MARC HINTON IN PARIS
Last updated 11:14
10/11/2013
Twelve down, two to
go. The All Blacks' quest for the perfect test year hit some predictable French
resistance at a packed Stade de France, but got home 26-19, largely thanks to a
star performance from rookie wing Charlie Piutau.
The 21-year-old
Auckland wing was, as the French would say, ''tres magnifique'' as he scored
one try and created the other that proved just enough to keep this winning
streak of the All Blacks for 2013 alive.
Coach Steve Hansen had
admitted before the match that he would have picked the impressive youngster
ahead of the much more experienced Cory Jane. As it was Julian Savea got sick,
and both ended up playing.
But Piutau
demonstrated just why his coach has so much faith in him in his first season of
test rugby. He's a heady and confident performer, and it's no stretch to say
his twin pieces of brilliance won this test for the All Blacks in an otherwise
tight contest.
The New Zealanders
have now won all 12 of their tests for 2013 - and 31 of their last 33 since
2011 - including a four-game sweep of the French. Now only England and Ireland,
over the next fortnight, stand between the All Blacks and professional rugby's
first perfect year.
But gee it was close.
The French, who have now lost eight of their last nine tests, played a lot
better than that record suggests and threw the kitchen sink at the Blacks in
front of a sellout crowd of around 81,000 at their home citadel.
All week the New
Zealanders had talked about the challenge they figured was coming, and they
were right. The French brought plenty to the heavyweight contest and very
nearly pinched a draw as they finished the match pounding the All Blacks' line.
But this is an All
Blacks outfit with all sorts of resolve, and they needed it as they dug in for
a defensive stand at the end that denied a furious French finish.
"That probably
summed up the rivalry between New Zealand and France - two proud nations and
there was no quarter given today," said All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw
afterwards.
He was right. This was
not the free-flowing, fast-paced All Blacks of the Rugby Championship. They had
to make a lot of tackles to win this match, hit a lot of rucks and chase a lot
of Frenchmen.
But, wearing black
armbands to honour Peter Fatialofa, they found yet another way to win a test
this year, and keep that quest alive.
It was certainly a
less than impressive opening 40 minutes from the All Blacks who spent much of
the half under pressure and were extremely lucky to end it level at 9-9, Dan
Carter's trio of penalties cancelling out the three from Morgan Parra.
Though honours were
even on the board, it was the French who would have gone into the sheds feeling
much the better about the flow of the game. The All Blacks had gone agonisingly
close to the game's opening try in the early minutes, but it was Les Bleus who
looked much the more likely to cross thereafter.
The match never really
settled into any rhythm, with the penalties continuing to flow at scrum time -
now officially a blight on the game - and after that sharp start, the New
Zealanders always seemed to be hurried and lacking accuracy.
The All Blacks were
unlucky not to spring out to an early lead when from a scrum Ma'a Nonu thrust
through in midfield and quick ball wide had Cory Jane reaching out to force it
just before he was bundled into touch. Replays showed Jane had almost executed his
lunge brilliantly. Almost.
Unfortunately for the
wing, in his comeback test for 2013, the ball just slipped out of his fingers
as he extended out in mid-air and he was denied the five-pointer.
Thereafter it was
mostly all the French as their dangerous ball-runners - the likes of the always
dangerous Wesley Fofana, Brice Dulin and Maxime Medard - had the All Blacks
making a lot of desperation tackles, and conceding the odd desperation penalty.
It all changed after
the break though when the All Blacks came out a much more purposeful unit.
Steve Hansen's words no doubt ringing in their ears.
After early penalties
were traded, the in-form Piutau struck in the 46th minute with a very well
conceived seven-pointer that took the All Blacks out to 19-12.
Fullback Israel Dagg
had started the move when he fielded a high kick and swept out a crisp wide
pass off his knees. The ball found Ben Smith who spotted all sorts of space and
put through a kick that went exactly where it was meant to. The rest was all
Piutau as the young Aucklander won the initial race, toed through and then
pounced as he hit paydirt.
The contest then came
alive as the tries positively flowed. Piutau went close to a second from a
little Nonu nudge through, but couldn't quite force. Then, just past the
three-quarter mark, Kieran Read was put clear by a peach of a Piutau offload in
the tackle to extend the lead to 26-12.
Game safe? Maybe not.
The French struck back quickly, fullback Brice Dulin slipping an Israel Dagg
tackle to cross for a seven-pointer to keep home hopes alive heading into the
final 10 minutes.
The French had one
last chance as they poured on to attack late. A lunge for the line from No 8
Damien Chouly went close, and then from a scrum option off a late penalty, the
All Balcks escaped via a penalty for an incorrect feed.
Piutau was the
standout All Black, but Ben Smith was also sharp, Dagg had a very solid game
and Dan Carter got through 52 quality minutes before being subbed. Up front
Brodie Retallick and Kieran Read were the workhorses, while the scrum spent a
lot of the match under a good deal of pressure.
New Zealand 26 (Charles Piutau, Kieran Read tries; Dan Carter 4 pens, con;
Aaron Cruden con) France 19 (Brice Dulin try; Morgan Parra 4 pens, con). HT: 9-9
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