It is the elephant in the All Blacks changing room – France in the 2007 World Cup quarter-finals at the Millennium Stadium.

– RWC: Centurion Giteau surprised by achievement
– RWC: Japan defeat galvanised South Africa
– #360business: RWC playing a major role in tourism
– Also: Five memorable #RWC2015 moments

Some 18,360 kilometres from the All Blacks base in Swansea, 4.5 million New Zealanders are praying for “utu”, the native Maori word for payback.

How France turned a 13-3 deficit at half-time into a 20-18 victory in that quarter-final is etched in the national psyche. On Saturday it is like deja vu: same enemy, venue and occasion, but despite repeated questions it is something they don’t want to talk about.

It was a different time and different team, says Dan Carter, one of two survivors along with Richie McCaw who played for the All Blacks on that fateful day.

One-tenth of Carter’s illustrious 109-Test career has been spent battling France. He has faced them 11 times with 2007 the only time he has tasted defeat but he has taken lessons from every confrontation.

“I’ve played against them enough to know how dangerous they are,” he said. “They are a quality side. They are a very unpredictable side, and form and momentum does not count for a lot with the French. They can be poor one week and awesome the following week.”

If there is any feeling of payback in Saturday’s sudden-death encounter, Carter believes it will be with the French looking to make an emphatic statement. Les Bleus would be disappointed with their performances in this tournament, especially last week’s loss to Ireland.

“It’s one thing I have learned is they love playing the All Blacks in big matches and this weekend is going to be one of those and no matter what’s happened in the past this is a separate game and I know the French will perform out of their skins,” added Carter.

When the final whistle blew in the French-Ireland pool match, which decided who would play the All Blacks in the quarter-finals, French coach Philippe Saint-Andre immediately claimed underdog status.

All Blacks full-back Ben Smith believed that naming New Zealand as favourites was Saint-Andre purely trying to take the pressure off his players.

“I think the French team will have a lot of belief in themselves. I think they’ve been playing some great rugby so I wouldn’t say they’re huge underdogs,” said Smith.