Two quickfire scores after half-time from Paul Boudehent and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, however, turned the game on its head. And no matter how many second-half penalties Damian McKenzie kicked, Thomas Ramos was always there to keep France’s noses in front. It finished in that manner.
The All Blacks’ first-half scores came courtesy of Peter Lakai and Cam Roigard — who picked the pockets of Gregory Alldritt — and France remained in touch with one of their own through debutant full-back Romain Buros.
The second half belonged to France, however, and not even a late flurry of All Blacks attacks could dampen the Parisian party.
Stage set for 2025 blockbuster
Christy Doran, The Roar
The stage has been set for a blockbuster series in New Zealand next winter after Les Bleus once again proved too strong for the All Blacks on home soil, winning 30-29 in a thrilling test at Stade de France.
Scott Robertson’s All Blacks led 17-10 at half-time but conceded two quick tries to start the second half to find themselves on the back foot in front of a packed crowd in Paris, who had rediscovered their lost voice after last year’s World Cup heartache.
The All Blacks managed to stay in the hunt via the boot of replacement back Damian McKenzie, who landed four penalties in the final half-hour, but a 15-point haul from makeshift fly-half Thomas Ramos ensured Les Bleus claimed their third straight win over their great rivals from the Southern Hemisphere.
The one-point defeat ended the All Blacks’ five-match winning streak and put an end to their momentum-building second half of the test season that had started on shaky ground.
France extend unbeaten run over All Blacks
Julien Pretot, Reuters
France were their unpredictable selves as they beat New Zealand 30-29 in a superb, thrilling autumn series test to end the All Blacks’ five-match winning streak on Saturday.
Fabien Galthie’s side held firm in a nerve-wracking finale to prevail with tries by Romain Buros, Paul Boudehent, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and 15 points from the perfect boot of Thomas Ramos.
Following back-to-back victories against Australia in the Rugby Championship, New Zealand had prevailed against Japan, England and Ireland recently and were looking to avenge their defeat against Les Bleus in last year’s World Cup opener.
Tries by Peter Lakai and Cam Roigard with points kicked by Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie, however, saw them fall just short for their third defeat in a row by France.
France played some risky rugby in the opening stages and were punished by New Zealand, who kept the ball and tortured the home side, punishing a couple of avoidable mistakes to take a 14-3 lead.
As an embarrassing beating seemed on the cards, Les Bleus slowed the pace down, defended thoroughly and once again became the clinical side who started last year’s World Cup as favourites, showing brilliance and composure when it mattered.
They are now unbeaten against the All Blacks since 2018, which marked the end of a woeful 14-defeat streak against the southern hemisphere side.
‘New Zealand cracked’
Colin Newboult, PlanetRugby
France handed Scott Robertson his first defeat in six as they made it three successive victories over the All Blacks following a 30-29 success in Paris.
In another Autumn Nations Series thriller, Les Bleus went into the break 17-10 in arrears following tries by Peter Lakai and Cam Roigard, but they hit back in the second period.
Having won their past five matches, Robertson’s outfit came into this game with confidence and, despite an early Ramos three-pointer, they showed why spirits have been significantly lifted in New Zealand.
The visitors manufactured a superb try as superb hands set Ardie Savea free down the left and, after he had fended off the attentions of a couple of defenders, his off-load sent rookie Lakai across the whitewash.
Lakai had come on for Samipeni Finau, who suffered a head injury, but it did not impact the All Blacks as they had the better of the opening half-hour.
There were signs that the hosts were beginning to creak, but they managed to respond as the forwards, guided by the typically excellent Antoine Dupont, made ground through the heart of the opposition defence.
Eventually, New Zealand cracked as Romain Buros crossed the whitewash on debut, Ramos converting, to reduce the arrears.
Although Barrett made it a seven-point buffer at the interval, Les Bleus had shown that they could attack the All Blacks right through the middle and they managed to do the same at the start of the second period.
Galthie’s side set up a maul five metres out and rumbled towards the line, allowing Boudehent to touch down. Ramos added the extras and all of a sudden the pressure was back on New Zealand, who perhaps should have gone into the break with a greater lead.
Robertson’s men initially handled it well, moving the ball through the phases and almost going over in the left-hand corner, but they then began to force the play.
After coming on as a replacement, McKenzie was successful off the tee on three occasions, but Ramos’ own three-pointer just kept the hosts in front going into the final 10 minutes.
It set up a tense conclusion but, unlike against England, New Zealand were unable to get over the line. The respective kickers did trade efforts off the tee in the latter stages, but France managed to maintain that one-point gap.
‘Famous one-point win’
Ned Lester, RugbyPass
Stade de France has been spoilt with some classic rugby contests over the past 14 months, and fans were set for another one with the All Blacks in town.
Just one point separated the two proud nations after as exhausting a test ever witnessed. An early second-half surge from the hosts put their noses in front, and the ensuing toe-to-toe tussle tested every aspect of each team’s game. France, in the end, took the spoils to the tune of 30-29.
France were a different beast coming out of the sheds in the second half, using their behemoths in the tight five to chew through metres and bully their way towards the New Zealand line.
After Emmanuel Meafou rumbled upfield with a handful of Kiwi defenders in his wake, an offside infringement from New Zealand resulted in a French lineout and just three minutes into the half, France were in.
New Zealand then turned to the bench and the injection of Damian McKenzie at fullback had an instant impact, getting his side on the front foot. It was again an offside infringement that earned New Zealand another three points.
The lung-busting phase play continued as the match entered its final quarter and so did the back-and-forth on the scoreboard, with New Zealand claiming another three points from the boot of Damian McKenzie.
A Will Jordan intercept then ended another French surge, getting his side back down the French end of the field where they won another penalty, claimed another three points and closed the French lead to just one point.
Penalties in quick succession saw both sides claim three points, and the marathon of this immense Test continued.
Heroic efforts from both sides played out in front of 80,000 enthralled French fans. Fans after being treated to one of the most dramatic tests in recent memory, were ultimately left to celebrate a famous one-point win.
Baffling decisions hurt All Blacks
Liam Napier, NZ Herald
A performance that offered so much promise deteriorated to a deflating defeat in Paris for the All Blacks.
Returning to the scene of last year’s World Cup final loss the All Blacks carried momentum and confidence from the last two weeks to summon a supremely dominant first half and leave France there for the taking.
The All Blacks weren’t helped by several perplexing decisions from Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli — and one baffling TMO decision for a neck roll from replacement prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi — but so, too, were they their own worst enemies with multiple errors proving costly.
Following wins in 2023 and in 2021 France recorded three victories in succession on the All Blacks but Scott Robertson’s men will know they let this result, and the Dave Gallaher Trophy, slip through their grasp.
An unbeaten northern tour was within reach but as fatigue and the officials took hold in the final quarter, the All Blacks lost all semblance of flow.
After falling one point short they will also rue the conservative decision to take the points instead of kicking for the corner and having a crack at a match-winning try in the closing stages.
Having laid the platform for another memorable victory discipline, handling issues and the gradual deterioration of ruck presentation from the All Blacks handed France the chance to recover.
