All Blacks hold off depleted France 31-27 in Dunedin thriller
Will Jordan scored a try in each half and Beauden Barrett kicked to perfection as the All Blacks overcame three cancelled tries to claim a nervous 31-27 win over France in the series-opener in Dunedin on Saturday.
Fielding only three players from the Six Nations title-deciding win over Scotland, the depleted French gave Scott Robertson's team a huge scare in an entertaining match at sold-out Forsyth-Barr stadium.
But a late Barrett penalty proved enough for the All Blacks to hold on, snapping a three-match losing streak against Les Bleus.
"Just a typical test match against the French for us," said Jordan, who was denied a hat-trick try by the television match official (TMO).
"A couple of errors cost us ... But we showed good composure to finish it off in the end there."
The All Blacks lost Sevu Reece to a head-knock less than a minute in when the winger clattered into a French hip, forcing Robertson into a backline rejig and Damian McKenzie to play at fullback off the bench.
The French had a better start, with debutant flyhalf Joris Segonds booting a penalty in the seventh minute after winger Gabin Villiere won a turnover penalty.
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France charged out to a 10-0 lead as fullback Theo Attissogbe made a break down the left wing, centre-captain Gael Fickou drove the ball to the line and number eight Mickael Guillard crossed by the right post.
Chastened, the All Blacks hit back hard.
A Jordie Barrett try was denied by a knock-on the buildup but minutes later his brothers combined for their first legal try.
Scott Barrett charged down a French clearing kick behind the 22-metre line before Beauden put Jordan over at the right corner with a superb, loop pass.
McKenzie kept the momentum for the hosts, shrugging off four would-be tacklers with a jinking run to the posts before Tupou Vaa'i barged over to put the All Blacks four points up.
The Barrett brothers struck again on the cusp of half-time, this time with centre Jordie touching down at the right corner after quick hands from Beauden and Jordan.
The All Blacks' 21-13 halftime lead all but disappeared within minutes of the restart, though, as Rieko Ioane spilled the kick-off ball forward to gift France a scrum deep in attack.
Battering away for 16 phases, Segonds spread the ball wide to Villiere who jogged through a gaping hole in the All Blacks' line on the right side.
The try-fest continued as Jordan burst through two defenders to cross for his second, with Beauden Barrett again setting up the chance.
Fresh off the bench, France lock Cameron Woki then crossed under the posts to peg back the All Blacks again.
The pendulum swung back to the hosts with Villiere shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.
A minute later, All Blacks centre Billy Proctor stretched an arm over the line -- only for the try to be cancelled as replays showed an illegal grounding of the ball.
The undermanned French soon buckled again, with Jordan crossing for his hat-trick try in the 63rd minute.
But it was erased by the TMO who spotted prop Pasilio Tosi obstructing a French defender in the buildup.
France will have reinforcements for the second and third tests in Wellington and Hamilton.
France's debutant lock Tyler Duguid said his team performed well after being widely written off.
"It feels good. There was a lot of outside noise that we'd come out, we'd take 50 (points)," he said. "But I thought we showed a lot of spirit." REUTERS
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