Hamilton: New Zealand captain Ardie Savea acknowledged that his team faced a challenging start, describing it as being "punched in the nose," before managing a comeback to secure a 29-19 victory over France, thus completing a series sweep. Despite trailing 10-0 initially and 19-17 at halftime, the All Blacks managed to take the lead with 20 minutes remaining against a French side missing some key players.
According to BBC, New Zealand's tries were scored by Will Jordan, Anton Lienert-Brown, DuPlessis Kirifi, and newcomer Brodie McAlister. France's Nolann Le Garrec, playing for Racing 92, was a standout performer, scoring an early try and successfully converting three penalties. The New Zealand team was able to build momentum and pressure, which they translated into points during the crucial moments of the game.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson expressed optimism about the team's future performance, stating, "We'll be better for the experience as a group. Ten points down at one stage and we found a way, played some really good footy and were better for it." Robertson highlighted the resilience and adaptability shown by the team during the match.
In another game on Saturday, South Africa's debutant Marnus van der Merwe made a significant impact by scoring two first-half tries, leading to a 55-10 victory over Georgia in a one-off Test in Nelspruit. Georgia's Vano Karkadze scored an early try to give his team a surprising lead, but the Springboks responded decisively with nine tries, extending their unbeaten streak to eight matches.