Fabulous French effort puts spotlight on All Blacks’ shortcomings in test opener

Sunday, 6 July 2025

All Blacks skipper Scott Barrett, with support from brother Beauden, carries against France in Saturday’s test in Dunedin.

ANALYSIS: Deja-vu. One year on Scott Robertson’s All Blacks do not appear to have made a heck of a lot of progress. If the brave new dawn is coming, the celebrated super coach sure is taking his time unfurling it.

No two ways about it, Saturday’s night’s season-opening 31-27 victory by the All Blacks over France in Dunedin was as unconvincing as it was unpalatable from a New Zealand viewpoint. It was, for all intents and purposes, a moral win for Fabian Galthie’s ‘Baby Blues’ who thumbed their nose at critics decrying their lack of regular starters, and confirmed what astute watchers knew – French rugby is deeper than Voltaire, and the Top 14 must be considered the premier professional league on the planet.

Galthie may have left the bulk of his frontline players back in France, getting their well-deserved off-seasons under way, but that did not mean he was not fronting with a competitive outfit. That much was well and truly proven by events of Saturday night when this young, unheralded visiting group pushed the All Blacks to the limit.

This was as fabulous an effort from the French, as it was a largely disappointing one from the New Zealanders. That must be acknowledged.

In many ways the season-opener was a carbon-copy of what we saw last year in Robertson’s first series as All Blacks coach. Then, a jaded and limited England side turned up and gave the All Blacks all sorts of trouble through two July tests, won 16-15 and 24-17 by the New Zealanders.

Something similar unfolded on Saturday night in Dunedin, except this time from an unproven French group playing their hearts out and staying with their opponents throughout a surging contest that again writ large the limitations of the contemporary All Blacks.

Gael Fickou and his young France team took the game to the All Blacks in an impressive effort in Dunedin.

Here is one reality: as plucky and competitive as Galthie’s ‘Baby Blues’ were in Dunedin, they should have been put away with a degree of ease by an All Blacks side at full strength, at home and with plenty to prove on the back of a four-defeat first year under their new coach.

Instead all we got was more of the same. Disjointed. Discombobulated. Disappointing. Yes, the rust we expect. That’s become the norm in these July series. You simply do not morph into a complete test unit on 10 days’ preparation.

But the lack of execution, the poor discipline, the inability to convert meaningful opportunities into scoring plays, and the limp finish (only Beauden Barrett’s late penalty prevented them from putting up another scoreless final quarter) were all familiar traits from ‘24. Where is the progress?

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson, with Ardie Savea and Tupou Vaa'i, digest an unconvincing opening effort.

The harsh truth is Robertson’s men should have put the French away with a degree of ease. That they weren’t able to simply confirms a nagging reality that stretches back to the Ian Foster era: the All Blacks are simply not the team they once were.

Maybe they will become so again. Certainly the talent is around to underpin a resurgence. But Saturday night showed vividly that Robertson has a long, long way still to go to get this team back to the level they talk about in their adverts and promos, but is becoming a fading memory for black-clad fans.

Individually, it was not all doom and gloom. Will Jordan had a fabulous test, underpinning his status as one of this team’s few genuine World XV-level performers, even after shifting from fullback to the wing in the first minute.

Jordie and Beauden Barrett both showcased their class, Damian McKenzie put in a quality 79 minutes off the bench and Cam Roigard again exhibited what a difference-maker he can be at halfback. Up front Ardie Savea just kept on keeping on, Tupou Vaa’i made a decent fist of his experimental selection on the blindside flank and Fabian Holland came through an emotional test debut in mostly positive fashion.

All Blacks No 6 Tupou Vaa'i celebrates his first-half try against the French in Dunedin on Saturday.

In fact, of Robertson’s big selection decisions, Vaa’i’s turn at No 6 was the unadulterated success. The big Chiefs forward exhibited the mobility, engine and skill to demonstrate palpably he can handle the assignment in the loose trio.

But is it his best position? Did the lock tandem of Scott Barrett and Holland, for all their grunt, lack explosiveness? Might Vaa’i be best employed as an in-game option at 6?

These are all questions Robertson will ask himself as he contemplates what should be multiple changes for Wellington. This simply was not good enough, and the coach needs to draw the line in the sand now.

For all that, Holland’s first test was a highly promising one, and there can be no doubt the 22-year-old Dunedin Dutchman will be the better for having tucked this one away.

What of the other notable selections?

Christian Lio-Willie did not fare so well in his first test, at No 8, and his spot must be under the microscope. Similar with Billy Proctor at centre. He had bright moments, including a near try only denied when ball popped marginally loose. But it was hard to describe the move as a resounding success.

Rieko Ioane’s shift to the wing was similarly marginal. He had three line-breaks, but did not impact the game in the manner his coach would have wanted.

For all that, most of the All Blacks’ problems were collective. They had plenty of individual moments, but their combined might was intermittent and inconsistent. The good news is they have two more tests against a quality French outfit to make the required adjustments.