All Blacks v France
Sonny Bill Williams dives across the line to score a try. Photo: AP
FULL-TIME: And it’s all over. The All Blacks outscored France five tries to two to win 37-17 in an excellent game of flowing rugby at Eden Park. A comprehensive win for the All Blacks, who did everything well tonight. They constructed five very good tries, based on good forward play and rehearsed lines.
With the ball in hand, McCaw’s side were ruthless, and made very few unforced errors.
The All Blacks conceded two tries, but both were opportunistic, with their defence holding up very well throughout the game.
Carter kicked reasonably well, and even took a dropgoal, sending a message to those who say it is not part of his game.
One of the big worries for Graham Henry will be the injuries to key players. Dagg, Thomson and Jane were all forced off the field, with Thomson looking to be in the most discomfort.
France tried everything, and could yet make a big impact in their half of the knock-out stages, as they now look to have the weaker run towards the final. They won their own lineout ball well, and would have found gaps in another midfield. Yachvili and Harinordoquy rolled back the years to put in excellent performances.
79MINS: France have the ball, and want the final say, but they spill and Kaino pinches the loose ball. Ellis spins well to Carter, who is tackled from behind by a retreating Frenchman. Dagg has left the field injured, and with no replacements, the All Blacks are playing with 14.
76MINS: New Zealand come straight back. Great kick-off from Carter, Ali Williams takes the ball. Slade comes infield, the ball goes wide to Nonu, Smith straightens and Sonny Bill Williams scores in the corner. Instant answer. No conversion from Carter. NEW ZEALAND 37 FRANCE 17.
74MINS: The All Blacks have given away three quick penalties on the line, one more and they’ll be seeing out the match with 14. France3 go quickly while McCaw argues, but the try is disallowed as Poite was not ready. But he’s changed his mind and given it. Very controversial, the ref had his back turned and was talking to the All Blacks as Francois Trinh-Duc went over for the try. Yachvili adds the two. NEW ZEALAND 32 FRANCE 17.
73MINS: France almost get over for their second try, but Andy Ellis and Dan Carter get underneath the William Servat attempt. Penalty to France, but they choose the scrum close to the line. France could score here. The All Blacks have taken their foot off the gas here, with a host of replacements on, and a number of players looking a bit worse for wear.
72MINS: Dagg is carrying on, but the All Blacks are out of replacements. He looks to be in some discomfort. At one point there, McCaw, Dagg and Thomson were on the ground. Henry looking very concerned.
70MINS: France are telegraphing the inside ball in midfield every time and the All Blacks are waiting for it. Adam Thomson is lookingin agony in backplay here. He’s been down for a good two minutes, and Dagg is limping. Worrying signs for The All Blacks. Thomson has to go off, Dagg is trying to run it off.
67MINS: Conrad Smith just ploughed Imanol Harinordoquy back ten metres in a driving tackle. That takes some doing. Great body position – he got under Harinordoquy, and then McCaw came in support, targeting the ball. Very, very nice counterplay.
65MINS: Scrum to France after Adam Thomson knocks the ball on competing for the lineout ball. France again try to go wide, but they aren’t recycling the ball quickly enough, and the All Blacks are having time to regroup with each phase. Great break by Imanol Harinordoquy, but as it starts to look good from the French, the pass goes forward.
63MINS: Brad Thorn carries it up to the French 22m line. Ellis spins the ball quickly, and Dan Carter takes the dropgoal. That’s only his fourth in the jumper, but it is good practice and sends a message that the All Blacks will take the option if they need it later in the tournament. NEW ZEALAND 32 FRANCE 10.
62MINS: France lose their own lineout for the first time. Without that platform, they really have nothing. Scrum to New Zealand.
61MINS: The All Blacks carry the ball up into the 22m, but Nonu produces an uncharacteristic fumble to turn the ball over softly. New Zealand did not look happy after that breakaway try to Mermoz, and they are trying too hard, forcing it in midfield. They need to go back to basics. Well, they don’t really when you look at the scoreboard. Kahui limps off.
59MINS: Imanol Harinordoquy and Aurelien Rougerie are doing their best to spur on their younger teammates here, but again Jerome Kaino spoils legally. The big Kiwi has been huge today, he is putting in one of his most impressive performances to date in a Test jumper. Early contender for man of the match here.
57MINS: New Zealand remain the only team at this World Cup who have never been behind on the scoreboard.
56MINS: Julien Bonnaire and Thierry Dusautoir combine well off the kickoff reception and seem to have woken up a bit. They go wide and sneak into the New Zealand half. The All Blacks defend well and Kaino forces the turnover, stepping out of the line to hurry the French. The All Blacks counter at pace, and good interplay from Carter and Kahui breaks down as the No.10 throws a bad pass in the direction of the replacement No.9 Andy Ellis. Good pace from Carter, bad pass though.
55MINS: Maxime Mermoz scores for France! He intercepts a bad pass from Dan Carter and runs in to score. The French line were racing up there, and the kick through was the better option. You don’t see that much from Dan Carter. Opportunist try for Mermoz, but the French won’t be getting too excited. Yachvili converts for the easy seven points. NEW ZEALAND 29 FRANCE 10.
53MINS: France try the inside ball, but Carter lines the runner up and puts in a trademark hit. France retain the ball, but they are going backwards. And the All Blacks eventually turn it over.
52MINS: The All Blacks have an attacking scrum five out here. Got to be a try. Nope. Weepu goes wide to Kahui, but he hangs on in the tackle. McCaw is having trouble controlling the ball between his feet in the boot of the scrum.
50MINS: Carter brings in Sonny Bill Williams on the inside line, and the utility tears upfield, chomping up the metres. The ball goes wide to Nonu and Kahui before they come back inside. This is relentless. They are within ten metres. But they have lost it. Brad Thorn and Piri Weepu got their lines all wrong in the washup.
48MINS: Dagg kicks straight to Parra, but the All Blacks scramble well with Sonny Bill Williams working hard as the first man to the breakdown. The ball comes forward off a French hand again, and it’s a scrum to New Zealand.
46MINS: Penalty to New Zealand as the French front-row goes down in the scrum. It’s in a kickable position, and after a brief discussion, the men in black decide to take the points, and use the time to have a chat about their next play. Carter accepts the gift. He’s worked this ball out. NEW ZEALAND 29 FRANCE 3.
44MINS: France make their fifth handling error of the game, and New Zealand have a scrum in their own half. Sonny Bill Williams is very animated here, looks like he may have a hand in this. Or not. McCaw loses control at the back of the scrum. The All Blacks recover, and Sonny Bill puts in a grubber. It’s not a great one, but he follws it up and makes the tackle. France recycle, and fumble.
42MINS: France take the kickoff well, but kick it away. Dagg regathers, Sonny Bill Williams makes a break in midfield, offloads beautifully to Carter as he takes out two defenders and the No 10. in turn finds Kahui. The ball goes wide, the All Blacks recycle and Dagg finishes the move he started, stepping like Benji Marshall and touching down for the bonus point try. Game over. Carter converts. NEW ZEALAND 26 FRANCE 3.
HALF-TIME: Forty minutes down here at Eden Park, with the All Blacks running in three unanswered tries. The French had all the ball and all the territory in the first quarter, but the All Blacks have been devastating with the ball in hand. It’s not over here, but the clinical finishing of the All Blacks, and they way they are pulling off their set moves suggest that it would be a brave soul to put any money on a French comeback.
If the All Blacks can maintain this intensity and efficiency, they will walk this tournament. Absolutely untouchable – although of course, there is a long way to go, and the ability to back up each week will be key.
The Kiwis have been perfect in the breakdown, counter-rucking efficiently and answering questions in defence.
Marc Lievremont’s team have actually been very good, but they are being monstered in every area of open play. If they can continue to win their own set-piece ball, they will have chances to score.
39MINS: Dimitri Yachvili putds in a box kick, which Richard Kahui takes beautifully under pressure. The winger is really making a name for him at this tournament.
38MINS: Dimitri Yachvili has just gone down in midfield as if he has been shot. The assistant ref suggests that Jerome Kaino has led with an elbow off the ball, but replays show there was little intent, and barely contact. An ugly sight from the French No.9 who milked that for all it was worth. He recovers enough to take the shot and putFrance on the board. NEW ZEALAND 19 FRANCE 3
37MINS: The French have messy ball on halfway after a tap-tackle then a smother tackle from Piri Weepu forces Les Blues to backpeddle. The Haka-leading halfback is earning his match fee here.
36MINS: Weepu, to Carter, to Smith, back to Weepu. The All Blacks are recycling quickly and making great metres until the ball goes forward from Carter to Dagg with SBW racing up on the inside line. Weepu is adding about three bodies to the backline by looping around in support repeatedly.
35MINS: Initial talk is that Corey Jane has a head knock, although from his body language as he left the field, it seems that the substitution is a precautionary one. Another great chance for Sonny Bill Williams to convince Graham Henry that he is more than a luxury player.
34MINS: Maxime Medard goes down the right wing, but the All Blacks calmly drift across and snuff out the attack. Penalty to the All Blacks, and Carter clears. Corey Jane looks like he has picked up an injury here, Sonny Bill Williams is coming on to fill in on the right wing.
32MINS: Julien Bonnaire takes a good clean catch in the lineout, and Mealamu almost rips the ball out of Szarzewski’s hands in the resulting maul, but the Kiwi hooker spills it. Scrum to France. The first handling error from the All Blacks took almost 32 minutes, and no-one could blame Mealamu there.
31MINS: Adam Thomson just put in one of those tackles on Picamoles that makes the whole stadium go ‘oooooh’ in chorus. The big man has been immense, answering his critics today.
30MINS: Dagg is tackled five short, and the ball comes infield to Nonu, who puts in a pretty ordinary grubber straight to the French cover defence. Threw away possession there. France try to counter, but are making hard work of it as they come up to halfway. Yachvili puts a decent kick into touch, but the All Blacks take it quickly.
28MINS: Whitelock is dominating in the lineout, that is his third clean take of the match. The clean ball is setting up a generous attacking platform for Weepu and Carter to release the destroyers in the midfield. Weepu is everywhere.
25MINS: Penalty to France as Kahui fail to release in the tackle. Lineout to France deep in the New Zealand half. They need to find a way to score some points here, or there will be no way back. Rougerie takes it into contact in midfield, but Nonu doesn’t give an inch. Kaino holds up the ball carrier, and the All Blacks have a penalty. A French opportunity snuffed out with nio fuss there.
24MINS: Weepu picks up and goes, loops around and makes fifteen metres. The French can’t get a hand on him – he may well be playing himself into the starting No.9 shirt ahead of Cowan and Ellis. Possession starting to even out here, but still in favour of France.
22MINS: France are looking shell-shocked here. The restart doesn’t go ten metres, so the All Blacks will go again, with a scrum on halfway. This is clinical rugby in every sense of the word from the hosts.
19MINS: Graham Henry will be delighted with this start. The All Blacks have had less of the ball, but scored two very well worked tries from their limited possession. It is hard to see how any team in the world will be able to compete with New Zealand in this mood. France have started very well, and Lievremont will be wondering what he can change to keep the Kiwis at bay. All Blacks have the ball in the French half. And they are in again! Carter makes a clean break and Dagg is in under the posts. Carter adds two. NEW ZEALAND 19 FRANCE 0.
17MINS: The All Blacks are sticking to their game-plan here, counter-rucking well, and mostly legally. And Piri Weepu has set up another try! Clean ball off the back of the lineout from Whitelock, Weepu draws the defence, and Nonu causes the distraction for Corey Jane to come in on the angle. Supreme execution of a rehearsed move. Carter lines it up….and this time it is successful. NEW ZEALAND 13 FRANCE 0.
15MINS: Relief for France, as Adam Thomson lazily fails to get himself into an onside position, and Traille clears. Picamoles takes the lineout ball, and the French go wide quickly. Great defence from Richard Kahui, who comes in off his wing and takes man and ball.
14MINS: Dimitri Yachvili’s clearance in his own 22m is charged down, and the All Blacks swarm forward. France scramble well, and recover, but Parra is charged down again in the next phase. Again, they recover and clear. Sam Whitelock is all over the halves here, charging two down in one minute.
12MINS: Kahui catches the restart and goes into contact. Carter feints and goes, and is well tackled. France turn over the ball, and Yachvili cleverly hacks the loose ball along the ground to Parra, who kicks ahead and is hit a second late. That’s a message for the young fly-half.
10MINS: Darting break from Piri Weepu there, and the ball gets out to Nonu, who makes a devastating break up the centre. The ball comes back quick, and Carter throws it wide. Adam Thomson scores a wonderful try in the corner. Carter misses the conversion badly from out wide. Bonnaire let Nonu make him look foolish there. First real possession for the All Blacks, and they made it count. NEW ZEALAND 5 FRANCE 0.
8MIN: Better scrum from the All Blacks there, they win a penalty and a huge boost as the French front-row pops up. The crowd roars and Carter cheers. First lineout to the All Blacks.
6MIN: New Zealand win the scrum close to their line, despite a decent push from the French. McCaw picks it up out of the boot and Carter clears as far as Traille. France run the ball back, forcing the All Blacks to put in a huge number of tackles. Maxime Mermoz steps inside Dan Carter and makes good metres in midfield, and the scrum goes to the French. 88% possession to Les Blues. incredible.
5MIN: It’s all France in the opening exchanges, who have won two lineouts cleanly and have been taking the ball hard into contact through Picamoles and Dusautoir. Chances near both touchlines for the French here. This is being played at huge intensity by les Blues. Traille almost gathers the corssfield kick from Yachvili, and Corey Jane hits Traille hard as they compete for the ball. Both men get up gingerly.
3MIN: France are keeping the ball in hand here, refusing to kick away possession. High drama as Parra hits a dropgoal against the post, and the French almost regather on the Frnch line from the loose ball. The All Blacks break through Nonu but Rougerie wraps him up nicely. No time to breathe here.
2MIN: Great break up the centre there from the French in an early warning for the All Blacks, who failed to drift across and close the gaps. France win a lineout and take the ball cleanly on the New Zealand 22m line.
1MIN:France kick off, wearing white shirts. The All Blacks field the ball nicely, and Israel Dagg clears but fails to find touch. The French run it back, before Parra puts the ball up high. Dagg takes the high ball beautifully under pressure, in a breakneck start to the game.
Welcome to RugbyHeaven’s live blog of New Zealand against France from Eden Park.
Richie McCaw will lead out his All Blacks for his 100th against the old enemy France in Auckland tonight.
The All Blacks will be looking to shun the memories of 2008 and put the French away in front of a sell-out crowd at Eden Park, in a repeat of the inaugural 1987 final.
The victor at the end of eighty minutes should top Pool A and face either Scotland or Argentina in the quarter-finals, barring a Scottish upset over England in the final stage of Pool B.
Marc Lievremont has been panned all week by the local press for fielding what is seen as a weakened team in order to ease through in second place in the Pool and face an easier route to the final. Morgan Parra starts at No.10 for Les Blues ahead of Francois Trinh-Duc, and will hope to add to his impressive goalkicking stats from the last game.
Henry plumps up his team with McCaw, Dan Carter, Israel Dagg and Piri Weepu coming back in to the starting XV.
New Zealand to win by 15 after a competitive hour, with the unpredictable French putting up a brave fight.
New Zealand (15-1)
Israel Dagg; Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Richard Kahui; Daniel Carter, Piri Weepu; Adam Thomson, Richie McCaw (capt), Jerome Kaino; Sam Whitelock, Brad Thorn; Owen Franks, Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: Andrew Hore, Ben Franks, Ali Williams, Anthony Boric, Andy Ellis, Colin Slade, Sonny Bill Williams.
France (15-1)
Damien Traille; Vincent Clerc, Aurelien Rougerie, Maxime Mermoz, Maxime Medard; Morgan Parra, Dimitri Yachvili; Louis Picamoles, Julien Bonnaire, Thierry Dusautoir (capt); Lionel Nallet, Pascal Pape; Luc Ducalcon, Dimitri Szarzewski, Jean-Baptiste Poux
Replacements: William Servat, Fabien Barcella, Julien Pierre, Imanol Harinordoquy, Francois Trinh-Duc, Fabrice Estebanez, Cedric Heymans
Referee: Allain Rolland (IRL)
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Article source: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/rugby-union-match-centre/live-new-zealand-v-france-20110924-1kqlc.html
