The All Blacks blew away a cloud that had threatened to hang over the rugby World Cup as they qualified for the quarterfinals with a 37-17 victory over France at Eden Park Saturday. The victory, in captain Richie McCaw's 100th test for the All Blacks, guaranteed the hosts a last-eight place and banished the bad memories of the 20-18 defeat by the French in the quarterfinals of the 2007 tournament. It also allowed New Zealanders to breathe a collective sigh of relief: the All Blacks also lost to France in the 1999 semifinals and many saw Saturday's match as another potential upset. While France was the last side to beat the All Blacks at Eden Park in 1994 any chances of a repeat ended when the New Zealanders ran in three quick tries in the first half to take a 19-0 lead. They engulfed the French defensively and conceded two tries against the run of play only long after the game was won. After criticism of Auckland's public transport system, many of the 60,856 fans walked to Eden Park, while others arrived early to ensure they missed any log-jams. Organizers opened the gates earlier than in previous matches and broadcast England's 67-3 victory over Romania in Dunedin on the big screens at the ground to keep the fans occupied before kickoff. Martin Johnson's team cut the Romanian defense to shreds, running in 10 tries, with wingers Mark Cueto and Chris Ashton both grabbing a hat trick. The pair combined for all five of England's first-half tries as the Six Nations champions put the game beyond doubt by the break with a 34-3 lead. Fijian loose forward Dominiko Waqaniburotu's World Cup all but ended when tournament officials dismissed his appeal against a three-match ban for a dangerous tackle he made in their match against South Africa.
