What a disappointment for Georgia. After doing themselves proud in their previous three matches, including their first ever World Cup win against Namibia, they then capitulated spectacularly in the face of a marauding French team in the cauldron of noise that is the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.

Yet again, the tournament organisers have to shoulder much of the blame. I know this has been said before, but you simply cannot compete at this level with only three days rest between matches.

That said, the French were brutally clinical today, with Bernard Laporte being handed a couple of selection problems thanks to some of the performances on the pitch.

Yannick Nyanga especially caught the eye, and will be unlucky not to start their quarter-final against either Scotland or New Zealand. That he struggles to get in the team just underlines the strength in depth at Laporte's disposal, not that that depth will be much good against the All Blacks.

The French players will now be enjoying watching the Ireland versus Argentina game, knowing that their fate is now out of their hands. I guess that many of them will be checking their family histories, looking for any Irish heritage, they will certainly be cheering for an Ireland win, anything else lands them in Cardiff against the Kiwis.

Mind you, New Zealand will not be entirely comfortable taking on France, who have a history of pulling out amazing performances when they have nothing to lose.

I for one will never forget their semi-final against the same 'unbeatable' opposition in 1999. A game with that same level of drama would be quite something to behold, even if the same result remains unlikely.