around a test track. They were loudly ribbing each other, the way only good mates can. It was a fun day out more than an exercise because the team spirit is clearly very good already.

In that controversial media briefing, Lievremont also said France and England have nothing in common. When it comes to rugby performances, he may soon wish the opposite were true.

If you like to be surprised, keep your eyes trained on France’s rugby team this year. They should be the northern hemisphere’s leading candidates to win the World Cup but their sheer unpredictability makes it impossible to declare that with any confidence.

France seems to have the unique knack of serving up inspiring victories and embarrassing defeats in equal measure; a seven-try thriller to start the defence of their Six Nations title coming just a couple of months after a 43-point thrashing by Australia.

It reminds me of the scene in the last Batman movie when the camera slowly moves around dashing District Attorney Harvey Dent to reveal the horrific injuries on one side of his face.

If it’s making you cringe right now, just thinking about it, that’s exactly what I mean. The French side has the ability to make your lip curl in disgust moments after coaxing a broad smile with a delightful turn of pace, deft handling or thumping forward play.

We often call it Gallic flair; more like Gallic scare. In the Batman comics, Dent is a hero turned villain and many would say the same is sometimes true of France. They are the Two-Face of world rugby.

France have dominated European rugby over the last decade, winning four of the last seven Six Nations Championships, including the Grand Slam last year. However, the team has fallen at the semifinal stage in the last two World Cups, losing to England each time.

Perhaps 2011 will be different. Club rugby in France seems stronger than ever. The teams are wealthy enough to recruit some of the best players in the world and their results in the Heineken Cup reflect that.

European club success doesn’t automatically mean the French side will get better but anyone who questions their professionalism is living in the past. Gone are the days when a France team would lose an important international purely because of indiscipline on the field.

Going back to the World Cup, it’s important to balance France’s two semifinal defeats with the fact they have also reached the final twice – and only in 1991 has the team failed to reach at least the last four.

Conceding three tries against Scotland last weekend shows France still have work to do but some of their attacking moves were breathtaking, especially François Trinh-Duc's between-the-legs pass to set up Imanol Harinordoquy's try.

Now, their next match against Ireland will reveal their consistency. The Irish struggled against serial wooden spoon side Italy in the opening round of the Six Nations; so an easy victory for France then? Depends which face they show.