Ben Dirs
BBC Sport at the Millennium Stadium

Image source, PA

Pre-match nibbles don't come much chunkier than the Marseillaise followed by the French fronting up to the Haka with the roof on in Cardiff. All Blacks fans seem to be vastly outnumbered by the French - could that be a factor?

Image source, AFP

The tunnel theatre is superb at the Millennium Stadium.

The two captains line up facing each other across the corridor. Thierry Dusautoir and Richie McCaw will come into a lot closer contact over the next 80 minutes.

Out they stride into a potent Cardiff night.

Anthems next.

Denis Hickie
Former Ireland winger on BBC Radio 5 live

This is one gateau that the French are not going to like.

New Zealand have gobbled down the majority of the matches between these two sides. 

Image source, .BBC

Andrew Mehrtens
Former New Zealand fly-half on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, AFP

BBC Radio 5 Live

This match is live on BBC Radio 5 live. For all the action from Cardiff in crackle-free digital quality, punch the audio icon at the top of this page.

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Whatever he has been saying during the week, coach Philippe Saint-Andre has fed the French psyche what it needs.

"They're the best team in the world and have the best players in every position," said fly-half Freddie Michalak.

"On paper they're the strongest side, but if we have that two percent chance we'll take it.''

Backed into a corner they are going to come out fighting. 

Image source, Getty Images

Marc Lievremont was the man who oversaw France's World Cup final defeat by New Zealand four years ago.

That side was not noted for flair. But this match has got Lievremont waxing about a mix of running rugby and 'robust' forward play.

"For every ball, the team must behave like a hungry pack of dogs. We must fight centimetre by centimetre against them," he told Le Monde., external

"Some say the French flair is not there any more, but I think it is anchored in this group.

"These players, with their education and culture, have it in them, but they haven't expressed it yet."

Tennis player Richard Gasquet, the world number 11, is anxious about tonight. Who can blame him, as New Zealand have won 11 World Cup matches in a row.  He has tweeted, "So anxious tonight!! Go 'Les Bleus'."  

Image source, Getty Images

Has something been lost in translation?

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen thinks so.

 "I can understand there is a bit of concern back home, because they are at home and not here," he said. 

"They don't know everything we've been doing, and they will be a little bit apprehensive about a few things because they don't have any control over it."

Number eight Kieran Read has suggested that the All Blacks have some training-ground moves in cold storage for "when we need them ... later in the year."

Image source, Getty Images

If the French are going to ignite today, then Freddie Michalak will be the man touching torch to fuse.

The 33-year-old has a decent claim to being the most naturally talented player of his generation.

He has not always been the hardest-working. But after moving to Toulon in 2012 some of team-mate Jonny Wilkinson's elbow grease rubbed off on him.

As well as moments of magic with the ball in hand, he is now a reliable kicker off the tee. Although he may well be back-up to Morgan Parra in that department today.

France's fans have turned into superheros. 

Can the 15 on the field do the same?

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Jones
BBC Radio 5 live at the Millennium Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Who knows if the champagne rugby is about to be uncorked, but France have already ticked one of your I-Spy French rugby stereotypes.

Captain Thierry Dusautoir has had to counter reports of mutiny in the French camp.

"All the boys, coaches and manager are working together," Dusautoir said when asked about the rumours.

Coach Philippe Saint-Andre is a dead duck with Toulouse's Guy Noves already appointed as his post-tournament replacement.

Image source, Getty Images

"We must not think, we must just play rugby," said Philippe Saint-Andre this week.

If too much thinking was the problem last week against Ireland, he would have half a team out with severe grey matter strain. 

They were awful, melting away like a Solero in the Sahara in the second half.

BBC man on the scene Ben Dirs does not rate the French chances highly today.

"If creative life "begins on the other side of despair", as Sartre once wrote, then France have a glimmer. But despair is only a motivation, you also need the flair," concludes his feature on today's match. The rest of it is just as good, click away.

The French press have a message for their team...and possibly their opponents.

Image source, La Depeche

By the way, the Millennium Stadium is the only World Cup venue New Zealand have lost at more than once (2007 quarter-final v France & 1999 third-place play-off v South Africa).

Ben Dirs
BBC Sport at the Millennium Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

"It is like the last days of Rome in Cardiff, although some would argue that every Saturday night is like this in the Welsh capital. 

"Desolate Wales fans mingle with optimistic French fans and All Blacks fans supremely confident of victory. Chuck in Ireland and Argentina fans in town for tomorrow's showdown and displaced fans of other sides who didn't make it through to the knockout stages, and it's a very potent brew."

Image source, L'Equipe

'Want to dream' is the headline in L'Equipe.

So, are you a believer? Can France do the World Cup dirty on the All Blacks for a third time?

Let us know via #bbcrugby, external on Twitter or on 81111 on texts from UK mobiles.

And to get aboard the Gallic bandwagon, you need to tell us how Les Bleus will pull off the heist?