New Zealand’s Julian Savea scores hat-trick in nine-try rout of France

No French frolics this time, just pure black magic. The record books will show that New Zealand cruised into the World Cup semi-finals without a backward glance but give little hint of the cruel beauty of this nine-try exhibition. This was attacking rugby par excellence, performed by a side who prefer the stiletto to the lead piping. If they keep playing like this, the Webb Ellis Cup is heading in only one direction.Their next opponents, South Africa, will offer a rather stiffer challenge than France were able to do but the Springboks are not in the same league in terms of making neutrals gasp…