2007 Rugby World Cup: New Zealand 18 - 20 France
{{date|October 6, 2007}}

{{footballbox|
date=October 6, 2007<br>21:00 (UTC+2) |
team1=[[w:New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]] [[Image:Flag of New Zealand.svg|20px]] |
score= 18 – 20 |
team2=[[Image:Flag of France.svg|20px]] [[w:France national rugby union team|France]] |
report= |
goals1='''Tries:''' [[w:Luke McAlister|L McAlister]] 17' c<br />[[w:Rodney So'oialo|R So'oialo]] 63' m<br />'''Con:''' [[w:Daniel Carter (rugby player)|D Carter]] (1/1)<br />'''Pen:''' [[w:Daniel Carter (rugby player)|D Carter]] (2/2) 14', 31'|
goals2='''Tries:''' [[w:Thierry Dusautoir|T Dusautoir]] 54' c<br />[[w:Yannick Jauzion|Y Jauzion]] 69' c<br />'''Con:''' [[w:Lionel Beauxis|L Beauxis]] (1/1)<br />[[w:Jean-Baptiste Elissalde|J-B Elissalde]] (1/1)<br />'''Pen:''' [[w:Lionel Beauxis|L Beauxis]] (2/3) 40+', 46'|
stadium=[[w:Millennium Stadium|Millennium Stadium]], [[w:Cardiff|Cardiff]], [[Wales]] |
referee=[[w:Wayne Barnes|Wayne Barnes]] [[Image:Flag of England.svg|20px]]}}
[[Image:RugbyWorldCup2007.png|right|150px]]
[[France]] have defeated [[New Zealand]] 18-20 in the quarter-final of the [[w:2007 Rugby World Cup|2007 Rugby World Cup]] at the [[w:Millennium Stadium|Millennium Stadium]], [[w:Cardiff|Cardiff]], [[Wales]]. 

New Zealand led 13-3 at half time, after [[w:Daniel Carter (rugby player)|Dan Carter]] kicked two penalties and [[w:Luke McAlister|Luke McAlister]] scored a try. France missed chances to score with [[w:Lionel Beauxis|Lionel Beauxis]] and [[w:Jean-Baptiste Élissalde|Jean-Baptiste Élissalde]] both missing penalties and [[w:Damien Traille|Damien Traille]] missing a drop goal attempt. Lionel Beauxis scored France's first points with a penalty just before half time. 

However, New Zealand centre Luke McAlister was harshly [[w:Penalty box#Rugby football|sin-binned]] early in the second half for illegally blocking a French player and preventing a try scoring opportunity. France took advantage of having the extra man, and levelled to 13-13 by the time the 10 minute suspension had elapsed with Lionel Beauxis adding a penalty and [[w:Thierry Dusautoir|Thierry Dusautoir]] scoring a try. New Zealand then scored through [[w:Rodney So'oialo|Rodney So'oialo]] to regain the lead, but after [[w:Frédéric Michalak|Frédéric Michalak]] made a run, before passing to [[w:Yannick Jauzion|Yannick Jauzion]] who scored the try which was then converted, France led 20-18. The teams slogged it out for 15 minutes, but New Zealand could not make a breakthrough. Luke McAlister missed a last minute drop goal attempt as France held on to win.

Some New Zealand fans blamed the loss on English referee [[w:Wayne Barnes|Wayne Barnes]] due to alleged bias towards the French team. Controversial decisions included Luke McAlister's sin binning and an apparent forward pass that led to France's second try, allowing them to take the lead. However, most neutrals also noted an apparent forward pass in the build up to an earlier New Zealand try and consider Barnes to have done a reasonable job in such a high profile game. 

France advance to the semi-final stage of the tournament and will play England, who [[2007 Rugby World Cup: Australia 10 - 12 England|defeated]] Australia 12-10 earlier today, in a repeat of the 2003 semi-final.

{{haveyoursay}}
==Related news==
{{wikipedia|2007 Rugby World Cup}}
*{{wikinews|title=2007 Rugby World Cup: Australia 10 - 12 England|date=October 6, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=2007 Rugby World Cup: Argentina and France qualify for quarter finals|date=October 1, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=2007 Rugby World Cup: Scotland and Fiji qualify for quarter finals|date=September 29, 2007}}

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/SportsNews/ManyKiwisblamerefereeforWorldCupshockloss/tabid/415/articleID/36353/Default.aspx|title=Many Kiwis blame referee for World Cup shock loss|author=|pub=TV3 NZ|date=October 7, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7030471.stm|title=France 20-18 New Zealand|author=|pub=BBC Sport|date=October 6, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/fixtures/round=101/match=10114/report.html|title=France edge New Zealand out of world cup|author=|pub=Rugby World Cup|date=October 6, 2007}}

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[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Rugby]]
[[Category:Rugby World Cup]]
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:New Zealand]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:Cardiff, Wales]]

[[es:Copa Mundial de Rugby 2007: Nueva Zelanda 18 - 20 Francia]]
[[fr:Coupe du Monde de rugby 2007 : La France réussit l'exploit de battre la Nouvelle-Zélande]]
[[it:Rugby Coppa del Mondo 2007: fuori Wallabies e All Blacks, la prima semifinale è Inghilterra - Francia]]
150px
France have defeated New Zealand 18-20 in the quarter-final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales. 

New Zealand led 13-3 at half time, after Dan Carter kicked two penalties and Luke McAlister scored a try. France missed chances to score with Lionel Beauxis and Jean-Baptiste Élissalde both missing penalties and Damien Traille missing a drop goal attempt. Lionel Beauxis scored France's first points with a penalty just before half time. 

However, New Zealand centre Luke McAlister was harshly sin-binned early in the second half for illegally blocking a French player and preventing a try scoring opportunity. France took advantage of having the extra man, and levelled to 13-13 by the time the 10 minute suspension had elapsed with Lionel Beauxis adding a penalty and Thierry Dusautoir scoring a try. New Zealand then scored through Rodney So'oialo to regain the lead, but after Frédéric Michalak made a run, before passing to Yannick Jauzion who scored the try which was then converted, France led 20-18. The teams slogged it out for 15 minutes, but New Zealand could not make a breakthrough. Luke McAlister missed a last minute drop goal attempt as France held on to win.

Some New Zealand fans blamed the loss on English referee Wayne Barnes due to alleged bias towards the French team. Controversial decisions included Luke McAlister's sin binning and an apparent forward pass that led to France's second try, allowing them to take the lead. However, most neutrals also noted an apparent forward pass in the build up to an earlier New Zealand try and consider Barnes to have done a reasonable job in such a high profile game. 

France advance to the semi-final stage of the tournament and will play England, who defeated Australia 12-10 earlier today, in a repeat of the 2003 semi-final.


es:Copa Mundial de Rugby 2007: Nueva Zelanda 18 - 20 Francia
fr:Coupe du Monde de rugby 2007 : La France réussit l'exploit de battre la Nouvelle-Zélande
it:Rugby Coppa del Mondo 2007: fuori Wallabies e All Blacks, la prima semifinale è Inghilterra - Francia
Sports Rugby Rugby World Cup France New Zealand Europe Oceania Cardiff, Wales