Put through their sternest Test of the series, the All Blacks, under-strength and inexperienced, showed their patience in responding to the French challenge and securing a Lipovitan-D Test series sweep, winning 29-19 at Hamilton on Saturday.
It was a vigorous, physical encounter against the best French side of the series, as they took a 19-12 lead to the break, but were held scoreless by an All Blacks side who scored twice while forcing the French to make 279 tackles in the wake of the relentless driving of the home team.
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 managed to pull 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, the latter taking quickly to the vigour of the international game.
It took 58 minutes for the All Blacks to taste the lead in the game, and it came in a demanding third quarter that had been scoreless since the second half restart. It was a high kick by fullback Ruben Love, who had an outstanding game, that he regathered, that set in train the events that led to the All Blacks’ third try.
The All Blacks gained a penalty and kicked it to the corner. From the lineout, the ball was kicked by first five-eighths Damian McKenzie to the line. Fullback Leo Barre, not for the first time on the night, struggled with the bouncing ball on the line. It rebounded back into the field, where Kirifi was rewarded for his sweeping cover with 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’s intent to claim something from the series was evident from the outset when they applied the extra bulk of their loose forwards to 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, the mood was with France, and 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 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.
Scorers: New Zealand 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