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France outwrestle All Blacks in titanic Test for one-point win
By Ned Lester
Stade de France has been spoilt with some classic rugby contests over the past 14 months, and fans were set for another one with the All Blacks in town.
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Just one point separated the two proud nations after as exhausting of a Test ever witnessed. An early second-half surge from the hosts put their noses in front, and the ensuing toe-to-toe tussle tested every aspect of each team’s game. France, in the end, took the spoils to the tune of 30-29.
France opened the contest with a multi-phase attack that tested the New Zealand defence in tight and out wide, with Antoine Dupont getting quick ball to operate with. A collision between Tevita Tatafu and Samipeni Finau saw the ball spilled by the French big man and Finau helped form the field with a concussion. 21-year-old Peter Lakai took the field for New Zealand and Georges-Henri Colombe soon replaced Tatafu for France.
The visitors’ lineout defence was on display early, stealing France’s first attempt from the sideline. The hosts on the other hand got their first points of the game from a scrum penalty just shy of the seven-minute mark.
Handling errors were registered from both sides in the early minutes before they found their feet in the Test.
The All Blacks launched an ambitious attack just moments after the France score, with risky but superbly executed offloads fracturing the French defence as Ardie Savea made metres down the left wing and set up Pater Lakai for his first All Blacks try.
The pace of the Test had kicked into high gear and both sides knew exactly where they wanted to find space against their opponents. France looked to get the ball wide with cross-field kicks and New Zealand were eager to get front foot ball with swift handling from their forwards while steadily shifting the point of attack.
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New Zealand’s scrum started to turn up the heat on the French and some special defence from Cam Roigard off the back of a 26th-minute contest saw the halfback snatch the ball as Gregory Alldritt looked to offload it, with the halfback running away to score and extend his side’s lead to 14-3.
In response, France rolled up their sleeves and went to their big men with phase play attack just one pass off the ruck. After battering the Kiwi defence and making powerful metres, Les Bleus had shrunk the Kiwi line and exploited that fact by sending the ball wide to Romain Buros who scored the hosts’ opening try.
With New Zealand’s next attack, France were caught offside leading to a free run for the Kiwis, but there was no way through the blue line so Beauden Barrett stepped up the the tee to extend his side’s lead to seven.
After an exhausting first half, another New Zealand attack again struggled to crack France’s defence and the first half came to a close with a long-range drop-goal attempt from Beauden Barrett going wide.
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France were a different beast coming out of the sheds in the second half, using their behemoths in the tight five to chew through metres and bully their way towards the New Zealand line. After Emmanuel Meafou rumbled upfield with a handful of Kiwi defenders in his wake, an offside infringement from New Zealand resulted in a French lineout and just three minutes into the half, France were in.
New Zealand returned in kind but after making significant ground surrendered possession with poor execution in the face of a resilient French defence. Tupou Vaa’i tried an offload near halfway but it hit the turf and Thomas Ramos won the race to the loose ball, putting a kick through and the pace of Louis Bielle-Biarrey won his side another seven points.
New Zealand then turned to the bench and the injection of Damian McKenzie at fullback had an instant impact, getting his side on the front foot. It was again an offside infringement that earned New Zealand another three points.
Just minutes later, a French rolling maul earned a penalty when Codie Taylor was caught re-entering the contest illegally and France re-established their seven-point lead.
The lung-busting phase play continued as the match entered its final quarter and so did the back-and-forth on the scoreboard, with New Zealand claiming another three points from the boot of Damian McKenzie.
A Will Jordan intercept then ended another French surge, getting his side back down the French end of the field where they won another penalty, claimed another three points and closed the French lead to just one point.
Antoine Dupont shifted to flyhalf with the French substitutes as the attritional nature of the game claimed another victim in Paul Boudehent. The flanker’s departure resulted in Peato Mauvaka re-entering the game at blindside.
Penalties in quick succession saw both sides claim three points, and the marathon of this immense Test continued.
Heroic efforts from both sides played out in front of 80,000 enthralled French fans. Fans after being treated to one of the most dramatic Tests in recent memory, were ultimately left to celebrate a famous one-point win.
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Great game from both teams. As a France fan obviously happy with the one point win (for a change to the WC quarter final !) and the second half performance. Galthié choice to select Ramos as 10 instead of Jalibert (in the absence of Ntamack) was right and paid off. But Villière choice confirmed to be a disaster. The youngster Boudehent is a future great as well as some other ones on the bench. Buros played well for his first cap and might be a serious contender as 15 for Ramos when Ntamack is back. 5 key players were injured: Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud.
It was honestly great to just see France having their Rugby World Cup moment in the end. For us, it was the Final we were playing.
Yeah Buros was good. Both teams can get a lot stronger (re to player selection) but was still a good NZ style v French style rugby outcome!
Wow, cracking game, that's what I'm talking about!
Well played France, great fight and flair, deserved win. Best All Black performance this year, looked so good without a 10 I always thought someone would pull it off towards the end.
Razor has been a big disappointment this year. Stuffed around so many players, namely Aumua, and here Finau and 6 in general. Ardie should have gone to 7 much earlier in the season and one of the locks should have been sharing 6 duties with Finau. Instead, we go down early and have no 6 and a guy essentially in his first game gets thrust into the fray when the back row should have just been able to move Scott Barrett or Tupou Vai'i to 6 keeping the back row stable and Lakai's role to make the positive impact late in the game that the team lacked this morning.
I hope Razor and his team to a hell of a lot of debriefing in the off season but it's all good because I can see this team putting the hundred on Italy this time around next week.
Razor didn't want to put Tuipulotu on too early, as that would ruin his impact. I see where you are coming from here, I would've liked to see more moves with Sititi off the back of the scrum with such a big blindside and Ardie in support. Could be a devastating move if we actually backed ourselves to go for it.
Should have gone for a 7.
Very good signs
Ioane knock on changed the momentum
Congratulations France - Ratima had a shocker - now I will get stuck into S Barrett for not kicking to the line after a penalty for us to get a try with only 7 mins remaining to go ahead instead like everytime before he took the kick and got the points - problem was and he couldnt figure it out every time they did that France either camped down in our half soaking up time or scored again at kick off - the time for nz to go for a try was then and get ahead - who cares about a kick that only gets you within one - absolute brain fade and from what I saw with robertsons reaction in the stand was he agreed with Barrett - if ya coach is thinkin the same way theres no hope - the ref had an absolute shocker and so did the video ref - I have zero confidence in match officals when its tight thats when they come in and cheat
No soar grapes from me just frustration - NZ have some way to go - they beat England and Ireland but its now 3 loses in a row against France and 4 against SA back down we go in world rankings this was just one peak to much very disappointing year with 4 loses ouccchh and we showed so much promise early on in game ahead at half time - we probably should have brought our subs on straight away France never gave up excellent in defense when it mattered
NZ had plenty of time to go ahead but 3 pointers were not going to do it - I would say if we had gone for the kick to touch with our throw in if we hadnt of scored a try then France would have likely given away a penalty - thats territory pressure & the odds are high that would have happened - we had fresh legs a slightly better bench surprised we didnt back ourselves
You should spend more time listening to the players and coaches after the game than moaning! 😁
Without a doubt, NZ ran out of options when 7 mins from the end with poor leadership decisions to go for the post when you are trailing, did not make sense. It was as if 2 Scott’s had lost the will to win, when NZ were on the front foot. JK even mentioned it in his interview. But a brilliant performance from France to keeping the pressure on NZ and let NZ not execute with poor handling and lack of patience! Good win France‼️
need a general at 10 so play doesn't break down , mounga is King . ratima needs to tighten up . reiko isn't good enough to play centre . hopefully joseph manu finds his way home . he's just as dangerous as suali'i and would be perfect xfactor in the 13 jersey .
we didn't get the win . but Im happy to see glimpses of a bright future .
Great game.
Congrats France,
Great effort ABs & Razor gang.
Most play, discipline & errors under control as last week, but it was twice the pressure & speed. A few unforced errors by ABs in the 2nd half.
I didn't see a need to replace Roigard.
Maybe an example of when so close & in the final & getting a penalty in the 22, of going for tries when the ABs were making significant gains all over the field.
1 ridiculous neck roll penalty 3 points against you took it from you.
Again, ever expecting perfection is a nonsense.
Yeah I thought they looked pretty good. Not perfect, but good. Gave the French a run for their money. Just have to back ourselves more with the lineout maul. We have such an excellent pack but we just won't use it, it is so frustrating.