The post-match inquest had probably already begun back in New Zealand, where no defeat hurts more. Where to now? Cardiff on Thursday, was John Hart's reply, and it seemed an unwitting example of black humour.

The dark suits which he and his players had worn in every post-match press conference had made them looked smart, but now it just lent to the funereal atmosphere as an initially hushed press corps watched them file into the room much like passersby observing a crash.

At first, it looked as if even Hart might be lost for words. Could he explain that defeat. "Not really," he began, before correcting himself. "Well, I can explain it in the sense that we got what we deserved. We made too many errors and the French played exceptionally well. They put it (the ball) in behind us and you've just got to give credit to the French.

"They gave it everything that we expected, and more. In the end we can make no excuses. We were outplayed in the second-half from a situation where we should have won."

It was put to the unfortunate Taine Randell (who'd envy his position?) that perhaps the All Blacks had endeavoured to close out the game when ahead in the second-half, though if the truth be told they singularly didn't try to do that.

"We didn't try and close up things," he responded, a slightly puzzled crease on his brow. "We just made too many mistakes. They put the ball down in our half and we couldn't get out without giving away points." He also rejected the notion that his team had been `outpassioned'. "No, our guys were focussed. I think we were just outplayed."

Hart, attempting to rationalise it some more, also rejected the idea that they had underestimated the French. "They turned every opportunity into scores. They used their speed well, they took the ball up well and they retained the ball longer than we did. No excuses. We have to take it on the chin. We were outplayed."

Jonah Lomu also used the word `outplayed', "and I'm one of those guys who knows you never let your guard down against the French. Give them an opportunity and they'll take a mile. My track record against the French isn't very good. They play with a lot of pace, a lot of passion and a lot of pride but I'm proud of the guys as well. As for myself personally, I didn't play that bad but that's irrelevant."

Hart, replying to the suggestion that the team's relative inexperience cost them the game, said: "possibly, but I take full responsibility for the loss as a coach. We let ourselves down, we let our plans down and we're obviously fairly devastated by that. This still is a young side and it will get better, but that's not an excuse. We had enough experience and enough opportunities to win that game from 24-10."

Randell also accepted culpability: "I guess as captain you take a huge role in that. We gave them chances, in our half we made mistakes. They took their points and went on a roll from there."

At regular intervals, the words of the New Zealanders were competing with joyous renditions of Les Marseillaise or Allez les Bleus. And they were barely off their seats when applause began for the arrival of French coach Jean-Claude Skrela and captain Raphael Ibanez.

Skrela said he hoped that "this victory will bring joy to everyone in France, not just to rugby players and rugby supporters, but everyone." And the sense of undiluted joy assuredly didn't stop within the boundaries of France. As Skrela partially acknowledged, they'll be carrying the Northern Hemisphere flag into this final in an attempt to wrest the Webb Ellis Trophy from the Southern Hemisphere giants for the first time.

"It won't change anything in the evolution or the organisation of rugby but I just want to thank everybody who supported us this week and we will try to do the same again next week," he added.

Ibanez revealed France's equally powerful tool for self-motivation when they went into a huddle after the Haka. "Well, we knew we had to prepare for war. Some soldiers sing before they go into war and we sang the Marseillaise. We really wanted that victory. We worked very hard for it and we're really happy."

Never looking more content, Ibanez was asked about the `dream' of 33 unanswered points. "When I play a match I never dream. All the players had their heads on their shoulders today and they were able to play solid all the time, and if we managed to bring people joy today and maybe even made them cry, then we are happy."

Oh, so French.