Mixed Emotions for Wallabies

Australia finished their World Cup campaign on a winning note - although the 21-18 victory over Wales in the bronze medal match came at a cost.

The Wallabies lost both Kurtley Beale (hamstring) and Quade Cooper (knee) in the opening quarter although they still had enough in reserve to claim a third-place finish in the tournament.

The injury to Cooper was particularly bad, with the playmaker collapsing to the ground as his right knee gave way as he tried to step inside.

Cooper, who had endured a disappointing World Cup,had looked more like his old self at the start of the encounter as he had the Australia backs performing beautifully.

Cooper had set Berrick Barnes up for the opening try of the match before his game was ended prematurely. Barnes, though, stepped in brilliantly and slotted over a drop-goal, while Ben McCalman crossed for a late try and James O'Connor added eight points.

For Wales, James Hook and Stephen Jones were on target with eight points between them while Shane Williams and Leigh Halfpenny popped up for tries - but ultimately Warren Gatland's men struggled to get going.

Their handling - in the opening 40 minutes especially - had hampered their attacking attempts while they were clearly missing Adam Jone in the scrum as Australia were able to dominate the set-piece.

Australia had looked irresistible in the opening exchanges with the backs, in particular, threatening at every opportunity.

Wales had got a couple of early let-offs when Cooper's inside pass failed to find Adam Ashley-Cooper, while O'Connor just failed to get to the fly-half's chip ahead.

But the pressure finally told as Barnes timed his run to perfection off an Australia scrum to scythe through the defence on 12 minutes. O'Connor converted.

Advantage

Wales, though, responded well and they opened their account with a Hook penalty after the Australia scrum collapsed.

However, having already lost Kurtley Beale with a recurrence of his hamstring problem, Australia then saw Cooper helped off the pitch with a suspected knee cruciate injury on 20 minutes.

Having been forced to shuffle their back division, Australia lost their direction in attack - although O'Connor should have extended their advantage but his penalty effort rebounded back off the posts.

Wales were also off-target with a three-pointer as Leigh Halfpenny's attempt sailed wide, leaving Australia to head into the interval with a 7-3 lead.

Wales really should have cut the deficit to just a point after the restart but Hook missed a regulation penalty attempt.

However, Wales finally took a chance with Williams showing his footballing skills to score. The initial pass out wide looked a good yard or two forward but Williams hacked on and won the foot-race to the ball.

Australia, though, hit back with O'Connor adding two quickfire penalties to open up a five-point lead, while the winger was only just short with another effort on 65 minutes.

Barnes, though, did give the Wallabies some breathing space as he slotted over a drop-goal - only for Jones to set up a thrilling finale with his 70th-minute penalty.

Ashley-Cooper should had sealed the game with six minutes left but George North superbly ripped the ball free as he attempted to crash over the line.

However, McCalman made no mistake two minutes later as he took Saia Fainga'a's offload to score in the corner. O'Connor missed the extras.

Wales did finish the game on a positive note as Halfpenny eventually went over in the corner after a sustained spell of pressure, but it was Australia who took the spoils.

Lievremont Makes No French Changes

France coach Marc Lievremont has gone against his natural urge to tinker with his squad by naming an unchanged line-up for the World Cup final.

Lievremont has built a reputation of constantly changing his starting XV, however Sunday's clash against New Zealand will see him stick with the same team from the wins over England and Wales.

That means Dimitri Yachvili, Morgan Parra and William Servat will be fit to play despite picking up knocks in the 9-8 win over Wales in the semi-final.

"It was quite clear for me to name the same 15. A simple decision," said Lievremont

"It is the same as last week with minor injuries... I expect these 15 players to be on the pitch at nine o'clock on Sunday.

"Everything has been more or less the same - our preparation on and off the pitch - and we will use any pressure we are feeling to our advantage."

Focusing

Lievremont, who steps down as France coach after the final at Eden Park, has delayed naming his bench until later in the week.

"There are still some players slightly injured who didn't train yesterday, so I will name replacements later," said Lievremont.

Les Bleus go into the game with few giving them a chance of upsetting the odds - particularly after they were thumped 37-17 by the All Blacks in the pool stages.

However Lievremont insists his side - who have twice shocked New Zealand in previous World Cups - can win their first-ever Webb Ellis trophy.

"Yes, we've played them before, and we all remember the score there," Lievremont said. "But we now know the team and that will help us.

"All I am focusing on now is this match, preparing the players and making sure we have the best chance possible.

"I know how we are going to try to win but I'll keep those words for my players' ears only."

France: 15 Maxime Medard, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Aurelien Rougerie, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Alexis Palisson, 10 Morgan Parra, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Julien Bonnaire, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (capt), 5 Lionel Nallet, 4 Pascal Pape, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Jean Baptiste Poux

Gatland Considered Feigning Injury

Wales coach Warren Gatland has revealed he considered asking a front-row forward to feign injury and force uncontested scrums during the controversial World Cup semi-final defeat against France.

Gatland had already seen prop Adam Jones depart with a calf injury, and then eight minutes later Wales captain Sam Warburton was sent off by Irish referee Alain Rolland.

Despite being reduced to 14 men for more than an hour, Wales scored the game's only try through scrum-half Mike Phillips and only lost by a point, 9-8.

Gatland, still disappointed by the referee's decision, revealed that in the wake of the red card the coaches talked about faking an injury.

'I know a lot has been spoken about the red card,' Gatland said.

'In retrospect, I can understand in any game under the letter of the law there are a number of decisions referees can make.

'I just thought on that occasion, given the significance of a World Cup semi-final, to give a yellow card would have been an appropriate decision.

'That is why they are appointed as the top referees in the world, because they make the right decisions.'

Gatland continued: 'I will give you an example with what happened after that. We'd already lost Adam Jones, and we discussed in the (coaches) box whether we would fake an injury to one of our props and go to uncontested scrums.

'But morally, I made the decision it wasn't the right thing to do.

'We could easily have done that in the first 25-30 minutes, but in the spirit of the game, in the spirit of a World Cup semi-final, I didn't think that was the fairest or the right thing.

'That is why I honestly believe Alain Rolland made the wrong decision. Under the rules and regulations he was perfectly entitled to give a red card. But every game is different.

'You have to take the circumstances of the situation and the intent, and in that situation, given his experience and the role he was given, a yellow card was the right decision to make.'

Now Gatland and Wales must turn their attention to Friday's bronze medal match against Australia at Eden Park.

Prop Gethin Jenkins has been appointed captain in Warburton's absence, while Toby Faletau, the only Wales player with a 100% appearance record in the tournament, will move from number eight to openside flanker to fill Warburton's boots.

Former Wales skipper Ryan Jones will fill the number eight role, with Paul James packing down at tighthead prop instead of Adam Jones, who has a calf muscle injury.

One change, also in the pack, sees Bradley Davies replacing Alun-Wyn Jones. Ospreys lock Jones is on the bench, where forwards Ryan Bevington and Andy Powell have been handed call-ups.

'We are sticking with the majority of the side which has put together a string of performances for us so far in this tournament,' Gatland said.

'The one change which wasn't forced, in the second row, is based on the fact that Alun-Wyn Jones ran himself into the ground when we had 14 men against France.

'We face Australia back home at the Millennium Stadium in just over a month's time, and we are single-minded in our assertion that we want that homecoming to be a celebration of us achieving the status of one of the top three teams in the world.

'We have come a long way and put together a string of performances that the nation can be proud of so far in New Zealand.

'And we need to ensure that the history books reflect what we know we are capable of. And it is only by beating the Wallabies on Friday that we feel this will be achieved.'

Jenkins, capped 81 times, has led Wales on two previous occasions.

Wales are already guaranteed their most successful World Cup campaign since the inaugural 1987 tournament in New Zealand.

On that occasion they beat Australia to finish third, and the Wallabies are again the opponents after their World Cup hopes ended through a 20-6 defeat against New Zealand last Sunday.

'We feel pretty hollow with what happened last week, so it's going to be a test of character of this side to get themselves up for Friday,' Gatland added.

'We feel very hollow and very empty about what happened against France and pretty unfulfilled, really. We felt like the better team is not in the final of the World Cup.

'We feel like we've shown a lot of character, we feel like we've played some great rugby since we've been here.

'If this team goes out (on Friday) and performs like we're capable of doing, we will leave here with our heads held high having earned a lot of respect.'

Friday's game could mark the end of Wales' record international try-scorer Shane Williams' Test career.

Williams has said on several occasions that he was considering stepping down after the World Cup, although no firm decision has yet been announced.

Gatland added: 'He has been an absolute superstar for Wales, one of the most exciting rugby players in the northern hemisphere.

'Whether this one is his last one or whether the next Australia one (on December 3 in Cardiff) is his last one, we're not too sure. There is definitely not that many to go anyway.

'He will make that decision himself. It's not something that I'm going to publicly come out and say "he's not going to be selected in the future".'

Halfpenny Heartbreak at Eden Park

Leigh Halfpenny has spoken of his heartbreak over the agonising late penalty miss that could have booked Wales' World Cup final place.

Wales full-back Halfpenny stepped up five minutes from time to attempt a long-range kick amid the seething cauldron of a controversial semi-final against France at Eden Park.

But his 50-metre strike for glory dipped inches under the bar, and Wales were left to painfully reflect on a World Cup exit they hardly deserved after their captain Sam Warburton was sent off and powerhouse prop Adam Jones departed injured inside the opening 18 minutes.

"I thought the kick was there," said Halfpenny, whose distraught features mirrored a Wales team that threw everything at the French with 14 men for more than an hour.

"I did not hit it quite properly, but I still thought it was going over. It was not the best strike, but it was on target and I will have to look at the video again to see how close it was.

"I have put a lot of work into my kicking over the years, and it all came down to that moment. It was not to be and it was massively disappointing.

"It kills me talking about it."

The 22-year-old Cardiff Blues star has been an outstanding contributor to Wales' World Cup cause, and a demoralising 9-8 defeat left Halfpenny and company contemplating a bronze medal match before they go home, rather than a final.

Wales are guaranteed their most successful World Cup since the inaugural tournament 24 years ago, but it will be of little comfort to a squad that has lost two games in New Zealand - both by a point - against France and South Africa.

"You cannot fault the effort of the boys. Everyone gave everything," Halfpenny added. "It was an outstanding effort, but it was not to be our day.

"We are massively disappointed at going out. We believed we could come here and win and be in the final. We believed that from the very beginning.

"From all the hard work and everything, I can honestly tell you that the boys have given absolutely everything we possibly could have done in terms of preparation.

"In every game the boys have given their absolute all and this is just so massively disappointing, but all credit to France. They knew how to win, and they did so."

Halfpenny also paid a glowing tribute to Warburton, one of the tournament's stand-out performers, who was dismissed by Irish referee Alain Rolland for a dangerous tip tackle on France wing Vincent Clerc.

"A yellow card would have sufficed for Sam, and it would have helped the game a bit," he said.

"We were massively disappointed to see Sam go because he has been phenomenal for us. He has been an absolute credit to us and to Wales.

"I cannot speak highly enough of the guy. He has been immense for us, and it was hugely disappointing to see him leaving the field."

Wales must now somehow pick themselves up for the so-called consolation final, yet the future is bright after coach Warren Gatland's matchday squad yesterday included eight players aged 23 or under.

"We have to look forward," Halfpenny added. "The experience the youngsters will have gained from this has been immense, and I am sure it will help them in the future when they are in another situation like it.

Henry Praises Heroic Kiwi Win

New Zealand coach Graham Henry said his side's performance was "heroic" after they booked a World Cup final against France by defeating Australia 20-6.

"They were fabulous, weren't they? They showed huge character," he said.

"They gave 100%. They gave everything, they were just outstanding."

Captain Richie McCaw described his side's performance as "awesome" but warned the job was far from done as New Zealand seek their first world title since 1987 - and only second ever.

"We've got next week to look forward to and I'm very proud of the way the guys fronted up," he said.

"It was a pretty good performance tonight but we won't get carried away, we will need it again next week."

All Blacks coach Henry said his side "had a huge physical presence from minute one to minute 80, led by Richie [McCaw]", adding that McCaw was "outstanding both in playing and leadership".

The coach continued: "Richie would probably be modest and say our front five dominated theirs and gave us a bit of an edge, which they did. But I thought he was pretty special myself."

Henry was in charge when New Zealand fell at the quarter-final stage in 2007 at the hands of France.

Asked what was behind the win over the Wallabies, he replied: "Four years of planning, I suppose. Four years of guys being frustrated and wanting to do the job, four years of trying to get things right.

"We have lot of history with France at World Cups. We respect them and it will be a big game next week."

Australia coach Robbie Deans - a former All Black assistant coach - believes New Zealand are firm favourites to beat France in Auckland next Sunday.

"The All Blacks showed tonight they are more than capable of winning that final," said Deans.

"The intent is there, they are an experienced group. For the nucleus of them it is their third attempt, they are well versed, they are hungry and they have a lot of support around them.

"They will take a lot of stopping from here. Good luck to New Zealand in the final. They have worked hard for this opportunity."

The defeat was Australia's biggest ever World Cup loss and captain James Horwill admitted: "They deserved to win, we were out-played by a better side today.

"Everyone's pretty disappointed. You can hear a pin drop in the dressing room. It's a tough pill to swallow."

Australia's New Zealand born fly-half Quade Cooper had a night to forget, producing some superb moments but book ending the match by sending the kick-off out on the full, before being tackled into touch to end the game.

After a needling McCaw on a couple of occasions in the preceding 12 months he has been a target for New Zealand fans throughout the tournament.

"Everyone was trying to get at me personally, but I definitely think I'm going to be better off for it. The way everybody came at me from all angles, whether it be media, the crowd, trying to make a big buzz out of it - I got used to it and I think I drew a lot of confidence out of it," he insisted.

"I'm not in a position to point fingers about that and have a cry about it, mate. It's there, it's going to happen and it has happened. It was just about getting on and doing the best I could for my team. I feel I did that."

All Blacks Dominate Wallabies

A dominant all-round display helped New Zealand book their place in the Rugby World Cup final as they saw off Australia 20-6.

The All Blacks defied the massive weight of expectation placed on them by their fellow-countrymen and never looked back from Ma'a Nonu's early try.

Piri Weepu's 12 points and Aaron Cruden's drop goal kept New Zealand in front throughout, although it was the immense effort in defence - led by the awesome Richie McCaw - that broke the Wallabies.

Israel Dagg, Cory Jane and Nonu also caught the eye in attack, while the pack were on top at the breakdown.

Australia were not helped by an off-night from Quade Cooper, who was specifically targeted by the hosts, and some ill-discipline, while they were left frustrated in attack.

James O'Connor and a Cooper drop goal was the best that they could manage as they failed to break the solid black wall.

The All Blacks were rewarded for a blistering start as Dagg's sublime run set up Nonu for the try after five minutes. The full-back handed off Rocky Elsom before offloading to Nonu just before he was bundled into touch.

Deficit

Weepu missed the conversion and then hit the post with a simple penalty shot - however he settled his nerves on 13 minutes after Pocock was penalised for hands in the ruck.

Australia hit back immediately when Pocock's openside rival McCaw was pinged and O'Connor made no mistake.

But although Weepu missed another regulation effort at the sticks, the pressure on Australia told as Cruden slotted over a drop goal to get it back to 11-3.

Cooper cut the deficit to six points with a well-struck drop goal on 32 minutes as Australia enjoyed a rare spell of pressure in the New Zealand 22 - but Weepu responded with a penalty in front of the posts just before the break.

Weepu gave the All Blacks some breathing space a minute after the restart with his third successful penalty - however he was off-target on 56 minutes, while Cruden also failed to put the game out of sight.

Australia, though, just couldn't find any way back into the contest - and Weepu, back on as a blood replacement, put New Zealand 14 points clear with nine minutes left.

Sonny Bill Williams was on for just three minutes before he was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Cooper - but New Zealand shut up shop with some stunning defence.

Inspecteur Lievremont Knocks Brats

France coach Marc Lievremont has called some of his players "spoiled brats" for ignoring orders not to go out after their semi-final win over Wales.

Lievremont said he told his players what he thought of their decision.

"I told them they are a bunch of spoiled brats ["sales gosses"]," he said.

"Undisciplined, disobedient, sometimes selfish. Always complaining, always moaning. It has been like this for four years."

Lievremont did not name the culprits but, when asked how the players had responded to his harsh words, he added with a smile: "Oh, they appreciated them.

"I also told them I have a lot of affection for them. We are in the final but it is a shame they don't look after themselves."

In 1999 we spent four days celebrating our semi-final win. We didn't prepare properly and I don't want us to relive this same thingMarc Lievremont

Lievremont, who will step down and be replaced by Philippe Saint-Andre after next Sunday's World Cup final, wants to ensure his players do not repeat the experience of 1999.

The former flanker was part of the side that upset the All Blacks in a memorable Twickenham semi-final but could not repeat the same level of performance against Australia in the final.

"The problem is, we are not world champions yet, we're only in the final," Lievremont said. "Does it really surprise you, my attitude?

"In 1999 we spent four days celebrating our semi-final win. We didn't prepare properly and I don't want us to relive this same thing."

The coach nevertheless dismissed his players' night out as "incidental".

"It's really not very important," he added. "It is not a few cigarettes, the two or three beers... or the extra dessert they eat that will affect their preparation for the final."

After the red card, we adopted the wrong plan. We were suffering under the Welsh pressureFrance wing Vincent Clerc

Meanwhile France wing Vincent Clerc admits he "was never so scared on a field" as when 14-man Wales went through 26 phases of attack in the final minutes in a desperate attempt to win the game.

He said it took some time for the team to realise the enormity of their achievement in reaching the final.

"We went back to the lockers very quietly," he recalled. "It took us two to three minutes to realise that it was done, that the game was over, that we were in the final.

"We are really relieved because we suffered all through the game. After the red card, we adopted the wrong plan. We were suffering under the Welsh pressure. We did not do anything in attack and we lost a lot of balls.

"Fortunately, our defence was pretty remarkable. We managed to stay disciplined and that also saved us. I was never so scared on a field."

Flanker Julien Bonnaire added: "Maybe we thought a bit too early in the game that we had won?

"We were not good in the pool phase. We disappointed many people, here and back home, but I hope we made it up for them by making the final."

Ashley-Cooper is Beale Replacement

Australia full-back Kurtley Beale will miss Sunday's World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Auckland.

The 22-year-old failed to recover sufficiently from a hamstring strain sustained in their quarter-final victory over South Africa.

Adam Ashley-Cooper will switch to full-back with Anthony Fainga'a coming into the side at outside centre.

He partners Pat McCabe, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, in midfield with Rob Horne on the bench.

It's going to be tough watching it from the sidelines, I can't deny that, but it's about the team, not meKurtley Beale

"It's disappointing but is an outcome we'd catered for through our preparation this week," coach Robbie Deans said of Beale's absence.

"We always anticipated it would be unlikely that Kurtley would be ready, but we wanted to give him every opportunity to make it. Unfortunately time has run out."

Beale, who won this year's John Eales Medal as the outstanding Australia rugby player of the season, believes he will be ready to play in the final next Sunday if his team-mates can beat the All Blacks without him.

"It's going to be tough watching it from the sidelines, I can't deny that, but it's about the team, not me," he said.

"We've tried, and the medical staff have done a great job, but it's best for the team that I miss this one. I'm not far away and will hopefully be ready to go next week."

On the bench, Rob Simmons is selected ahead of veteran lock Nathan Sharpe, who will have to wait to become only the fifth Australian to win 100 Test caps.

"We make the decisions that we believe are going to be best for us and sentiment around the 100 [Tests] doesn't come into consideration," Deans added.

"Rob is athletic and he's got a slightly different skills set to Sharpie and we anticipate a lateral challenge from the All Blacks.

"We suspect they will use the ball side to side, they will see some opportunities to do that from our last outing and that's the point of difference between Simmons and Sharpe."

Australia's last victory over New Zealand at Eden Park was in 1986 and the All Blacks have not been beaten by anyone at the ground in 17 years.

But Deans believes those statistics will count for little on Sunday.

"Those are impressive numbers for sure," he said. "But they don't matter once Sunday's match kicks off.

"Rugby World Cup elimination matches are stand-alone contests, distinct from any other that are played in the international game.

"The pressure is divided equally on both sides as there is no tomorrow, and the ultimate prize [a place in the Rugby World Cup final] awaits the side which earns that right of passage."

Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper; James O'Connor, Anthony Fainga'a, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane; Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, Dan Vickerman, James Horwill (capt), Rocky Elsom, David Pocock, Radike Samo.

Replacements: Tatafu Polota Nau, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Ben McCalman, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Rob Horne.

Warburton Costly Tackle for Wales

Wales captain Sam Warburton said there was "no malicious intent" in the tackle for which he was was sent off in their 9-8 World Cup semi-final defeat by France in Auckland.

Irish referee Alain Rolland banished the flanker for a dangerous tackle on wing Vincent Clerc in the 18th minute.

Warburton said: "I'm obviously gutted, but there was no malicious intent.

"I felt like as soon as it hit him his bodyweight took control of what happened."

Warburton, 23, led Wales to the last four for the first time since the inaugural 1987 tournament.

The sending-off means Warburton could miss the next game - the third-fourth play-off in Auckland on Friday.

The 23-year-old flanker added: "I thought it was a normal tackle, next thing I was walking off into the stands.

"The courage and bravery the lads showed was second to none."

Wales coach Warren Gatland was also left "gutted" by the sending off, believing the incident denied his side the chance to compete effectively.

His side also lost prop Adam Jones to injury early on. He was replaced by Paul James at tight-head prop.

The International Rugby Board's rule on 'spear tackles' reads: "It is dangerous play to lift a player from the ground and drop or drive that player into the ground whilst that player's feet are still off the ground so that the player's head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground."

Ahead of the tournament a directive was also issued to referees relating to such tackles, which stated: "Foul play - high tackles, grabbing and twisting of the head and tip tackles to be emphasised, with referees to start at red and work backwards."

IRB recommended sanctions for such tackles start at bans of three weeks for offences considered to be at the lower end of the scale, six weeks for middle-level transgressions and end at 10 weeks or more for the worst 'spear tackles'.

But Warburton's sending off prompted instant condemnation among watching pundits, players and coaches.

Former Wales defence coach Clive Griffiths said: "That is the worst decision I've seen in my whole career."

South Africa's 1995 World Cup-winning captain Francois Pienaar said: "It is wrong, it is wrong. It was a dangerous tackle, yes, it was a penalty, yes.

"At best it was a yellow card, it was never a red card. It killed the game. In a World Cup semi-final, with the world watching, you have all that technology at your disposal, why not make that decision with the video referee?"

Wales flanker Martyn Williams, who was overlooked for the tournament in Warburton's favour, said: "He [referee Alain Rolland] has got to have more empathy for the game.

"If anything Sam has made too good a tackle. It is a ridiculous decision."

Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio added: "He has lifted him up, realised his feet have gone up, and then let him go.

"This ref refereed the last World Cup final, he is supposed to be one of the best in the world. But he has made a terrible decision."

Warburton is the second Welshman to be sent off in a World Cup.

The first was Huw Richards, of Neath, against New Zealand in the 1987 semi-final.

Richards was dismissed for punching Gary Whetton in a game Wales lost 49-6, but they went on to earn third place after beating Australia in the play-off in Rotorua.

New Zealand and Australia face each other on Sunday in the second semi-final with Wales to face the losers.

Wales Believe They Can Reach Final

Wales approach arguably the biggest match in their history confident they can reach their first World Cup final.

The semi-final with France is their first since the inaugural event in 1987, while Les Bleusare in their fifth straight last-four clash.

About 65,000 fans are expected to watch the match on a giant screen at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

"We know the whole nation is behind us. We have to deliver for them," assistant coach Shaun Edwards told BBC 5 live.

France have won nine of the countries' last 11 meetings over the last decade, Wales' only victories coming in their Six Nations Grand Slam years of 2005 and 2008.

But Edwards insists France's greater World Cup pedigree means little to a well-drilled 22 featuring eight players under 23, eight British and Irish Lions and 10 Grand Slam winners, all bursting with energy and confidence.

"They really couldn't care less if France have been in five straight semi-finals or whatever," the defence guru said. "They are in front of us, so they need sorting out tomorrow."

Edwards remains wary of the threats in the French backline, in particular the "exceptional" full-back Maxime Medard - "one of the best broken-field runners in world rugby" - and the support play of wing Vincent Clerc. "He often scores tries on the opposite side of the field to where he plays," Edwards noted.

He also believes Wales will have to counter the combined threat of number eight Imanol Harinordoquy, scrum-half Dimitri Yachivili and converted fly-half Morgan Parra. "They will have a big say in the tactics. That is a link we have to try to disrupt as much as we can."

Wales will also need to maintain their improved work at the set-pieces, but if they can match France there, their superb fitness levels may prevail.

"[France tight-head prop] Nicolas Mas likes to bore in a bit on the hooker, so it is up to us to hold our scrum strong, and to stop their driven line-out," Edwards added.

"If we can do that, keep the ball in play and make it a really testing game fitness-wise, then we will have a chance."

Wales have been forced into one change to their starting line-up, after fly-half Rhys Priestland - a stand-out performer in their run to the semis - was forced out with a shoulder injury.

But with James Hook, who will be winning his 58th cap, coming in to replace him, France coach Marc Lievremont believes Wales will be even stronger.

"It's not great news for us," said the Tricolores coach. "Priestland is a good player, but James Hook is an experienced player and Wales will undoubtedly be stronger with him.

"He is more of an all-round player, more experienced, and experience at this level is very important when you see the youth in the Wales team."

Lievremont admits the increasing potency of the Welsh at this World Cup has given him sleepless nights about the outcome. "Yes, I am afraid," he shrugged. "Above all I am afraid of the Welsh.

"Right now we are running on adrenaline. I keep telling myself I can sleep in 10 days' time. I don't need much sleep generally, but it is true, I am more stressed right now.

"What we need to remember is that we had never beaten England at such a high level. That's something we can take strength from."

With Yachvili recovering from a thigh injury to take his place at scrum-half, France field an unchanged starting side, but another number nine - Jean-Marc Doussain - and flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo come onto the bench.

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny; George North, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams; James Hook, Mike Phillips; Gethin Jenkins, Huw Bennett, Adam Jones, Luke Charteris, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton (capt), Toby Faletau.

Replacements: Lloyd Burns, Paul James, Bradley Davies, Ryan Jones, Lloyd Williams, Stephen Jones, Scott Williams.

France: Maxime Medard; Vincent Clerc, Aurelien Rougerie, Maxime Mermoz, Alexis Palisson; Morgan Parra, Dimitri Yachvili; Jean-Baptiste Poux, William Servat, Nicolas Mas, Pascal Pape, Lionel Nallet, Thierry Dusautoir (capt), Julien Bonnaire, Imanol Harinordoquy.

Replacements: Dimitri Szarzewski, Fabien Barcella, Julien Pierre, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Francois Trinh-Duc, Jean-Marc Doussain, Cedric Heymans.

Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)

Cooper Cranks Up Kiwi Countrymen

Australia fly-half Quade Cooper has done little to quash his status as New Zealand's "public enemy No 1" after cranking up the pressure on the All Blacks ahead of Sunday's World Cup semi-final.

Cooper, who was born in New Zealand, has been subjected to a barrage of terrace abuse throughout Australia's campaign due to a long-running spat with All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.

However, the 23 year-old insists the barracking has not been a distraction and said pointedly that New Zealand fans have greater things to worry about.

The All Blacks have not lifted the Webb Ellis trophy since 1987 and have failed to reach the World Cup final at every tournament since 1995.

And Cooper agreed it would be "a tough one for them to swallow" if he was to inflict further World Cup misery by scoring the winning points at Eden Park this weekend.

"They are supposed to have won this World Cup for the past three tournaments and this is no different," Cooper said.

"A lot of pressure is on them to win this competition on home soil so I am sure they will be worried about how they are going.

"These are the moments you play rugby for, an opportunity to play against the best team in the world in their back yard in a World Cup semi-final."

Rocky Elsom, the former Leinster flanker, waded in behind Cooper to drive home the Wallabies' message that all the pressure is on All Black shoulders.

"They're the No 1-ranked team in the world and they're in a country where they expect them to win the World Cup. Regardless of what happens the public expect that," Elsom said.

"You get a feeling around town that they won't tolerate anything less."

Cooper could have been lining up for the All Blacks this weekend had he taken up the option of returning to New Zealand as an 18 year-old.

"There was a time in my career where I had to decide whether I wanted to come play on this side of the Tasman," Cooper said.

"I had been living in Australia for such a long period of time, my whole family had moved over, I was enjoying my lifestyle.

"It was a very tough decision to want to move away from my family again and I was just starting to make a career with the Queensland Reds.

"I decided that that was the best fit for me."

There will be one small corner of New Zealand cheering Cooper on this weekend.

His Maori grandmother, Millie, still lives in Kaikohe and she has roped all her bowls club friends into cheering on her 'mokopuna' (grandchild).

"She has sent me a lot of text messages saying all her friends from the local bowls club are right behind me. That is a very heart-warming boost of confidence," Cooper added.

Australia are still sweating over the fitness of star full-back Kurtley Beale, who suffered a hamstring injury and did not train today.

Prop Sekope Kepu is also struggling with an ankle injury suffered in the Wallabies' quarter-final win against South Africa.

Cooper did not enjoy his best game last week as Australia, known for their scintillating back play, battled to an 11-9 victory over the Springboks.

"There is a lot on the line. The game at the weekend against South Africa shows the boys are up to it," he said.

"That wasn't the brightest performance but it just shows the character of the team to push through, not play your best game but still come away with the points.

"Having a good game will take second fiddle to winning the game."

Wallabies centre Anthony Fainga'a fired a warning to any All Blacks who believe they can target Cooper.

"I can tell you this," he said. "He never has two bad games in a row. Ever."