Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Sideline Sid, joined all the other All Black fans who crossed their fingers and hoped for victory on Sunday morning, as our team looked to get past France in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

Sleepless nights, with memories of the French bundling New Zealand out of the 1999 and 2007 Rugby World Cups, occupied many kiwi rugby fans in the wee small hours in the buildup to Sunday morning's game in Cardiff.

The reality is that France isn't our bogey team – South Africa and Australia have beaten us on a lot more occasions than France. However, there was plenty of nervousness with the ABs having underwhelmed in the pool matches.

Pre-match, nervousness gave way to hope and later unbridled joy, as the All Blacks unceremoniously bundled the French out of the competition.

However, standing in the way of New Zealand's third World Cup triumph are our two real rugby enemies. South Africa this weekend will quickly put the New Zealander's haka challenge away and we will need to play uncompromising rugby to win thorough to the final.

As much as we would relish playing the Aussies for the right to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy, it is no given that we would meet Australia in the final.

Argentina have shown huge improvement since joining the southern hemisphere Rugby Championship and beat hot favorites Ireland early on Monday morning to earn a place in the last four.

Argentina play a very physical game and will give the Aussies plenty to deal with in their semi-final clash. Oh for a crystal ball! However, my pick is a New Zealand verses Australia final with the ABs winning back-to-back World Cups.

On the home front, the Bay of Plenty Steamers have received a pass mark from Sideline Side for their much-improved performances in the ITM Cup Championship competition.

Coached by Bay of Plenty legend Clayton McMillan, the home side will finish joint-third after being narrowly beaten by Hawkes Bay in last weekend's semi-final in the other Bay. A TMO call of obstruction foiled a late Steamers charge for victory, right on full time.

However, Bay of Plenty still have plenty of work ahead of them to return to the heady days of 2011, where they finished fourth behind Waikato, Canterbury and Taranaki in the ITM Cup Premiership.

One of the longest running club rugby sevens tournaments in the country played at Blake Park on Saturday. The tournament, simply known as the Mount 7s, kicked off way back in 1992, long before the sevens game became fashionable.

The 2015 Mount 7s was taken out by the home side for just the second time.

It was a long time between celebratory drinks for Mount Maunganui Sports Club teams, with their first title coming back in 1997. Described as one of the best Mount 7s title deciders seen at Blake Park, the Mounties beat near neighbors Rangataua in a 19-17 thriller.

Go the All Blacks!