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New Zealand edged France 34-32 at One New Zealand Stadium to open their Nations Championship campaign, but only after riding out a contest that swung both ways and went right to the final minutes. This was a two-point win that could easily have gone the other way, and France leave with two bonus points that reflect how close they came.
The result lifts the All Blacks into the winning column in Round 1, while France drop to fourth in the North table despite scoring four tries and pushing the hosts to the wire.
France could hardly have started better. Inside the first minute Damian Penaud was over in the corner, and with Ruben Love also in the bin for New Zealand after an early yellow, the visitors had their noses in front at 7-0 before the crowd had settled. Maxime Lucu added the extras and then two penalties to keep France ahead through the first quarter.
New Zealand needed a response and Will Jordan provided it, finishing in the seventh minute for the first of his two tries. Peter Lakai then crossed on 20 minutes to level things up, and just before the break Cam Roigard darted over, Love converting to send the hosts in 19-13 ahead at half-time. The lead papered over a nervy first half in which France had matched them for long spells.
The second half opened the way the first had. Antoine Hastoy, on early for the injured Penaud, scored within six minutes of the restart, and Lucu's conversion nudged France back in front at 20-19. It was a lead that lasted barely two minutes.
Roigard was again the difference, scoring his second on 49 minutes to reclaim the advantage, with Love adding the conversion and later a penalty to stretch it to 26-20. New Zealand's scrum-half finished with two tries, 49 metres, two clean breaks and six defenders beaten — the standout attacking figure on the day.
Theo Attissogbe kept France in touch with a try on 58 minutes to make it 26-25, and the game stayed on a knife edge through the closing quarter. Love's boot and a late Will Jordan try on 70 minutes gave the hosts a 34-25 cushion, which proved just enough.
France would not go away. Matthieu Jalibert crossed in the 77th minute and Hastoy converted to close the gap to 34-32, setting up a tense final few minutes. But New Zealand held the ball and saw it out. On another day France take at least a share of the points; here they were left to settle for the losing and try bonuses.
The numbers point to an evenly matched contest. Possession split 51-49, France edged the carries 147 to 134 and made slightly more clean breaks, while the tackle counts were almost identical. The set-piece was tight too, New Zealand winning all five of their scrums and France going 8 from 10 at the lineout.
The margins were elsewhere. New Zealand conceded 13 turnovers to France's nine, but the visitors' discipline cost them at key moments — Demba Bamba alone conceded four penalties before being replaced early in the second half, and that pressure helped Love keep the scoreboard ticking. France also lost Penaud before half-time, forcing an early reshuffle. When the game needed control in the final quarter, New Zealand found it and France did not quite get the field position their attack deserved.
For France there is plenty to build on. Four tries away from home against the All Blacks, two big attacking performances from the back line and two bonus points is not a bad return, even in defeat. But the accuracy and discipline that let New Zealand off the hook will need addressing before they face Australia next.
New Zealand will take the win and move on, though they will know they made hard work of a lead they twice looked set to pull clear of. Italy are next. On this evidence, the All Blacks have the attacking weapons but still leave the door open at the back end of games.