HOW THE ABS RATED
David Havili 7: Not many attacking chances. Some confident high-ball takes, a well-read 22 catch and nice banana clearance, good floating ball for Duffie try. Caught in no-man’s land in being unable to stop first French try. Matt Duffie 6: Palmed off big-time by Camille Chat. Lean frame was hit backwards a few more times with ball in hand, but found a bit more space later. Jack Goodhue 6: Sole new starting All Black had some good stuff undone by unfortunate 67th-minute yellow card. Prior to that showed lovely vision and distribution, including nice floating ball for Squire to score. Good defensive reads too. Ngani Laumape 8: Strong carries as usual - no better than 56th-min try where he ran over Vincent Rattezand close to line. Distribution a mix of lovely and awful – such as super quick-hands turning average Sopoaga pass into a Duffie try, then soon after throwing intercept-try pass which was forward anyway. Seta Tamanivalu 7: Used often in midfield as a dangerous roamer, always strong. Some good runs down left flank. Sucked in on defence to concede ABS’ first try. Lima Sopoaga 6: Just a distributor, really. One early aimless kick, forward pass scuppered attacking chance on halftime. Solid front-on defence. Tawera Kerr-barlow 6: Most likely his last match in ABS jersey before heading to La Rochelle. Decent defensive work, the odd good scamper, awful grubber into French legs, not the crispest night of distribution. Luke Whitelock 7: Nothing flashy from first-time skipper, always on hand for a strong carry, and solid tackling. Lost ball in tackle close to line but a penalty saved blushes. Ardie Savea 6: Fine early turnover win which turned momentum and led to opening try. Mostly well-contained and couldn’t find much space to show the x-factor. Liam Squire 9: Back from sick bed in a storming way. Best on the paddock, with great roaming runs and support play mixed with a tonne of solid hits and abrasiveness round fringes. Dominic Bird 6: The big lineout target, though not too much else. Did well to lock up French maul and win turnover. Patrick Tuipulotu 8: Spilled opening kickoff, but improved plenty from there. Great early charge, decent link work and runs in middle. Had ball ripped when tryline beckoned, but made amends with 52nd-minute score with strong carry. Jeffrey Toomaga-allen 6: One penalty for collapsed scrum, but otherwise solid at the set-piece. Nathan Harris 6: Earned tighthead win on first scrum, but couple of average lineout throws. Tim Perry 6: Solid scrummaging, but opposite Malik Hamadache charged out of his grasp in open play, and he had a pass intercepted off an unintended lineout win.
RESERVES:
Asafo Aumua 6: (66th min for Harris) Won crucial turnover in tandem with Hunt with three minutes to play, but bad lineout throw after. Atu Moli 6: (57th min for Perry) First taste of the All Blacks, and on unfamiliar loosehead side, which ABS are keen on shifting him to. Shunted back in first scrum, but got better. Ofa Tu’ungafasi 5: (66th min for Toomaga-allen) Hiding to nothing in getting run around by Macalou leading to late French try. Huge last scrum left him able to smile. Scott Barrett 6: (66th min for Tuipulotu) Showed keenness and awareness by diving on loose ruck ball twice. Akira Ioane 8: (53rd min for Squire) First wearing of ABS jersey injected immediate desire within. Took ball immediately on entrance, then went on a brilliant run upfield but couldn’t link up. Dillon Hunt N/R (70th min for Savea) Mitch Drummond N/R (70th min for Kerr-barlow) Richie Mo’unga 7: (53rd min for Sopoaga) First ABS experience and quickly involved in try with a simple pass for Laumape. Fumbled a low ball but advantage was played anyway, then scrambled well a couple of times.