The Dave Rennie era opened the way plenty of All Blacks matches have started over the years, with a scare, a scramble and a two-point win. New Zealand beat France 34-32 in Christchurch on Saturday night, holding off a fast-finishing French side in front of almost 30,000 fans at Te Kaha to hand their new coach a winning start.
It was the first fixture of the new Nations Championship, the tournament that now links the southern and northern hemisphere sides in a two-yearly play-off series, and it delivered a genuine contest rather than the mismatch some had predicted. France had beaten expectations simply by turning up with a strong squad. According to RNZ, Les Bleus were still missing nine first-choice players, but this was a far more competitive group than the understrength team that toured a year ago, helped by some of their club sides finishing their domestic season early and freeing up players to travel.
France set the tone inside the opening minutes. Damian Penaud finished off an early break after the visitors exploited gaps in the New Zealand defence, and the home crowd was quickly reminded that the first outing under a new coach rarely runs smoothly. The All Blacks answered almost straight away through Will Jordan, who was one of the standout performers on the night and moved to 48 tries in the black jersey with his double.
The night got harder before it got easier. Ruben Love, handed his first start at first-five in place of the rested Beauden Barrett, was shown a yellow card for a high tackle in the build-up to another French try. It was a rough moment for a young player carrying real responsibility, and for a spell New Zealand had to defend a lead while a man down. That they came through the sin-bin period without conceding control of the match was one of the more encouraging signs for Rennie.
Cam Roigard was the difference either side of the interval. The halfback scored twice, his sharp running and quick service around the ruck causing France problems all night, and his second try helped push the All Blacks clear. Loose forward Peter Lakai also crossed as the home side built a lead, while Quinn Tupaea was influential in midfield, throwing several of the passes that opened the door for others. New Zealand led 19-13 at halftime and never quite shook the French off.
France kept coming. Yoram Moefana and Théo Attissogbé both scored to keep the visitors within range, and a try to Fabien Brau-Boirie was ruled out for a knock-on after a review, one of several moments where the margin could have swung the other way. Will Jordan’s second try extended the New Zealand lead to 34-25 with around ten minutes to play, and at that point the result looked settled.
It was not. France first five-eighth Matthieu Jalibert forced his way over from close range in the final minutes to bring his side within two points, setting up an anxious last stretch for the home crowd. The All Blacks had to see out the closing exchanges under real pressure, and this time they managed it, closing the game out for a 34-32 win rather than letting it slip.
Captain Ardie Savea led a side that was, by the honest assessment of most reporting, more clunky than clinical. The match report at Planet Rugby described the contest as a helter-skelter affair with lead changes throughout, and the errors that crept into the All Blacks game will give Rennie plenty to work on. There were defensive lapses, handling mistakes and moments where the visitors simply looked the sharper team.
None of that will worry a new coach too much on night one. A win is a win, and Rennie has taken over a side in transition, with senior players rested or moved on and younger names being given room to grow. Getting a result while blooding a new first-five, absorbing a yellow card and coming out the other side of a French comeback is a reasonable way to begin. The performance was far from complete, but the scoreboard was kind.
The bigger tests are still ahead. The All Blacks now shift to Wellington to face Italy next weekend, another chance for Rennie to look at his squad and start turning promise into something more settled. France, for their part, will leave New Zealand knowing they were closer than the scoreline of a year ago suggested, and that a full-strength side might have gone one better.
For one night, though, the story was simple enough. New coach, new era, and a nervy first win that had the crowd on their feet at the finish. Rennie’s All Blacks are up and running, even if there is a long way to go.
What did you make of Dave Rennie’s first test in charge, and did the All Blacks do enough to convince you the new era is on track? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job 🙂
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