France edge the All Blacks in Paris thriller as Scott Robertson’s side lose unbeaten tour record

Paris, France: Les Bleus hold on to beat New Zealand 25-24, after the All Blacks produced a second-half comeback to threaten Antoine Dupont’s side.

Les Bleus hold on to beat New Zealand 25-24, after the All Blacks produced a second-half comeback to threaten Antoine Dupont’s side.

France put in a dazzling display in the first half to lead 22-7, but the All Blacks produced a much-improved second-half performance to set-up a grandstand finish in front of a full house at the Stade de France. A late penalty by Jordie Barrett fell short of the posts as the All Blacks unbeaten record under Robertson came to an end.

The result was a landmark moment for France’s head coach Fabien Galthie, who has masterminded a remarkable turnaround since taking over in 2020.

France led 19-7 at the break thanks to tries from Romain Ntamack, Gabin Villiere and Anthony Jelonch, as the All Blacks defence struggled to contain the pace and power of the France attack.

Ntamack was outstanding at fly-half, scoring one and setting up another, while the French pack dominated the All Blacks in the set-piece.

The All Blacks hit back after the break through tries from Caleb Clarke and Ardie Savea, as well as a penalty try. Jordie Barrett’s conversion of Savea’s try reduced the deficit to 25-24 with 10 minutes remaining.

The All Blacks had their chances to win it in the closing stages, but Barrett’s late penalty attempt drifted wide.

What does this mean for New Zealand?

The defeat was a disappointment for the All Blacks, who had been in impressive form on their northern hemisphere tour, winning all three of their previous matches.

The performance will be a concern for Robertson, who will be looking for a response from his team when they face Ireland in Dublin next weekend.

What does this mean for France?

The victory was a huge boost for France, who have now won five of their last six matches. The performance was a statement of intent from Les Bleus, who will be looking to challenge for the World Cup in 2023.

The victory will also give Galthie a lot of confidence as he looks to build on the progress that has been made in the last two years.