There were cheers and tears as the All Blacks thrashed France in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
All Blacks fans the Chiu family after the game against France. Photo: RNZ / Tom Furley
All Blacks supporters left smiling, while the French were despondent.
At Four Kings bar in Wellington the beer was flowing, as was brekkie. Fans who were devouring bacon and eggs then leapt to their feet as Nehe Milner-Skudder scored a try.
The smell of hashbrowns was made all the sweeter as the All Blacks stacked on the points in what many thought pre-game would be a close encounter.
Before the game, there were nerves but an underlying confidence - many fans picking an All Blacks win by 10 points. "Got to be comfortable," said one over his pint.
"Knockout rugby is a different beast altogether," said a woman dressed in the white collared jersey of the 2011 champions.
But in the event, the All Blacks pulled the French defence apart like a soft pastry.
It was a record knockout stage score meaning a botched try in the closing minutes of the game by Ma'a Nonu drew not shouts of anger but laughter.
"Really good, really good, really good. All those people who said that France were going to win, they should write apologies," Mark Chiu said after the game. He was there with his family, all of whom were dressed head to toe in All Blacks attire and sporting huge grins.
But he was not too quick to forecast another World Cup Victory just yet.
"One game at a time. Never predict. But they've got a good chance," he said.
But French supporters were disappointed with their team's performance.
Some said they were just happy to soak up the atmosphere, but French fan Marine Veyriras cried at The Fox bar in downtown Auckland as her beloved French team went down.
"Shame on us because we are worse than Georgia."
Those are real tears ruining the face paint... kind o how we felt in 07 pic.twitter.com/a9QZGOrZvC
— Edward Gay (@EdwardGay) October 17, 2015
Dressed in black pants and her blue French jersey, and with her face painted blue, red and white, Ms Veyriras said the game was horrible.
"I am so sad. I will just go home and cry in my bed but in two hours it will be fine, I will say: 'It doesn't matter, the All Blacks are the best team and we can say nothing'."
She said she will be supporting the All Blacks in the semi-final.
For Donatien, it was the cliche game of two halves with the French falling off after the break.
"They got tired probably and the All Blacks were so good, so fast and so quick."
He said the atmosphere was amazing and as a French fan he felt under pressure for the whole 80 minutes.
The All Blacks will play South Africa in the semifinal next Sunday.
