The Pool D decider has got the world watching as well....

Ah, unifying must-watch television moments and beauty queens. It's like the 20th century all over again.

David Humphreys
Former Ireland fly-half

“Today will be decided by whether Ireland can match France’s physicality.

"France have a massive pack and they will bully Ireland up front and Mathieu Bastareaud will attempt to bully the Irish defence as well.

“If Ireland can deal with that, tactically I believe that they have a much better team – although I am very surprised that Joe Schmidt has left Iain Henderson out of Ireland’s starting line-up.

"Henderson's absence suggests Ireland are going to kick the ball off the pitch a lot and then hope that they can disrupt the France line-out."

John Haughey
BBC Sport at the Millennium Stadium

Look who we bumped into at Dublin Airport at the ungodly hour of 6.30 this morning - former Ireland prop John ‘the Bull’ Hayes on his way to the big match.

The 105-times capped Limerick man is tentatively tipping Ireland to edge out the French.

“It’s going to be tight but I think we’ll just do it. We’ll need to play a lot better than we did against Italy last week, though,” he said.

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Getty Images

The winners of this match will play an impressive Argentina in the quarter-finals.

The losers will get the defending champions New Zealand.

A draw, by the way, will see Ireland top the pool on points difference.

All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick will be supporting Ireland, hoping that his team can avoid a reunion with a French side that shocked them - and the world - in the 1999 and 2007 tournaments.

"I rather see New Zealand play Ireland every time," he told the Sunday Times., external

"Joe Schmidt is clearly a good coach and his team should have won the last time they met New Zealand, but Ireland have not really performed so far in England."

John Haughey
BBC Sport NI at the Millennium Stadium

And so the real test arrives for Ireland in the Gallic guise of a nation that invariably gets it right at World Cup time.

It’s surely the moment of truth, or should we say ‘moment de verite’, for Joe Schmidt’s squad. Defeat will see the Irish meeting holders New Zealand in the quarter-finals back here in Cardiff next Saturday evening. Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks in 28 meetings stretching back to 1905. An Ireland victory will mean a last-eight contest with Argentina at the Millennium Stadium a week from today. Far from easy but sounds a better option, we think.

Image source, Inpho

Bottom of the class for these fellas though.

They have attempted to recreate the iconic mascot of French rugby and ended up looking like an accident in the Breaking Bad prop department.

Image source, Getty Images

The French are bringing some serious fancy-dress game to the Welsh capital today.

Draw up your list and tick em' off. 

Napoleons?

Check.

Image source, Getty Images

Iconic Gallic tyre manufacturer/food critic? (An admittedly strange combo)

Check.

Image source, Getty Images

Captain France. Asterix. Er, giant chicken man?

Check. Check. And check.

Image source, Getty Images

Folks, Cardiff is absolutely rocking ahead of this Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

The streets are thronged with green jerseys and it's reckoned that some 15,000 French fans have also made their way to the Welsh capital for this Pool D decider. The atmosphere was tremendous three weeks ago when Ireland fans invaded Cardiff for the team's World Cup opener against Canada but the excitement today is up several levels from that. Not too many punters in here yet but we're assured it will be a 74,500 full house.

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Getty Images

"Do you hear the people sing, singing the songs of drunken men?"

It looks like a scene from Les Miserables on the streets of Cardiff this afternoon, if the sans-culottes had worn green jester hats.

Image source, Getty

Sexton was also a marked man in the Six Nations meeting between the two sides in February.

A clash of heads with France centre Mathieu Bastareaud left him nursing a bloody eye. But he returned to the pitch the pitch and piloted his side to an 18-11 win.

That was Ireland's second successive win over France. They have not won three in a row against the French since 1973.

The last seven games between the two have all been settled by margins of seven points or fewer, including two draws in 2012 and 2013.

Strap in. It's going to be close.

Image source, L'Equipe

And France prop Eddy Ben Arous is chief bounty-hunter.

"I am going to hunt him down. We are going to go after him 200%," he told the press this week.

There have been off-the-record briefing as well. An unnamed source at Racing 92 - the French club that Sexton is leaving at the end of this tournament - told l'Equipe that he was "a self-centred boy capable of terrible anger". 

The article bore the headline "Johnny Cash"., external

Jonathan Sexton

Image source, Getty Images

The mastermind of the Irish outfit.

Distinguishing features: an unerring boot, a supercomputer rugby brain, a quick temper.

Reward: not having to play the All Blacks.