PARIS -- France took the chance to send a message to their Six Nations counterparts against New Zealand on Saturday: "We're back."
Last year's World Cup disappointment -- when they were knocked out in the quarterfinals on home soil -- brought on a hangover that lasted into this year's Six Nations, where they were without various players including Antoine Dupont, who has a case for being the best player in the world.
Dupont sat out the 2024 tournament to focus on the Olympics, winning a gold medal with the sevens side. But at Stade de France in their 30-29 win over the All Blacks, the scrum-half re-stamped his authority on Les Bleus and put the other northern teams on notice.
The expectation was for an open Test given the running, free flowing game the two rugby mad nations love to play... and they both obliged. It was ferocious, much to the delight of the rambunctious crowd watching inside Stade de France. Almost every player's first instinct was to run and have a crack, making for an edge-of-the-seat spectacle. It was as though both Scott Robertson and Fabien Galthie told their respective sides: "Just go out and have fun."
The appetite to run also created some bruising collisions, with both forward packs worked into the ground as they scrapped for every inch. All Blacks back-rower Ardea Savea looked like a man possessed at times, barraging his way through the France defence to set up the opening try.
At one point, New Zealand looked as though they might make light work of things. Cam Roigard pounced on Gregory Alldritt off a scrum to steal the ball, spin on a dime, and dart over the line to score and knock the wind out of the arena in the blink of an eye.
But France, desperate to claim a big scalp on home soil, fought back, punishing New Zealand's mistakes and regaining momentum. Dupont took the reins, steering them up field with fullback Romain Buros scoring on debut and getting the fans back on their feet.
France dominated the middle third of the match, scoring straight after the break and looking like Les Bleus of old. Winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was a handful all night, getting a try as a reward.
But the last five minutes will perhaps be most pleasing for Galthie. His side managed the game well, with the boot of Thomas Ramos adding valuable points as penalties were traded. They toughed it out and trusted each other in attack and defence. The joy after the final whistle was visible, showing just how much they needed a result like this.
"We talk about the enthusiasm and the support from the audience but mostly we feel [it] on the pitch," Dupont said. "It's just so fabulous. Defeating the All Blacks is always a special victory. It's a strong feeling we all shared it on the pitch."
It's now three straight wins over the All Blacks for the first time since 1995. It will rightly feel like a massive step forward.
"Winning against such a big team is a big confidence booster and lays the foundation for our squad. They came as a top team with top players at their peak," Dupont added.
Galthie was thrilled with his side's effort with pressure beginning to grow on them following a mixed bag of results in the wake of last year's home World Cup heartbreak, when they were beaten 29-28 by South Africa in the quarterfinals.
"It was a special Test for us. Winning by a single point reminds us of last year. One point is nothing but it can also mean a lot," Galthie said.
"The scenario was awful at the beginning [of the game]. But at halftime we found the solution, being better on the impact points. I'm very proud because we've now hosted them three times and we've beaten them three times [in a row].
"It gives us a lot of confidence. Even if they're this formidable All Blacks side, they can be fragile, have weaknesses which we exploit pretty well when they come here."
Dupont praised France's resolve in a brutal Test.
"We knew we had the keys to turn the tables in this match and the whole team, even the newcomers, felt that," Dupont said. "There is nothing more exciting to live these final minutes, when you know your teammate is not going to give up."
For New Zealand, there will be mixed emotions, with a strong performance of their own, but falling short of three straight wins over the top northern sides, having already beaten England and Ireland.
"Really proud of our efforts and how hard we worked for each other," Robertson said. "We created so much we didn't finish and that's the tough part. We played some really really good footy, [but] there was a couple of little moments when the game swung their way. Well done to France they showed a lot of courage and defended stoically."
The result will sting, but the lessons will be taken for a team who are building under Robertson, still in his first year in the job. The All Blacks host France in New Zealand next year, and if this was the appetizer, the main course will be a delicious feast for all.
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