All Blacks turn on the accuracy to clinch French series

The All Blacks have won back the Dave Gallaher Trophy with a 43-17 victory over France in Wellington tonight thanks to a first-half performance which blew away the visitors.

It is the first time in seven years that the All Blacks have held the trophy and it means the home side have won the three-Test series with one match to come in Hamilton next Saturday night.

It was done via a dominant first half, the All Blacks outscoring the visitors four tries to nil in the first 40 minutes and they achieved an accuracy they couldn’t manage in the first Test in Dunedin last weekend. In the end the margin of victory - six tries to two - probably flattered the visitors.

Brushing off injuries to skipper Scott Barrett and a last-minute problem for Caleb Clarke, the All Blacks displayed a ruthlessness in the first stanza that will please the coaches, with Cam Roigard, Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor and Tupou Vaa’i crossing the line.

The All Blacks were hamstring by a yellow card for Beauden Barrett’s alleged intentional knock-on in the first half, but after leading 10-0 at that point thanks to a penalty for Barrett and an excellent converted try for Roigard off a front-of-lineout move, it hardly mattered.

The visitors, who pushed the All Blacks all the way under the roof last weekend, took advantage with a penalty but that was their lot in the first half as the home side attacked with verve and vigour against a vastly inexperienced line-up.

After competing so well in the first Test of the series, France coach Fabian Galthie elected to make 10 changes to his match-day squad, and it wasn’t only the lack of combinations that told in the surprisingly benign weather conditions at the Cake Tin.

The French had only 10 caps in their starting XV compared with a remarkable 708 for the All Blacks and the home side made the visitors pay with a composed and mature response high on discipline and low on mistakes – at least in the first half.

With a 29-3 advantage at halftime, it was perhaps understandable that the All Blacks took the foot off the throttle a little, the visitors responding with converted tries for halfback Nolann Le Garrec and replacement outside back Antoine Hastoy.

But despite New Zealand’s ordinary record in Wellington heading into this Test – a victory, two draws and three defeats in since 2018 – the All Blacks were never truly troubled.

Assistant coach Jason Ryan will be pleased with his lineout and excellent variation off the front which led to a score for Roigard, with Vaa’i finishing what was perhaps the try of the series and Savea overtaking Richie McCaw as New Zealand's leading try scoring forward in Test matches with 29 in total.

They were solid in the set piece again and defensively far better than they were in Dunedin, where they leaked three tries, but if were there to be any complaints they may come from a second half which was even in terms of points – 14- all, the All Blacks scoring via Jordan, who scored his 41st try in 43 Tests, and Rieko Ioane.

Le Garrec and Hastoy responded for the visitors but overall the All Blacks will be happy after wrapping up the series and attacking with an ambition that got almost immediate results.

Lock Patrick Tuipulotu, a replacement for Scott Barrett after the skipper’s torn calf suffered in Dunedin, was a solid performer, as was Codie Taylor again, with Vaa’i impressing again on the blindside flank – an experiment which must now be considered a success.

Roigard constantly asked questions of the defence, with Beauden Barrett again solid in the No.10 jersey, centre Billy Proctor accurate, and Emoni Narawa shining as a late wing replacement for wing Clarke.

It turned out to be a regulation victory for the home side thanks to their improved combinations against a green opposition and they will be favoured to put the French to the sword at Waikato Stadium next Saturday if Galthie decides to again go for a young line-up in the final Test.

After getting so close and losing only 31-27 in Dunedin, it would represent a disappointing finish for the French but they will have their goals for this series and are unlikely to change them despite this setback.

All Blacks 43 (Cam Roigard, Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor, Tupou Vaa’i, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane tries; Beauden Barrett 5 cons, pen, Jordie Barrett con)

France 17 (Leo Barre, Josh Brennan tries; Nolann Le Garrec pen, con, Antoine Hastoy con)

Halftime: 29-3