Three tries in the second half were not enough for the All Blacks to prevent a heavy loss to France at Stade de France in Paris this morning.
France’s wing Damian Penaud runs for his crucial try.
Photo: AFP
After leading 24-6 at half-time, the French weathered an all Black fightback in the second half and sealed the victory with a try to Damian Penaud in the 66th minute.
Les Bleus ended a 14-match losing streak against their rivals with tries by Peato Mauvaka (2), Romain Ntamack and Damian Penaud, while Melvyn Jaminet kicked the rest of the points with clockwork precision.
New Zealand, who threatened a comeback with three tries in 20 minutes early in the second half through Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane and Ardie Savea, suffered their second defeat in a row after being humbled 29-20 by Ireland last weekend.
The home side’s stunning performance completed a perfect series for France after wins against Argentina and Georgia, and gave them their first victory in Paris against the All Blacks since 1973.
See how the match unfolded with Jamie Wall’s live blog.
New Zealand had not lost against Les Bleus since 2009 and had been unbeaten in France since 2000.
It was the final game of the All Blacks’ 2021 season and the second back-to-back defeat for the team in 12 months.
The two teams will face off at the same venue in the opening game of the Rugby World Cup in two years.
– more to come
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