FRANCE 40
NEW ZEALAND 25
THIS WASN’T A scoreline. This was a statement, France’s way of letting the rest of the rugby world know they are back.
After a decade in sporting recession, they look like they are about to go through a boom period. The last two Six Nations have told us they were on their way. Tonight’s win confirmed it. On this evidence, it is they – not Ireland or England and certainly not Wales – who appear to be the team to beat when the winter festival begins in February.
Looking further ahead, to the 2023 World Cup, things look even brighter. This is a young France team but the thing with inexperienced sides is that some days they turn it on, some days they lose to Scotland. Tonight was impressive on two levels, first for the way France set the tone in the first half, second for how they dealt with a mini-crisis in the second.
New Zealand had reduced the gap from 18 points to two. They even had the ball in the France end-goal area when Romain Ntamack went on one of those adventurous runs that only French players would dare contemplate. It changed the game, the move ending up in the All Blacks 22, Ardie Savea getting yellow carded for an illegal action at the breakdown.
From the resulting penalty, Melvyn Jaminet kept his nerve, as he did all night. A minute later Damian Penaud scored the decisive try. Thus ended their 14-game losing streak to New Zealand. This was their first win over them since 2009.
They deserved it.
France were exceptional, varied in their attack, strong in so many departments. Two of their three first-half tries came via their maul, Peato Mauvaka, getting these two scores, the fourth and fifth tries of his young international career. The hooker has nine caps. He looks good enough to win a century of them.
You can say the same about France’s half-backs, Antoine Dupont and Ntamack. Needless to say they combined to weave their magic en route to France’s second try, Ntamack with the finish, a clever step inside after Dupont had set the tone for the move with his quick thinking and quick hands, Penaud creating the space with his initial break.
On it went. Jaminet nailed all three of his kicks in the first half and while Jordie Barrett also scored twice for New Zealand, it was all they had to show for their first half efforts. At 24-6, they knew they were in trouble as they went into the break.
To their credit, they were better after it, Barrett getting across the line on 46 minutes when he sneaked down the blindside to get New Zealand’s first try of the night. That cut the gap to 15 points. Barrett’s failure to convert meant it stayed that way.
Even so New Zealand were enjoying their best period of the game at this stage.
Rieko Ioane’s try on 51 minutes started inside his own half. It ended with the scoreboard changing to 24-18. Immediately you wondered if France would crack, the way France sides have a tendency to.
Instead they were calm. Jaminet landed a penalty on 54 minutes to make it 27-18; Savea responded with New Zealand’s third try, converted by Barrett. Now it was 27-25 and when Ntamack retreated to his end-goal area to collect a bouncing ball, you considered it likely that New Zealand would win.
Instead we saw an incredible counter-attack. A penalty was the initial outcome; a France win the eventual one.
Jaminet kept kicking his goals; Dupont kept trying the improbable; Penaud scored an intercept try on 67; Jaminet scored the final points on 80. As a result of all that, France won. Yes, New Zealand look a tired team, but France appear to be a rapidly maturing one.
