All Blacks hold off French for 3-0 sweep
- Dave Worsley
- Jul 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 20
The All Blacks have struggled to contain the French in the third and final test of the series in Hamilton only to manage a 29-19 final score.
It was a vigorous, physical encounter against the best French side of the series, as they took a 19-17 lead to the break, but were held scoreless by an All Blacks side who forced the visitors to make 279 tackles
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The depth of the New Zealanders was tested as a result of the selection of players from the wider squad, and with Luke Jacobson injured late in the pre-game preparation. Flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi took his place and pulled off some of his key turnovers at breakdowns.
Skipper Ardie Savea had some issues in the first half, but in the second half was among the hungriest looking to take the challenge to the French, as were the locks Patrick Tuipulotu and Fabian Holland lastest the whole game.
It took 58 minutes for the All Blacks to taste the lead and it was from a high kick by fullback Ruben Love for Kirifi to eventuall follow up for the try.
Some mid-half lineout issues for the All Blacks were countered firstly by a superb cover tackle by replacement second five-eighths Jordie Barrett, and then by French mistakes that allowed the home team to push the French back into their territory.
But still, the French defended consistently. They had little chance to clear their 22m area, and that pressure from the All Blacks, enhanced by their replacements, and their superior scrum, resulted in Barrett blasting a gap and being able to pass to replacement hooker Brodie McAlister who, with five minutes to play, took to the grass to slide his way over the line for the match-winning try.
France put early pressure on the All Blacks, and they were rewarded when a penalty saw France kick to the corner. From the resulting lineout halfback, Nolan Le Garrec slipped around the blindside of the maul to score in the ninth minute before adding the conversion.
A tactical choice by Savea just out from the line when he attempted a chip kick, saw the French secure the ball, and in the resulting play, a penalty was conceded, and Le Garrec landed the easiest of goals after 19 minutes.
A competitive response from the restart saw the All Blacks look to speed up play, and from a midfield ruck, halfback Cortez Ratima kicked to space where wing Will Jordan chased hard, got the bounce and ran on to score two minutes later.
However,when the All Blacks lost the ball again, France worked their way ahead. It was first five-eighths Antoine Hastoy who propped, then put over a dropped goal.
While Damian McKenzie landed a penalty goal in the 30th minute, two mistakes saw Le Garrec land a second, then a third from deep.
However, the action was not complete as the All Blacks had a try ruled out from a lineout maul when prop Ethan de Groot was ruled to have been held up over the line.
The All Blacks secured the line dropout and worked the ball forward with de Groot, denied moments earlier, securing four key drives in the injury time assault that finally saw centre Anton Lienert-Brown slide across three minutes after the halftime hooker to score.
All Blacks Scorers: 29 (Will Jordan, Anton Lienert-Brown, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Brodie McAlister tries; Damian McKenzie 3 con, pen) France 19 ( Nolan Le Garrec try, con, 3 pen; Antoine Hastoy dropped goal). HT: 17-19
