All Blacks scrape home 31-27 over France in Dunedin thriller

The All Blacks narrowly survived a massive scare to open their 2025 season with a 31-27 victory over a determined and understrength French side at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

In a match filled with nerves, errors, and drama, it was a late penalty from Beauden Barrett that separated the sides and preserved New Zealand’s unbeaten home record against Les Bleus.

From the first whistle, it was clear that France hadn’t arrived in Dunedin just to make up the numbers. Within two minutes, a brilliant burst down the flank by wing Theo Attissogbé opened space for No. 8 Mickaël Guillard to power over for the opening try.

A penalty shortly after added to the early scoreboard pressure, and New Zealand suddenly found themselves trailing 0-10.

It was a wake-up call, and the hosts responded in kind. Jordie Barrett’s try clawed them back into the contest before Will Jordan finished smartly on the wing to bring parity.

By the time Tupou Vaa’i crashed over from close range following a dominant scrum, the All Blacks had wrestled back control. They went into halftime leading 21-13, but the sense of unease lingered.

New Zealand began the second half eager to pull away, but opportunities were squandered. A try to Billy Proctor was disallowed for a knock-on, while a second from Will Jordan was chalked off due to obstruction. These moments proved costly.

France, buoyed by growing belief, hit back when Gabin Villiére pounced on a loose ball from a mistimed restart and crossed the line. The conversion narrowed the gap to just one point at 21-20.

The All Blacks looked rattled, their attack beginning to stall and the crowd falling quiet as the French pack turned up the heat.

The All Blacks managed to stretch their lead when Cam Roigard sniped through off the ruck to score, pushing the score to 28-20, but even then, the game refused to settle.

France responded again, working the ball wide with fluid backline play to send Villiére in for his second try, reducing the deficit to 28-27 with just ten minutes remaining.

With the pressure mounting and the French threatening another famous upset, New Zealand turned to their veteran playmaker. In the 74th minute, Beauden Barrett stepped up and calmly slotted a penalty to make it 31-27, restoring a slim buffer.

France had one final surge, building phases inside the All Blacks’ half as the clock ticked down. But the New Zealand defence held firm, forcing a knock-on in the 79th minute that effectively ended French hopes. The relief was palpable at full-time.